For travelers seeking “voluntourism” opportunities to help sustain the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef, the “Florida Keys Superfan” eco-adventure giveaway offers an enticing prize. One entrant is to win a five-night vacation that includes accommodations, eco-attractions and diving experiences to plant corals....
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Diving, Environment, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon, Reefs, Tourism
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REEF Fest 2019 registration is now available! Book diving and snorkeling, register for events, and purchase your ticket to ‘For the Love of the Sea’ banquet online today! REEF Fest is an annual, four-day celebration to acknowledge the success of marine conservation and education initiatives in the Florida...
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Diving, Environment, Key Largo, Reefs
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The Florida Keys with community efforts to sustain precious natural resources through the Connect & Protect initiative, continue to unveil ways to preserve the Keys’ environment and connect visitors who love the outdoors to the island chain’s unmatched beauty. Efforts to replant and preserve coral along the...
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Attractions, Environment, Florida Keys, Kid Friendly, Tourism
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Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary encourages the safe removal of invasive lionfish from its waters and issues lionfish removal permits to divers for the collection of lionfish from Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs). The permit allows lionfish to be removed from the SPAs, which are otherwise no-fishing, no-take...
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Diving, Environment, Exotic Invasives, Fishing, Reefs
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Lionfish, a brightly-colored, spiny fish that are not native to Florida, are taking over our reefs. How can we fight off this alien invasion? Floridians have come together to fight them off and save the reef. Lionfish, a brightly-colored, spiny fish that are not native...
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Diving, Environment, Exotic Invasives, Florida Keys
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With native tropical flora of the Florida Keys being impacted by a growing population and urban development, the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center has begun sponsoring a conservation lecture series, “Wings N’ Things.” The next presentation will feature guest speaker Lynn Miller, Ph.D., wildlife...
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Attractions, Environment, Keys Critters, Tavernier
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Cleaning scuba equipment between each dive could help slow down the rapid spread of Coral Disease, white blotch-like lesions, that attack and eventually kill coral colonies, local agencies say. The Florida Reef Tract, the world’s third largest barrier reef and the only in the continental...
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Diving, Environment, Reefs
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Fishing is a key component of the Florida lifestyle as well as the state’s economy. But fishing line and other fishing tackle frequently enter Florida’s aquatic systems as a result of incidental snags or improper fishing line disposal. When left in the aquatic environment, fishing...
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Environment, Fishing
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What do you do with an invasive fish, covered from head to fin with venomous spines as sharp as hypodermic needles; a fish that can’t be caught with a rod or in a trawling net as it multiplies rapidly, deep in our oceans, flummoxing fishermen...
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Environment, Exotic Invasives
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved Species Conservation Measures and Permitting Guidelines for eight of the more than 50 species, the only local is the Monroe County Osprey, in the agency’s Imperiled Species Management Plan. Based on thorough scientific review, FWC staff...
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Environment, Keys Critters
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Institute for Regional Conservation will begin a two-month restoration effort in the pine rockland habitats of the National Key Deer Refuge this week. This work, funded through a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant for hurricane restoration...
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Big Pine Key, Environment
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The Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program (MRRP) is an innovative statewide project dedicated to reducing the environmental damage caused by discarded fishing line. MRRP aims to educate the public on the problems caused by monofilament line left in the environment, encourage recycling through a network...
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Environment, Fishing
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Florida Keys Sandbar. Dropping anchor or tying off at shallow sandbars has, in the last quarter-century, mushroomed at dozens of gathering spots from the Upper Keys to the Marquesas, a new state report says. The fastest-growing segment of Florida Keys boating activity seems to be...
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Boating, Environment
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The Research Natural Area (RNA) was designated as an area of special protection within Dry Tortugas National Park in 2007. The RNA was designed to work along with the two existing ecological reserves as a network to protect the shallow water habitats and reef fish...
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Diving, Dry Tortugas, Environment, Parks, Reefs
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Sunscreen is a necessity for most scuba divers, but not all sunblock is created equal. Some contain an ingredient that’s destroying coral reefs around the world. The evidence is so strong, Hawaii may pass a law banning certain sunscreens. The primary chemical culprit is oxybenzone, an...
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Beaches, Diving, Environment, Reefs
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The Mangrove is a shrub or small tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves occur worldwide in the tropics and subtropics, mainly between latitudes 25° N and 25° S. Mangrove are salt-tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to live in harsh...
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Environment, Plants
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Wondering how you can help in the fight against the decline of corals? With a new smartphone app called OkCoral, the Coral Restoration Foundation is hoping it can answer that question by turning underwater photographers into a citizen scientists. Florida Reefs The idea behind the app is getting recreational...
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Environment, Reefs
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When it comes to sea level rise, Key West is pretty much as vulnerable as it gets. The island’s average elevation is less than five feet above sea level. A tide gauge at Key West Harbor tracks the steady rising seas over the last century....
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Environment, Key West
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“It’s kind of a funny thing to say that we would conserve for fish pee,” says study author Jake Allgeier, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington. “But it is hopefully setting a precedent to think about these reefs differently.” Nearly 2,000 years ago, the...
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Environment, Reefs
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Every day is full of natural wonders throughout the Florida Keys, known for their sweeping, scenic backdrops of earth, sea and sky. Throughout April, Keys visitors and residents can celebrate Florida Keys Earth Day with unique outdoor activities to be experienced only in the Florida Keys. This year’s...
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Environment, Parks, Tourism
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