Earth observations of the Bahamas and Florida taken during STS-99

STS099-729-086 (11-22 February 2000) ---In this 70mm frame photographed by one of the STS-99 crew members, the city of Miami encroaches the eastern edge of the Everglades in Florida. The Everglades is an International Biosphere Reserve World Heritage Site. This subtropical wilderness encompasses a relatively flat (does not exceed 2.4 meters above sea level) saw-grass marsh region of 10,000 square kilometers (4,000 square miles). The only source of water in the Everglades is from rainfall. The flow of water is detectable in this image, slowly moving from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay; the light blue, shallow area (less than 3 meters) between the mainland and the Keys; and the southwestern Florida coast.