The Florida Keys is the American Caribbean. It shares many features with other island destinations, such as world-class sport fishing, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, boating, sailing, kayaking and eco-tours. Yet, in the entire world, there is no ecological community like the Florida Keys. It is unique.
Since the establishment of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in 1960, the waters of the Florida Keys have been a shining example of marine conservation, and are emulated around the world. When the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, and now the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary were established, this legacy of preservation has evolved and improved.
With careful consideration of achieving a balance between the desires of people living, working and visiting the Keys, and the need to ensure that they are preserved for generations to come, The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has developed zones of special use within the Sanctuary. These zones include areas that are strictly protected (Sanctuary Preservation Areas) while other areas include more diverse and minimally restricted recreational activities. The collection of resources linked to our site will assist in informing you about this system, its navigation and its regulations.

Only Belize and Australia have larger living coral reefs, and the Florida Keys reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the U.S. It lies about six miles seaward of the Florida Keys, making it a unique national treasure.
Home to a wider variety of life than any other marine environment, coral reefs are just one part of an interdependent ecosystem that includes mangroves, sea grasses and the wildlife that inhabit them on both the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay sides of the Keys. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was created in 1990 as a means of recognizing the importance and fragility of this ecosystem. The Sanctuary includes 2,800 square nautical miles (9,500 square kilometers) of coastal and oceanic waters as well as submerged land surrounding the Florida Keys, extending south and west to encompass the Tortugas islands (excluding the Dry Tortugas National Park). The shoreward boundary of the Sanctuary is determined by the mean high-water mark.
The Sanctuary encompasses spectacular and nationally significant marine environments, including sea grass meadows, mangrove islands, and, of course, coral reefs. These marine environments support rich biological communities, the marine equivalent of tropical rain forests. They support high levels of biological diversity, are fragile and easily susceptible to damage from human activities. Properly managed and conserved, the Florida Keys marine resource has significant value to a variety of special interests, including commercial fisheries, scientific research, education, and marine archaeology. The beauty and quality of the Florida Keys coral reef tract, sea grasses, and mangroves to a great extent define that which is most attractive and valuable about this unique string of islands.