Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

The Florida Keys archipelago is known worldwide for its extensive offshore coral reefs. However, this sub-tropical region also sustains many other interdependent habitats including fringing mangroves, seagrass meadows, hardbottom regions, patch reefs, and bank reefs. This complex marine ecosystem is the foundation for the commercial fishing and tourism-based economies that are vital to south Florida.

Major issues facing the sanctuary include declines in healthy corals brought on by an increase in coral disease and coral bleaching, invasion of algae in seagrass beds and coral reefs, overfishing, reduced freshwater inflow from Florida Bay, and damage to coral from careless boaters, snorkelers, divers and occasional large ship groundings.