NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 3,800 square miles of coral reef, hard bottom, seagrass meadow, mangroves, and sand flats.

For the official source of information about FKNMS, visit: http://floridakeys.noaa.gov.

Mermaid story time is coming to the Eco-Discovery Center! 🧜‍♀️📖🌊Join us for Story Time By The Sea with Mermaid Dorian on...
06/11/2026

Mermaid story time is coming to the Eco-Discovery Center! 🧜‍♀️📖🌊

Join us for Story Time By The Sea with Mermaid Dorian on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center.

Children are invited to dress up in their favorite ocean costume or ocean-inspired clothes and enjoy a special reading of Mermaids Fast Asleep, along with a fun opportunity to learn more about Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

📍 Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center
35 E. Quay Road, Key West, on the Truman Waterfront
📅 Saturday, June 13, 2026
⏰ 10 a.m.
📧 For more information: [email protected]

Free and open to the public.

Thanks to Honest Eco Tours for Being on the (Mooring) Ball.🔵Captain Libbie Dickson of Honest Eco, one of Florida Keys Na...
06/09/2026

Thanks to Honest Eco Tours for Being on the (Mooring) Ball.🔵

Captain Libbie Dickson of Honest Eco, one of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s Blue Star Certified Dive Operators rescued a mooring ball that had become tangled up with another at Cottrell Key. Her efforts to untangle the ball and return it to Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s buoy team will ensure the buoy is redeployed and will continue its mission – helping to protect the reef from anchor damage.

🌟Blue Star operators are committed to responsible tourism and go the extra step to educate their customers about the South Florida ecosystem, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and responsible diving and fishing etiquette.

To locate or Blue Star Operator or find out more about the program visit: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/bluestar/. Look Before You Book!

📸Libbie Dickson

🐢Sea Turtle Nesting Season is Here! 💡Turtle-friendly lighting technology has come a long way - making it easier than eve...
06/08/2026

🐢Sea Turtle Nesting Season is Here!

💡Turtle-friendly lighting technology has come a long way - making it easier than ever to protect nesting sea turtles and hatchlings while still safely lighting coastal properties.

😎Learn more about turtle-friendly lighting options here: https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/lighting/

Nesting Season: April 15 - October 31.

🌊 You’re invited: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council MeetingHelp shape the future of the Florida Ke...
06/04/2026

🌊 You’re invited: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting

Help shape the future of the Florida Keys’ marine environment. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) will hold a public meeting to share updates on science, restoration, and more, with time set aside for public comment.

📋 Meeting Highlights
• NOAA & Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Leadership Update
• Restoration Blueprint Final Status
• Working Group Updates
• Summer Science Updates
• NOAA Sargassum Inundation Event Resources
• Public Comment.

A healthy ocean supports the Keys’ economy, culture, and way of life — your voice matters.

📅Tuesday, June 16, 2026 - 9 a.m.
📍 In person: Marathon City Hall
💻 Virtual: Listen-only attendance available
🔗 Details & SAC page: https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac/
Open to the public | Community participation encouraged

Photo: Daniel Eidsmoe

06/03/2026

Sargassum Smorgasbord🌊

🌱This time of year, sargassum often washes into nearshore waters and onto beaches. For people, it can be less than welcome — it may make swimming unpleasant, create a foul odor as it decomposes, or get tangled in fishing lines.
But not everyone is bothered.

🍴These gulls found a floating feast, foraging among the sargassum for small marine life sheltering in the drifting seaweed. While sargassum can be a nuisance along the shoreline, it also provides important habitat and food for birds, fish, crabs, shrimp, and other ocean life.

One species’ beach day nuisance is another species’ smorgasbord.

Find out more about the role plays in managing, tracking, and researching it: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sargassum/

06/02/2026

🤔How do you track change on a coral reef?
Start with lots and lots of photos. 📸📷📸

Photomosaics are created by combining many underwater images into a detailed view of a reef site. That big-picture view helps scientists and restoration teams monitor coral cover, document changes, and better understand how restoration areas are progressing over time.

👩🏽‍🔬It is one more way technology is helping guide coral reef restoration, giving teams a clearer look at what is happening beneath the surface.

Video: NOAA

Water Quality Monitoring Front and Center 🌊After a year of monthly sampling, the Key Largo Mission: Iconic Reefs field t...
06/01/2026

Water Quality Monitoring Front and Center 🌊

After a year of monthly sampling, the Key Largo Mission: Iconic Reefs field team has completed a National Marine Sanctuary Foundation-funded water quality monitoring project at Upper Keys restoration sites.

Since May 2025, the team collected water samples and environmental data at reefs throughout the Upper Keys to mirror ongoing Lower Keys monitoring led by Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. Scientists analyzed samples for nutrient and chlorophyll levels alongside temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen data to better understand the environmental conditions influencing reef health and restoration success.

This consistent, site-level monitoring helps researchers track seasonal and long-term water quality trends across restoration sites in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Beginning this month, monitoring and analysis for these sites will continue under a new three-year EPA South Florida grant led by Dr. Emily Hall and the Marine Laboratory team, with Dr. Katey Lesneski serving as Co-Principal Investigator.

📸 The Upper Keys project may have concluded, but the Lower Keys team is still going strong. With a recent break in the weather, they managed to sample all of their M:IR sites in a single week — no small accomplishment across a 50-mile stretch.

Photos: Sydney Gallagher/NOAA

05/28/2026

Ever wonder what goes into protecting one of the most iconic reefs in the world? 🌊

Turns out… the reef is watching too.

While filming an educational video, a couple of curious locals decided to check out the camera for themselves.

But what we’re capturing goes far beyond a single moment.

Every year, thousands of pounds of marine debris threaten the Florida Keys reef, entangling wildlife, damaging coral, and impacting our community. That’s where the Goal: Clean Seas Program steps in.

Through Goal: Clean Seas, divers don't just show up… they show up prepared.
🎥 Capturing real moments on the reef helps train Goal: Clean Seas participants to:
✔️ Remove debris safely
✔️ Protect fragile coral and marine life
✔️ Make a real difference without causing harm

💙 Nearly 2,300 divers remove ~20,000 pounds of debris from sanctuary waters each year, and it all starts with education.

Check out our list of permitted Goal: Clean Seas dive operators here and reach out to the to join their next Goal: Clean Seas Dive:
https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/getinvolved/goal-clean-seas.html

Video: National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

You’re invited to Get Into Your Sanctuary! Join us this summer across the National Marine Sanctuary System - from sea to...
05/27/2026

You’re invited to Get Into Your Sanctuary!

Join us this summer across the National Marine Sanctuary System - from sea to shining sea. Each year, as part of national "Get into Your Sanctuary" summer activities, we invite photographers to share striking images that capture wildlife, seascapes, maritime heritage, and meaningful connections to these special places through our Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest. The contest runs from May 22 to September 7!

Visit https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html and follow NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to learn more!

05/27/2026

Not stranding — just a little springtime love in the water 💙

What you’re seeing is a natural mating herd, which can sometimes bring large groups of manatees close to shore or into shallow water. It may look unusual, but this is normal behavior during breeding season.

Enjoy from a distance and let these gentle giants do their thing. 🌊

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