Abstract Summary
Mooring and boundary buoys, semi-permanent anchoring devices, prevent anchor damage while controlling activities and access to coral reefs. This system of passive protection can be utilized by commercial and recreational boaters/divers in place of anchoring near or on coral reefs and associated sensitive habitats. Within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) there are approximately 800 buoys with 29,000 feet of downline, and over 500 of those buoys are available for public use as moorings. Mooring buoys, white 18” and 24” diameter buoys with a blue stripe, are installed on sites identified by public interest, high usage, and ecological or historical significance. These buoys are installed to provide enough bottom clearance and swing radius for most vessels in normal conditions. In addition to preventing anchor damage, mooring buoys can aid divers in ascents/descents, support distressed swimmers/snorkelers, act as aids to navigation, and serve as reference points for research. Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs), marked by large 36” diameter yellow buoys, protect distinct, biologically important areas that assist in sustaining critical marine species and habitats. Regulations for SPAs are designed to limit consumptive activities and separate users with differing activities, while creating a visual boundary aiding in navigation and supporting law enforcement. RFKNMS resource managers are responsible for not only the preservation and conservation of the marine environment, but also accommodating use by the public. Through dynamic a process of management plan review and draft environmental impact statements, FKNMS periodically reevaluates its mooring sites and boundaries in order to balance these two seemingly contradictory responsibilities. Given the thousands of recreational boaters that visit the sanctuary annually, the importance of the mooring and boundary buoys as passive protection to prevent coral loss is incalculable. ***Note: the 1st choice (oral presentation) would be a video. the 2nd choice would be an oral presentation.
