CONTACT US:
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
Fish and Wildlife
Research Institute
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-896-8626
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Mote Marine Laboratory
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-388-4441
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This project was funded in part by a grant awarded from Mote Marine Laboratory's Protect Our Reefs Grants Program, which is funded by proceeds from the sale of the Protect Our Reefs specialty license plate. Learn more at .
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Additional funding for this project was obtained through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
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In addition to being considered the fishing capital of the world, Florida can also boast that it is the boating capital of the United States. During the years 2007 and 2008, more than 900,000 pleasure boats were registered in Florida. During this same time, almost 84,000 of those were registered in Monroe and Miami-Dade counties.
Boaters in the Keys take advantage of the opportunities for spending time on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Florida Bay. Many boaters flock to the reefs to spend time snorkeling and diving. Others spend time stalking fish on the grass flats, reefs, and blue water. Paddlers often travel around the back country observing local wildlife.
This section of the Web site provides boaters information about safe boating, mooring buoys, diving tips and locations, DEP-designated Clean Marinas, public access boat ramps, and regional paddling trails.
Boating safety education requirements
Boat operators who were born on or after January 1, 1988 must have a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card in order to operate a motorboat with ten horsepower or more. The requirement to take an approved boating safety course and to obtain an FWC-issued identification card will not change, but the age threshold for the educational requirements will now be based on whether or not you were born on or after January 1, 1988.For more information about boating safety education requirements, visit MyFWC.com
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For more information about boating and boating safety, please visit the following Web sites:
FWC, Office of Boating and Waterways
U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
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If you are out snorkeling, diving, fishing, paddling, or boating and see anything that may be unusual or out of the ordinary (including lionfish) in the waters around the Keys , please record the location, date, and time, and contact the Marine Ecosystem Event Response and Assessment (MEERA) project. They can be reached by phone (305-395-8730), e-mail, or online.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about this Web site, please e-mail us at Boating_Guides@MyFWC.com.
Would you like to receive notices of changes to this Web site and the Boating and Angling Guides to the Upper, Middle, or Lower Keys? If so, please e-mail us and include SUBSCRIBE-KEYS in the subject line.
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