For well over a decade, Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary (NMS)  and Looe Key NMS have provided protection to exemplary portions of Florida's Reef Tract. However, public concern about increasing threats to each of the habitats that comprise this sub-tropical ecosystem resulted in the establishment of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) in 1990. Additionally, as part of the state of Florida/s effort to protect the waters in the Keys, the Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve and Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve were created.

Few marine environments in the U.S. compare to the Florida Keys in terms of natural beauty and natural resources. The most extensive living coral reef in the United States is adjacent to the 126 mile island chain of the Florida Keys.

The Keys are located on the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, beginning 60 miles south of Miami and ending just 90 miles north of Cuba. These coral reefs are intimately linked to a marine ecosystem that supports one of the most unique and diverse assemblages of plants and animals in North America. The 2,900 square nautical mile FKNMS surrounds the entire archipelago of the Florida Keys and includes the productive waters of Florida Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Cultural resources are also contained within the sanctuary. The proximity of coral reefs to centuries old shipping routes has resulted in a high concentration of shipwrecks and an abundance of artifacts.

This complex marine ecosystem also supports tourism and commercial fishing, the economic foundation of the Florida Keys. In the last 20 years the tourism industry has grown to over four million domestic and foreign visitors who drive, fly or cruise each year to the most accessible tropical paradise in the Caribbean Basin. The Keys support 82,000 full-time residents. Tourists and semi-permanent residents increase this population by 75% during "season" (November to April). This ecosystem's extensive nursery, feeding and breeding grounds also support a multi-million dollar commercial fishing industry that lands nearly 20 million pounds of seafood and marine products annually.

In 1972, in response to a growing awareness of the intrinsic environmental and cultural value of our coastal waters, Congress passed the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act. The Act authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to designate discrete areas as national marine sanctuaries to promote comprehensive management of their special conservation, recreation, ecological, historical, research, educational, or aesthetic resources.

National Marine Sanctuaries may be designated in coastal and ocean waters, in submerged lands and in the Great Lakes, and their connecting waters.

To date, the Nation has designated 13 National Marine Sanctuaries and 1 Marine National Monument. They include nearshore coral reefs and open ocean, and range in size from less than one to over 5,300 square miles. Sanctuaries harbor a fascinating array of plants and animals, from the great whales to tiny, brightly colored sea snails.

These protected waters provide a secure habitat for species close to extinction, and protect historically significant shipwrecks and prehistoric artifacts. They serve as natural classrooms and laboratories for schoolchildren and resources alike.

Sanctuaries are also cherished recreational spots for diving and sport fishing, and support valuable commercial industries such as fishing and kelp harvesting. Thus, part of the challenge of managing these areas is balancing environmental protection with economic growth.

The marine sanctuaries are part of our collective riches as a nation. They are treasures that belong to all of us as citizens, that we have the right to enjoy and the responsibility to protect for future generations.