Slide Show Narrative:
The Florida Keys are home to the most extensive living coral
reef in the United States. For centuries, the beauty and
climate of this region have attracted explorers, settlers,
and tourists. However, with this steady stream of people
came damage to the region’s reefs, seagrass beds, water
quality and fisheries. A groundswell of public sentiment
to protect the Keys culminated in 1990, when Congress designated
2800 square nautical miles of offshore waters as a national
marine sanctuary. Marine zoning and permanent mooring buoys
are some of the management practices at work in the Keys,
to restore, protect, and preserve the area’s fragile
ecosystems and diverse aquatic life.
Photo Credits:
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Paige Gill
Laurel Canty-Erlich
Joseph Feingold
Jim Raymont
Harold Hudson
Mike White
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