Alternative Text Description for Key Silverside (Threatened) Distribution

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the geographic distribution of the Key Silverside, a threatened species in Florida. The map shows areas where this species is known to occur, focusing on the Florida Keys archipelago and surrounding coastal waters. This map is part of Florida's official endangered and threatened species documentation, illustrating the range of a species with limited geographic distribution.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the Florida Keys, extending from Key West in the southwest to beyond Duck Key in the northeast. Major locations labeled on the map include Key West, Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, Cudjon Key, Big Pine Key, and Duck Key. The Keys are shown as a chain of islands curving from southwest to northeast, separating the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast from the Gulf of America to the northwest. The southern portion of mainland Florida (Monroe County area) appears in the upper portion of the map. The mapped area encompasses the entirety of the Lower and Middle Keys region.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Key Silverside's range is concentrated along the island chain of the Florida Keys, with habitat areas closely following the coastlines and shallow water areas surrounding the islands. The distribution forms a continuous corridor extending along the entire Keys archipelago from Key West through Duck Key. Notable concentrations appear around Key West, the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge area, the Big Pine Key region, and Duck Key. The species' habitat appears most extensive in areas with complex island geography and numerous small keys, suggesting an association with shallow coastal and nearshore environments characteristic of the Keys ecosystem.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Key Silverside Habitat Areas

This layer represents the known range and distribution of the threatened Key Silverside species in Florida waters.

Key Silverside (Threatened) Habitat (purple crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

Areas are shown with a purple diagonal crosshatch pattern overlaying blue water areas, creating distinctive shaded zones around islands and coastal areas.

Distribution:

Habitat zones appear continuously along the Florida Keys from Key West in the southwest extending northeast past Duck Key, forming buffer-like areas around islands and keys.

Notable locations:

Significant concentrations occur around Key West and the southwestern keys, the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge area, around Big Pine Key and adjacent islands, and extensively around Duck Key in the northeastern portion of the mapped area.

Spatial patterns:

The habitat forms an irregular but continuous corridor following the archipelago's shape, with wider zones around areas with multiple small islands and narrower zones along straighter coastline segments. The pattern suggests the species occupies shallow nearshore waters and areas between closely spaced islands, with habitat extent varying based on local coastal geography.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents a single thematic layer showing the distribution of one threatened species from Florida's official imperiled species list. The Key Silverside is a small fish species endemic to the Florida Keys, and its limited geographic range contributes to its threatened status. The mapped areas represent the species' known habitat range based on the State Imperiled Species documentation updated in December 2025. Areas shown indicate where the species occurs or has suitable habitat, and the continuous distribution pattern reflects the species' dependence on the unique shallow-water ecosystem of the Florida Keys.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

This dataset contains the range and distribution information from Florida's official endangered and threatened species list as depicted in the Integrated Species Management Plan (ISMP) and Species Action Plan (SAP) of 2013, with updates through December 2025. Data source layer name: STATE_IMPERILED_SPECIES_DEC25.

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the imperiled species data, showing only records where COMMON_NAME='KEY SILVERSIDE', isolating this single threatened species from the larger statewide imperiled species dataset.

Scale Information:

The map scale shows the entire Florida Keys region, providing a regional view appropriate for understanding the full geographic range of this Keys-endemic species.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The species distribution data reflects information current as of December 2025, based on species management plans originally developed in 2013 with subsequent updates.

Limitations:

The mapped areas represent known range and suitable habitat based on available data at the time of the 2025 update. Actual species presence may vary within these zones based on specific microhabitat conditions, water quality, and seasonal factors. The dataset represents official state documentation and may not capture all recent field observations or habitat changes.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire Florida Keys archipelago from Key West in the southwest to areas beyond Duck Key in the northeast, including portions of mainland Monroe County visible in the northern extent, providing complete coverage of the Key Silverside's known range.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.