During your next Florida Keys SCUBA diving excursion, take a moment to think about the fact that North America's only coral barrier reef and the third longest barrier reef in the world lies about six miles seaward of the Florida Keys. Scuba diving enthusiasts know that coral reefs contain more varieties of sea life than any other marine environment. They are part of a fragile interdependent ecosystem that includes mangroves and seagrasses that grow both on the ocean and bayside of the Florida Keys.

Coral, for all its sturdy appearance, is fragile and vulnerable. Reef building corals flourish only in clear, clean, nutrient-free waters, usually between 25 degrees north and south of the equator. Coral reefs cannot withstand continued exposure to sea temperatures colder than 68 degrees F or warmer than 86 degrees F, nor great changes in water quality or salinity. Corals are delicate structures composed of thousands of tiny slow-growing animals called polyps. Each one secretes a calcareous exoskeleton. Colonies of thousands of coral polyps form massive reef formations. Coral growth rates can be as slow as ¼ inch per year, taking hundreds of years to form large coral heads. The reef is constantly growing new colonies on top of the skeletons of older ones. Damage caused by boat groundings may take many decades to recover.

Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees that provide a nesting area for a variety of birds. The submerged roots are a nursery and breeding ground for most of the marine life that migrates to the reef. Mangroves trap and produce nutrients for food and habitat, stabilize the shoreline by trapping debris and silt, and filter land-based pollutants.

-Before heading out, check weather conditions. Strong winds and rough seas can result in poor visibility and reduce safe interaction at the reef.

-Dumping trash at sea is illegal; plastic bags and other debris can injure or kill marine animals. Bring your trash back to shore and recycle it. Try to retrieve fishing gear and equipment, especially monofilament line.

-Use sewage pump-out facilities and biodegradable bilge cleaner and never discharge bilge water at the reef.

-Use reef mooring buoys or anchor in sandy areas away from coral and seagrasses so that anchor, chain and line do not contact or damage coral or seagrasses.

-Accidental boat groundings damage coral and seagrasses. Consult tide and navigational charts and steer clear of shallow areas. Fines are imposed for such damage.

-Avoid areas which appear brown in color. Shallow reef areas and seagrass beds will appear brown.

-If you run aground, immediately turn the engine off, and tilt it up if possible. Do not try to motor off. Wait until high tide to remove the vessel. Ask for assistance when necessary.

-When in a Florida Keys diving area, slow down to an idle speed.

-Fishermen, do not troll over or near Florida Keys scuba divers. Stay at least 100 feet from a red and white diver down flag and watch for bubbles.

-Florida law requires a fishing license. Applicable size, bag limits, and season must be observed when harvesting seafood. Release all the fish you cannot eat. Consult state and federal authorities for current regulations.

-Don’t throw fish carcasses or wrung lobsters overboard or into canals, they degenerate and degrade water quality.

-Practice good seamanship and safe boating. Maintain safe distances from fishermen.

-Avoid wildlife disturbance; stay 100 yards or more offshore; keep speed, noise and wakes to a minimum near mangroves.

-Even the lightest touch with hand or equipment can damage sensitive coral polyps.

-Snorkelers should were float coats – inflatable snorkel vests – to allow gear adjustment without standing on the coral. Never stand on a coral reef.

-To avoid contact with the ocean bottom, divers should only use the weight needed and practice proper buoyancy control. Areas that appear empty may support new growth if left undisturbed.

-It’s illegal to harvest coral in Florida and buying it at local shops only depletes reefs elsewhere in the world.

-Bring back any trash you find and recycle it, if possible.

Reef mooring buoys eliminate the need to drop anchor on fragile coral reefs by providing boaters with a convenient means of securing your boat. Anchors, line and chain can break and damage living coral formations. Buoys are available at frequently used reefs within the Florida Marine Sanctuaries. The buoys usually encircle shallow coral reefs and should be used instead of anchors.

-Buoys are available on a first come first served basis.

-Smaller boats are encouraged to tie off to one another, thereby allowing larger vessels access to buoys. Remember, the larger the vessel, the more potential damage to the coral (if an anchor is used).

-Please maintain idle speed/no wake in the vicinity of the mooring buoys. Watch for swimmers, snorkelers, and diver bubbles.

-Approach slowly from downwind/current. Idle directly to the buoy without meandering among other dive boats. Reverse the procedure when leaving.

-Buoys have been placed to provide clearance of most boats when tied up during normal conditions. To avoid grounding, use caution when approaching and while tied to a buoy. Larger than average vessels must check depths so that contact with the bottom is avoided.

-To secure your boat to a mooring buoy, run you line through the loop of the floating pick-up line and cleat both ends to the bow of your boat. Add enough line to create a horizontal pull on the eyebolt, otherwise the eyebolt will be pulled out. If the buoy is pulled underwater, you must let out extra scope. On rough days, add extra scope to the pick-up line to improve the ride of your vessel in rough seas and reduce wear on the buoy system.

-Sailboats should not leave up large sails as steadying sails when on a buoy; this puts too much strain on the eyebolt.

-Inspect the buoy your boat is tied to; you are responsible for your vessel. Check that it is holding as intended and inspect the buoy. Report problems to any of the Sanctuary offices, Sanctuary patrol, or the Florida Marine Patrol on VHF Channel 16.

-If there are no buoys available, anchor only in sand, NEVER IN CORAL. Always check to be sure that your anchor is not dragging and your anchor chain is not contacting coral.

The U. S. Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service has adopted the angler’s code of ethics. The code suggests simple actions that, if practiced by all, will improve everyone’s fishing experience.

Code of Angling Ethics:

-Promotes, through education and practices, ethical behavior in the use of aquatic resources.

-Values and respects the aquatic environment and all living things in it.

-Avoids spilling and never dumps any pollutants, such as gasoline and oil, into the aquatic environment.

-Disposes of all trash, including worn lines, leaders, and hooks, in appropriate containers, and helps to keep fishing sites litter-free.

-Takes all precautionary measures necessary to prevent the spread of exotic plants and animals, including live bait fish, into non-native habitats.

-Learns and obeys angling and boating regulations and treats other anglers, boaters, and property owners with courtesy and respect.

-Respects property rights and never trespasses on private lands or waters.

-Keeps no more fish than needed for consumption and never wastefully discards fish that are retained.

-Practices conservation by carefully handling and releasing alive all fish that are unwanted or prohibited by regulation, as well as other animals that may become hooked or entangled accidentally.

-Uses tackle and techniques that minimize harm to fish when engaging in catch-and-release angling.

For more information, visit the recreational fisheries website at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/irf/irf.html.