NOAA Florida Keys NMS

🌱 Did you know? Seagrasses are flowering plants — not seaweed — that live fully underwater. They grow in shallow coastal waters, pollinated by moving water & tiny crustaceans, and spread through underground stems to form vast meadows. Learn more: floridakeys.noaa.gov/plants/seagras…

What’s That Wednesday Can you guess what this close-up belongs to? Drop your guess in the comments ⬇️ We’ll reveal the answer later today! #FKNMS

Science, solutions... and pantyhose? 🌊🧦 @FloridaKeysNMS met with @EPA, @FloridaDEP, & @MyFWC to drive water quality progress! From restoring canals to using pantyhose for sponge restoration, we’re using every tool to protect the Keys. Details gis.myfwc.com/FKNMS_WQPP/get…

Identity: restored. ✔️ Fresh paint, bold stripes, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary name back where it belongs at our Key Largo office. 🎨🌊 Photos: Brenda Altmeier

Yoga with a mission (and a view) is Saturday, March 21 at Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center. Bring your own mat and water bottle. RSVP: FKEDC@NOAA.GOV

☀️ A solar-powered sea slug?! By storing chloroplasts from the algae it consumes, this sea slug can capture energy from sunlight, making it one of the ocean’s most unusual solar-powered creatures. See more cool creatures: floridakeys.noaa.gov/education/crea…. Photo: Rachel Plunkett/NOAA

Urchin update from Horseshoe Reef in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary! 🌊🧹 Newly released long-spined urchins are grazing algae within 15 ft of deployment — clearing space for corals to grow. Monitoring continues with partners at Sustainable Ocean and Reefs (SOAR).

🌱 What’s bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island? The seagrass meadows of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 1.5 million acres (~1,875 sq mi) — one of the world’s largest continuous seagrass habitats. Learn more: floridakeys.noaa.gov/plants/seagras…

🔬 #ScienceFriday The 2025 Science Report from NOAA is now available — featuring research on our ocean, coasts, and climate. 📄 Read it here: repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/72459 #NOAAScience #OceanScience

David Burke spoke to 100+ community members at the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, sharing how the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects our waters—from science and the buoy team to the Eco-Discovery Center and Explorer app. Thanks for the warm welcome! 🌊

🌊 Public meeting of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) Updates on science, restoration, marine debris work Mar 10, 2026 • 9 AM Marathon City Hall Virtual (listen-only) 🔗 Details: floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac/ Photo: Daniel Eidsmoe

💧 This week: Science & solutions for Florida Keys water quality 📅 Mar 4— WQPP Steering Committee 🧪 Mar 5 — Mini-Research Symposium (latest findings from scientists) 📍 Marathon, FL | 💻 Virtual listen-only available 🗣️ Public comment included 🔗 gis.myfwc.com/FKNMS_WQPP/ste…

💧 Shape the future of Florida Keys water quality The WQPP Steering Committee meets March 4–5, Meetings are open to the public. 📍 Marathon, FL (in person) 💻 Virtual (listen-only) 📝 Registration encouraged 🔗 Details & registration: gis.myfwc.com/FKNMS_WQPP/ste… 📷 B. Nguyen

🚨 BOLO: Invasive seagrass 🌱 Halophila stipulacea has been confirmed in Biscayne National Park and is spreading. It hasn’t been found in the Florida Keys—but we’re watching. Early detection is critical. Learn how to identify & report: myfwc.com/wildlifehabita…

They’re beautiful. They’re venomous. And they don’t belong here. ⚠️🐟 FKNMS encourages removal - just make sure you know the rules before you remove. Learn more: floridakeys.noaa.gov/permits/lionfi… #InvasiveSpeciesWeek #FloridaKeys #Lionfish

⚓ Beneath Florida Keys waters lie hundreds of shipwrecks, each with a story to tell. Join FKNMS maritime archaeologist Matthew Lawrence on Tues., Feb. 24 at 6:30 pm at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum for a free talk on lesser-known sanctuary shipwrecks. Dive into history.

🎶📜 Experience the ocean through student voices at the Key West Eco-Discovery Center! Join us for a free poetry and song performance inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. 📅 Feb. 19 ⏰ 5:30–7:30 p.m. 📍 Key West Eco-Discovery Center Free and open to the public! 🌊✨

🌟 Welcome Ocean First Key Largo as the newest Blue Star Dive Operator in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary! Blue Star operators champion reef protection, education, & responsible diving. Planning a trip? Look Before You Book & choose Blue Star. 💙🐠 Photos: Alisa Slawinski

🌊🔬 Science Friday: There’s more on coral reefs than meets the eye. NOAA scientists are using DNA in seawater to detect reef life and track restoration at Mission: Iconic Reefs in the Florida Keys. Learn more: aoml.noaa.gov/employing-omic… #MissionIconicReefs #NOAA

Tiny but mighty! Phytoplankton (microalgae) use sunlight ☀️ to grow & form the base of the food web—feeding everything from krill to fish 🐟, to sea turtles 🐢, & whales 🐋. Some of the most important ocean life is almost invisible. Photo: NOAA Marine Ecosystem Analysis Project