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 what’s going on at the sanctuary.
This year marks 54 years since the National Marine Sanctuary Program was established through federal legislation in 1972. The national system now includes 18 marine sanctuaries protecting diverse environments, from coral reefs and whale habitats to deep-ocean canyons and historic shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.
Cheon said the Florida Keys sanctuary is especially important to the local community because residents and visitors interact with its waters every day.
“Our sanctuary is part of our daily life,” Cheon said. “It’s where we boat, fish, dive, snorkel, work. We spend time with our family out in the waters.”
She described the sanctuary as an underwater national treasure that people can experience while helping protect its resources.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was designated in November 1990 and will mark its 36th anniversary next month. It encompasses approximately 4,539 square miles and is jointly managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the state of Florida.
The sanctuary protects a variety of connected habitats, including North America’s only coral barrier reef, extensive seagrass meadows and mangrove forests. Cheon noted that the sanctuary’s seagrass meadows cover an area comparable to the size of Rhode Island.
The area also contains numerous historic shipwrecks that provide insight into the people who traveled, traded and lived in the region.
Cheon encouraged residents and visitors to take simple steps to protect the sanctuary, including responsible boating, careful anchoring, preventing marine debris and respecting wildlife. She also recommended the Marine Sanctuary Explorer app, which can alert boaters when they approach specially protected areas.
Cheon also discussed a 10-year research study examining hawksbill sea turtles in shallow reefs from Key Largo through Key West.
Hawksbill turtles are endangered and can be identified by their narrow, pointed beaks, which help them reach food such as sea sponges in reef crevices. Although they are less frequently encountered in Florida than some other sea turtle species, researchers are working to better understand how they use local waters.
The research team, led by Dr. Lawrence Wood, conducted more than 280 hours of surveys and recorded 113 hawksbill sightings. Researchers also made 76 carefully conducted captures under a permit from the National Marine Sanctuary to measure the turtles and gather information, with some individuals captured more than once.
Genetic analysis revealed 17 different maternal genetic lineages associated with Caribbean hawksbills. Researchers also found a strong connection to nesting populations in Mexico.
Cheon said the findings suggest that hawksbills encountered in the Florida Keys may have originated from nesting beaches elsewhere in the Caribbean and Mexico.
The study also indicates that shallow reefs in the Keys provide important feeding and sheltering habitat for young hawksbills as they grow.
Researchers found that recaptured turtles increased their shell length by approximately 2.5 inches per year.
“If you really want to protect the species, you need to know what habitat it relies on,” Cheon said.
The sanctuary is also monitoring coral reefs following another summer of extreme marine heat.
Cheon said water temperatures at monitored reef sites exceeded 91 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer, surpassing the local coral bleaching threshold of approximately 87 degrees. At Cheeca Rocks, temperatures reached 92 degrees.
Elevated water temperatures can stress corals and contribute to bleaching, particularly when the heat persists for extended periods.
However, temperatures have generally declined during October, apart from a brief increase, providing some encouraging signs for the reefs.
“It’s very encouraging news,” Cheon said.
She cautioned that cooler temperatures do not necessarily mean the reefs escaped significant damage. The severity of coral impacts depends on both the temperature reached and how long corals remain exposed to the heat.
The sanctuary will continue monitoring reef sensors and conducting underwater observations. A more complete assessment of the summer’s effects will follow additional biological surveys.
After the devastating marine heat event of 2023, Cheon said researchers are hoping the latest event results in minimal impacts.
The Florida Keys Water Quality Protection Program Steering Committee will meet Thursday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Marathon City Hall.
The committee brings together government agencies and community representatives to review water quality projects and priorities affecting the sanctuary.
The meeting is open to the public, with an opportunity for in-person public comment in the afternoon. People who cannot attend can listen online through GoToWebinar, although the online option will not allow participants to interact.
Cheon encouraged interested residents to review the agenda and background materials in advance to identify the topics and times most relevant to them.
Meeting information and registration details are available at floridakeys.noaa.gov by searching for the Water Quality Protection Program.
Cheon said protecting the sanctuary’s water quality and habitats benefits not only marine wildlife but also the people who live, work and spend time in the Florida Keys.