Julie Cheon, Director of Communications for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about the organization.
Cheon was recently hired to the position.
She said, “I’ve been here 25 years, and it’s amazing taking on this role. There is so much more that goes on behind the sanctuaries than I ever realized. And I’ve been down here, I’ve been involved in the environmental community, and it’s been really eye opening. So just kudos to the staff here and the amazing team and what goes on behind the scenes. It’s been quite an experience to get started. And in fact, last week, we had some visitors to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. We were fortunate to welcome Dr. Neil Jacobs to our headquarters in Key West. Now, Dr. Jacobs is the undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. We also call him the Administrator of NOAA. So what he does is he leads the entire agency that oversees the NOAA programs. That’s not just the National Marine Sanctuary, that includes the Weather Service, the Marine Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Service, the National Environmental Satellite data and information service and the office of marine and aviation operation. So he is a busy guy, and we were very fortunate to be able to have him come to our office in Key West. It was a great opportunity for us to share updates on what’s happening in the Florida Keys, everything from coral restoration efforts to community partnerships and to discuss ongoing priorities for the sanctuary and management of stewardship. We really like to use these visits to connect our local work with the broader NOAA science conservation and policy goals. So it was a great opportunity. I know he visited some other facilities down here, including the National Weather Service in Key West, and he was kept on his toes because he had a very, very busy schedule, but it’s rare to have Mr. Jacobs be able to visit. So it was a great opportunity for us.”
Funding is critical for the sanctuary.
Cheon said, “There’s a lot going on up there, up in Washington. We were fortunate right now, our funding has stayed at our 2020 core levels. So we’ve been fortunate so far. I think we are highly regarded, as far as the National Marine Sanctuary system is highly regarded. I do see that the legislators are valuing what we do and what we’re here for. One of the things that we do here is we have cooperative agreements with some fishing guides and diving operators and so we have this whole program called the Blue Star operator program, and we’ve recently had two folks or two organizations join our Blue Star Program. We had a fishing guide and we had a diving operator. So one of the ones is Purple Herring charters. They’re our newest Blue Star fishing guide. They offer guided tours, back country fishing trips right out of Key West. The other one that we have, that we’ve welcomed, is the Ocean First out of Key Largo. They’re a dive operator that recently joined the team. So with the program, they actually received training from the sanctuary staff, initial training and ongoing training. And the program helps visitors and locals to identify who’s committed to protecting the Florida Keys while providing great experiences on the water. I mean, these folks have been trained by sanctuary staff, so it’s fantastic. And this is a voluntary recognition program. So the businesses that volunteer and choose to participate, they do so because they care about the long term health of our reefs in our fisheries. They take the extra step to educate their customers about responsible diving, snorkeling, fishing practices, and I think it’s that one on one, peer to peer education, it makes a big difference. It’s really a partnership between the sanctuary and local businesses to promote responsible tourism, and it helps ensure that these resources are here for future generations. So we’re thrilled with that program. We have a little motto, it’s look before you book. So I like to say that as much as possible, if you’re down here in the Keys, whether you’re a local or you’re a visitor and you need to hire a dive operator or a fishing guide, look before you book. You can check it out on the sanctuary website. We have them listed there, and also we have an app called the Explorer app, and you can also find them there as well.”
The sanctuary is hiring.
Cheon said, “We have our illustrious buoy team, and they are very popular. And in fact, anytime we post about the buoy team, they’re like the highest ranked post that we do on social media. They’re amazing. So what we’re hiring for is called a Marine Operations technician in the buoy team. It is based in Key Largo. This one’s going to be one of our most hands on, invisible roles. The team itself, and actually this position, is based out of Key Largo. But the team itself has operations out of Key West and Key Largo, but they maintain over 800 buoys across more than 4,500 square miles of sanctuary waters. I mean, 800 buoys. That is a lot of maintenance, and it’s kind of an interesting day to day job. You’ll have a mix of boat operations, diving, mechanical work. You’re out on the water, installing them, maintaining buoys, so you’re helping to protect the coral reefs by preventing anchor damage, because that’s what these buoys are here for. Some of them are buoys that folks can tie off to so they don’t have to anchor. And other ones are buoys letting you know what part of the protected area you’re in. And they work as a close knit team. It’s a small group, so it’s very close knit, and there are some good characteristics that make somebody a good fit for the team, someone who enjoys working outdoors, comfortable on boats, scuba experience. Don’t need a college degree. The position really values experience, technical skills and a strong work ethic. So it’s really an opportunity for somebody who wants to make a difference. We’re encouraging folks to apply by February 27 and in order to do so, they can visit careers.fiu.edu, and you’ll go under the section of prospective employees, and there is a job ID number. It’s titled Marine Operations technician.”
Outreach season is in full throttle.
Cheon said, “We completed some events last week, but we have three events coming up. The first one is a unique student event at the Eco Discovery Center in Key West. It’s a fabulous, free educational museum, but this particular event is hosted by the History of Diving Museum, and it’s also done in partnership with Art Builds Community. So it’s a student poetry and song performance. It’s a unique event, and it’s going to showcase original student songs and poems. They celebrate our connection to the ocean, and they’re also inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. That will be Thursday, February 19, 5:30 to 7:30pm, in the Eco Discovery Centers in Key West at 35 Quay Road down there by the Truman Waterfront.”
Shipwrecks are also going to be a discussion.
Cheon said, “We have just an amazing history down here. So on Tuesday, February 24 folks can join Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary maritime archeologist Matthew Lawrence, he’ll be at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum for a free presentation. He’ll reveal the hidden history of some of the sanctuaries, lesser known shipwrecks. So from mystery to discovery, they’re like underwater time capsules. And what they reveal is amazing, they reveal secrets about people, trade and just the events that shape the Keys as we know it today. So that is Tuesday, February 24 it’s 6:30pm. It’s at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. The title is called Florida Keys Sanctuary shipwreck stories, and that is also free, so we hope people come and dive into that as well.”
The giant Nautical Flea Market is in Islamorada this weekend.
Cheon said, “There’s going to be some traffic. But this works out to be an amazing event. It supports the Rotary. It’s something that the sanctuary really enjoys supporting. We get to talk with so many people about the sanctuary waters and there are locals, there are visitors, there are fishing folks there, so we get a real breadth and depth of the community there. So we’re looking forward to that.”
The US Coast Guard Auxiliary was at Ocean Reef recently.
Cheon said, “They talked about sanctuary management and the DARP program. That’s the damage assessment restoration and protection program. We also connected with captains at the Lower Keys guides Association meeting. We joined the community at the Florida Keys Seafood Festival in Key West. And also, we’re out there in the community at a really unique event. It was the personal submersibles organization conference that happened in Islamorada. They have a conference for people who own personal submersible vehicles.”
For more information, click here: https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/