The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects America's only living barrier coral reef and thousands of acres of seagrass. Visitors to the Sanctuary can swim, dive, snorkel, fish or conduct any activity that is not expressly prohibited by Sanctuary regulations.
These are regulations that apply throughout the entire area of the Sanctuary, including other protected areas and Sanctuary zones. The purpose of these regulations is to protect Sanctuary resources from both direct and indirect threats. These regulations focus on habitat protection, reducing threats to water quality, and minimizing human impact to delicate resources. The following activities are prohibited Sanctuary-wide:
- Removing, injuring, or possessing coral or live rock.
- Discharging or depositing trash or other pollutants.
- Dredging, drilling, prop dredging or otherwise altering the seabed, or placing or abandoning any structure on the seabed.
- Operating a vessel in such a manner as to strike or otherwise injure coral, seagrass, or other organisms. attached to the seabed, or cause prop-scarring.
- Having a vessel anchored on living coral in water less than 40 feet deep when you can see the bottom. Anchoring on hardbottom is allowed.
- Operating a vessel at more than idle speed/no wake within 100 yards of residential shorelines, stationary vessels, and navigational aids marking reefs.
- Operating a vessel at more than idle speed/no wake within 100 feet of a "divers down" flag.
- Diving or snorkeling without a dive flag.
- Operating a vessel in such a manner which endangers life, limb, marine resources, or property
- Releasing exotic species.
- Damaging or removing markers, mooring buoys, scientific equipment, boundary buoys, and trap buoys.
- Moving, removing, injuring, or possessing historical resources.
- Taking or possessing protected wildlife.
- Using or possessing explosives or electrical charges.
- Collecting marine life species -- tropical fish, invertebrates, and plants -- except allowed by
- Florida Marine Life Rule (46-42 F.A.C.). Sanctuary regulations have been established to complement this rule and apply throughout the Sanctuary.