Have a Question or Comment?
What can we do to make this site more useful to you?
Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader required for PDF documents.
Problems accessing PDF documents?
Download the document to disk:
Mac Users: Option-click
PC users: Right-click
Last Updated 6/27/2006
| Markers | |||
 |
18" Mooring Buoy | ||
 |
30" Yellow Sanctuary Buoy | ||
 |
3-5 ft. Spar Buoy | ||
| Bottom Type | |||
 |
Rubble |  |
Shallow |
 |
Seagrass |  |
Coral |
 |
Very Shallow |  |
Island |
| Sanctuary Areas | |||
 |
Research Only |  |
Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPAs) |
 |
Wildlife Management Area |
 |
Ecological Reserve |
 |
Existing Management Area |
||
Name: Looe Key
Designation: Sanctuary Preservation Area, Research Only Area
Benthic Habitat Map and Area Location
| Looe Key SPA | ||
|
|
|
|
 NE |
|
|
| SE |
|
|
| SW |
|
|
| NW |
|
|
|
Looe Key Research Only Area
|
||
|
|
Latitude(N) | Longitude(W) |
| NE |
24 37.17 | 81 23.01 |
| SE |
24 33.98 | 81 22.96 |
| SW |
24 33.84 | 81 23.60 |
| NW |
24 34.23 | 81 23.68 |
Description:
The ecological importance of Looe Key has been established through the creation of Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. The Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA) expands the current core area of the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. The expanded area includes some of the transitional and intermediate reef features on the seaward side and a larger portion of the seagrass community and rubble field on the landward side of the reef. It is located approximately 5.5nm (10km) south of Ramrod Key and about 8nm (15km) southwest of Bahia Honda State Park. The SPA is rectangular and extends seaward to the approximate 45-foot depth contour. It covers approximately 0.3nm2, or about 115ha. Increasing the size of the protected area around Looe Key benefits the entire reef habitat and will have little effect on current users because of existing Sanctuary regulations.
The Looe Key Special-use Area (Research Only) lies inshore of the core area of the current Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, approximately 5.5nm (10km) south of Ramrod Key and about 8nm (15km) southwest of Bahia Honda State Park. The zone is rectangular and is centered on the mid-channel patch reefs in the northeast corner of the Sanctuary. It covers an area of approximately 0.1nm2, or about 34ha.
The zone is designated as “Research Only,” and is the only offshore patch reef complex protected in the Lower Keys. Because the area is already protected as a national marine sanctuary, the Special-use Area will have very little impact on current users and is a good choice for continued research activities.
Summary of Protection:
SPA:
In additional to Sanctuary-wide Regulations described in 15CFR922.163 (pdf), the following activities are prohibited within Ecological Reserves as described in Appendix IV of 15CFR922 (pdf), and within Sanctuary Preservation Areas as described in Appendix V of 15CFR922 (pdf):
(i) Discharging or depositing any material or other matter except cooling water or engine exhaust.
(ii) Possessing, moving, harvesting, removing, taking, damaging, disturbing, breaking, cutting, spearing, or otherwise injuring any coral, marine invertebrate, fish, bottom formation, algae, seagrass or other living or dead organism, including shells, or attempting any of these activities. However, fish, invertebrates, and marine plants may be possessed aboard a vessel in an Ecological Reserve or Sanctuary Preservation Area, provided such resources can be shown not to have been harvested within, removed from, or taken within, the Ecological Reserve or Sanctuary Preservation Area, as applicable, by being stowed in a cabin, locker, or similar storage area prior to entering and during transit through such reserves or areas, provided further that in an Ecological Reserve or Sanctuary Preservation Area located in Florida State waters, such vessel is in continuous transit through the Ecological Reserve or Sanctuary Preservation Area.
(iii) Except for catch and release fishing by trolling in the Conch Reef, Alligator Reef, Sombrero Reef, and Sand Key SPAs, fishing by any means. However, gear capable of harvesting fish may be aboard a vessel in an Ecological Reserve or Sanctuary Preservation Area, provided such gear is not available for immediate use when entering and during transit through such Ecological Reserve or Sanctuary Preservation Area, and no presumption of fishing activity shall be drawn therefrom.
(iv) Touching living or dead coral, including but not limited to, standing on a living or dead coral formation.
(v) Placing any anchor in a way that allows the anchor or any portion of the anchor apparatus (including the anchor, chain or rope) to touch living or dead coral, or any attached organism. When anchoring dive boats, the first diver down must inspect the anchor to ensure that it is not touching living or dead coral, and will not shift in such a way as to touch such coral or other attached organisms. No further diving shall take place until the anchor is placed in accordance with these requirements.
(vi) Anchoring instead of mooring when a mooring buoy is available or anchoring in other than a designated anchoring area when such areas have been designated and are available.
(vii) Except for passage without interruption through the area, for law enforcement purposes, or for purposes of monitoring pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this section, violating a temporary access restriction imposed by the Director pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this section.
(2) The Director may temporarily restrict access to any portion of any Sanctuary Preservation Area or Ecological Reserve if the Director, on the basis of the best available data, information and studies, determines that a concentration of use appears to be causing or contributing to significant degradation of the living resources of the area and that such action is reasonably necessary to allow for recovery of the living resources of such area. The Director will provide for continuous monitoring of the area during the pendency of the restriction. The Director will provide public notice of the restriction by publishing a notice in the Federal Register, and by such other means as the Director may deem appropriate. The Director may only restrict access to an area for a period of 60 days, with one additional 60 day renewal. The Director may restrict access to an area for a longer period pursuant to a notice and opportunity for public comment rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act. Such restriction will be kept to the minimum amount of area necessary to achieve the purposes thereof.
Current Research in this Zone