Florida is the only state in the continental United States to have extensive shallow coral reef formations near its coasts. These reefs extend from St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County, to the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico. The most prolific reef development occurs seaward of the Florida Keys. The most extensive living coral reef in the United States is adjacent to the island chain of the Florida Keys. The Florida Reef Tract possesses coral formations very similar to those found in the Bahamas and Caribbean Sea. The Florida Reef Tract is nearly 360 linear miles long It is the third largest barrier reef ecosystem in the world. All but the northern-most extent of the reef tract lies within the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The 2,800 square nautical mile Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), designated in 1992, surrounds the entire archipelago of the Florida Keys and includes the productive waters of Florida Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Discontinuous and less biologically diverse coral reef communities continue northward along western Florida shores to the Florida Middle Grounds, a series of submerged pinnacles rising to within 60-80 ft of the surface, about 100 miles northwest of St. Petersburg.
In addition to local residents, millions of vacationers come to Florida in order to enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing on south Florida's coral reefs. These activities provide a great source of income for Florida and its coastal communities. It is estimated that coral reef activities in Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties generate $3.4 billion in sales in general and income and support 36,000 jobs in the region each year.
Florida's Coral Reef Management Priorities
Florida Capacity Assessment Report and Coral Reef Conservation Time Line
A cooperative multi-agency reef fish monitoring protocol for the Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem. Natural Resource Report NPS/SFCN/NRR-2009/150
Southeast Florida Coral Reef Fishery Independent Baseline Assessment 2012-2014 Summary Report
An Integrated Biogeographic Assessment of Reef Fish Populations and Fisheries in Dry Tortugas : Effects of No-Take Reserves - NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 111
Mapping Southern Florida’s Shallow-water Coral Reef Ecosystems: An Implementation Plan
Socioeconomic Impacts of Marine Reserves - Tortugas Ecological Reserve
A Socioeconomic Study of Reefs in Southeast Florida, Final Report - October 19, 2001
Report on the Status of Marine Protected Areas in Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States. Volume 1: Marine Protected Areas Managed by U.S. States,Territories, and Commonwealths. NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 2 February 2007
Can marine “protected” areas be effective?
The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008
The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2005.
The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2002.
Florida Local Action Strategy Factsheet
Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative: A Local Action Strategy
Florida Reef Tract Coral Bleaching Response Plan
Climate Change Action Plan for the Florida Reef System 2010-2015
Search the CoRIS Geoportal for Florida metadata, data and publications
Reef Base Coral Bleaching Reports
Select "U.S. Caribbean" in the Region window and " Florida (USA)" in the Country window
Coral Reef Watch Satellite Monitoring
Coral Reef Watch - Florida Keys
The Global Temperature-Salinity Profile Program
NOAA/National Weather Service - Data from Florida
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation Monitoring Project (SECREMP)
Face Monitoring Sites
NOAA CO-OPS - Tide Data
NOAA Tide Predictions - Florida
Smithsonian Marine Station, Indian River Lagoon, Ft. Pierce, Florida (FTPF1)
Sebastian Inlet jetty, Sebastian, Florida (SEBF1)
Historical Atlas of Southern Florida Shallow-water Benthic Habitats (1991)
South Atlantic Deep Coral Assessment - Deep Coral Cruise Data
South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) - is an interdisciplinary service that provides coherent information access in support of research, decision making, and resource management for the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort.
Continuous bottom temperature measurements in strategic areas of the Florida Reef Tract
Florida Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Files
Aquarius Reef Base - Education and Outreach
Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Coral Reef Conservation Program
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
South Florida Water Management District
The South Florida and Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (SFC CESU)
NOAA Ocean Service Education on Corals
NOAA Ocean Service Education Roadmap to corals Resources
NOAA’s Aquarius – The World’s Only Undersea Research Station
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf, and South Atlantic
Marine Protected Areas of the United States Home Page
The Marine Protected Areas Inventory
Marine Federal Areas Fact Sheet
Executive order 13158: Marine Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas of the United States: Florida
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges (Florida)
Florida Middle Grounds Habitat Area of Particular Concern
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge
J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary Outstanding Florida Water
Key West National Wildlife Refuge
Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge
Reef Fish Longline and Buoy Gear Restricted Area
Reef Fish Stressed Area
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Virginia Key No Entry Zone
Appearing as solitary forms in the fossil record more than 400 million years ago, corals are extremely ancient animals that evolved into modern reef-building forms over the last 25 million years.
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The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) is a partnership between the NOAA Line Offices that work on coral reef issues: the National Ocean Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service. The CRCP brings together expertise from across NOAA for a multidisciplinary approach to managing and understanding coral reef ecosystems.
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program
SSMC4, 10th Floor
1305 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
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NOAA's Coral Reef Information SystemRevised: May 22, 2018 | You are here: http://coris.noaa.gov/portals/florida.html
