Strategy for Stewardship

Tortugas

Ecological

Reserve

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration

National Ocean Service

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Final Supplemental

Environmental

Impact Statement/

Final Supplemental

Management Plan
Florida Keys Florida Keys Florida Keys

National National National

Marine

Sanctuary Sanctuary

Final Supplemental

Environmental

Impact Statement/

Final Supplemental

Management

Plan

November 2000

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
i

Acknowledgements

The FKNMS staff wish to thank everyone who has participated in the

development of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve proposal, especially members of the

public who gave of their time to offer objective and useful input during the Sanctuary

Advisory Council meetings, Working Group meetings and public scoping meetings.

Special thanks go to the members of the Tortugas 2000 Working Group for their

major contribution to the design of the ecological reserve and their diligent work.

List of Preparers

• Benjamin D. Haskell, Science Coordinator, FKNMS

• Vernon R. Leeworthy, Chief Economist, NOAA National Ocean Service

• Peter C. Wiley, Economist, NOAA National Ocean Service

• Theodore M. Beuttler, Attorney-Advisor, NOAA Office of General Counsel

• Mark R. Haflich, Senior Regulatory Counsel, Department of

Commerce

• Joanne Delaney, Research Interpreter, FKNMS

• Benjamin L. Richards, Research Assistant, FKNMS

• Erik Franklin, GIS analyst, FKNMS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................. I

LIST OF PREPARERS .................................................................................................................................. I

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................... II

LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................................................................VI

LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................................IX

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................................XI

PROTECTING OCEAN WILDERNESS ........................................................................................................XI

NO-TAKE AREAS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY........................................XII

THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS ...........................................................................................................XIII

THE TORTUGAS ECOLOGICAL RESERVE PROPOSAL CONTAINED IN THE DSEIS ISSUED IN MAY 2000

................................................................................................................................................XIII

THE TORTUGAS ECOLOGICAL RESERVE PROPOSAL CONTAINED IN THE FSEIS................................ XIV

COMMENTING ON THE PROPOSAL ....................................................................................................... XVI

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... XVII

PART I: NEED FOR AND PURPOSE OF THE ACTION ........................................................................... 1

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANNING EFFORTS FOR THE TORTUGAS ...................................................... 4

PART II: ECOLOGICAL RESERVES AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL..................................................... 6

HISTORY AND PERFORMANCE OF NO-TAKE AREAS IN THE FKNMS....................................................... 7

Goals 7

Objectives ................................................................................................................................. 8

PART III: DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE

ASSESSMENT REPORT .................................................................................................................. 13

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 13

Geology 15

Physical oceanography and recruitment pathways .............................................................. 19

Benthic Habitats..................................................................................................................... 24

Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO).................................................................................... 24

Algal Communities................................................................................................................. 26

Seagrasses .............................................................................................................................. 27

Sponges 28

Coral Habitats........................................................................................................................ 29

Benthic habitats outside of the DRTO................................................................................... 35

Essential Fish Habitat............................................................................................................ 38

Fish Communities and Fisheries ........................................................................................... 38

Reef Fish Biogeography, Trophic Structure, and Species Diversity.................................... 39

Reproduction, larval transport, and recruitment.................................................................. 40
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Status of Fishes and Fisheries ............................................................................................... 42

Highly Migratory Fish Species.............................................................................................. 43

Seabirds 46

Marine reptiles and mammals ............................................................................................... 47

Submerged Cultural Resources ............................................................................................. 49

Human Activities .................................................................................................................... 49

Human Uses ........................................................................................................................... 51

Commercial Fisheries............................................................................................................ 54

Tourism 58

Commercial Shipping............................................................................................................. 58

PART IV: ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PREFERRED .............................................................. 63

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOUNDARY AND REGULATORY ALTERNATIVES ............. 63

Chronology of the Process..................................................................................................... 63

Site Characterization and Geographic Information Systems............................................... 65

Building Consensus................................................................................................................ 66

Sanctuary Advisory Council Recommendation..................................................................... 71

DEVELOPMENT OF BOUNDARY ALTERNATIVES BY NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE STAFF .................... 71

Boundary Expansion.............................................................................................................. 77

Development and Description of Regulatory Alternatives................................................... 78

Preferred Alternative ............................................................................................................. 84

PART V: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF BOUNDARY

AND REGULATORY ALTERNATIVES....................................................................................... 87

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................................................................................................... 87

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF BOUNDARY AND REGULATORY ALTERNATIVES ................... 94

Background............................................................................................................................. 94

Statement of Need................................................................................................................... 95

Goals, Objectives and Legal Basis........................................................................................ 95

Discussion of all Relevant State and Federal Rules Which May Duplicate, Overlap or

Conflict with the Regulations.................................................................................. 95

Description of the Projected Reporting, Record Keeping and Other Compliance

Requirements of the Regulations, Including an Estimate of the Classes of Small

Entities that Will be Subject to These Requirements and the Type of Professional

Skills Necessary to Prepare Any Required Report or Record............................... 96

Approach to the Analysis ....................................................................................................... 97

Boundary Alternatives.......................................................................................................... 100

No-take Regulations............................................................................................................. 100

OTHER REGULATIONS ..................................................................................................... 137

PART VI: SELECTION OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE........................................................ 191

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 191

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.................................................................................................................. 191

GENERAL RATIONALE ......................................................................................................................... 191

COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES ........................................................................................................ 193
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PART VII: SUPPLEMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.......................................................................... 201

ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION PLAN......................................................................................................... 201

Strategy 1: Memorandum of Understanding....................................................................... 202

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTION PLAN....................................................................................... 202

Strategy E.13: Tortugas Site Brochure .............................................................................. 202

Strategy E.14: Tortugas Ecological Reserve Exhibit, Garden Key .................................. 203

Strategy E.15: Interagency Visitor Center, Key West ....................................................... 203

Strategy E.16: Tortugas Site Characterization.................................................................. 204

Strategy E.17: Tortugas Ecological Reserve Documentary.............................................. 205

Strategy E. 18: Traveling Exhibit on Marine Zoning ........................................................ 205

Strategy E. 19: Interpretive Wayside Exhibits on the Tortugas Ecological Reserve ....... 205

ENFORCEMENT ACTION PLAN............................................................................................................. 206

LAW ENFORCEMENT BUDGET ............................................................................................................. 207

Personnel.............................................................................................................................. 207

Vessels 207

OTHER ENFORCEMENT FACTORS ........................................................................................................ 207

MOORING AND BOUNDARY BUOY ACTION PLAN............................................................................... 208

REGULATORY ACTION PLAN............................................................................................................... 208

RESEARCH AND MONITORING ACTION PLAN ..................................................................................... 208

Strategy T.1: Ecological Reserve Support Staff................................................................. 208

Strategy T.2: Design and Implement Long-term Ecological Monitoring to Test the

Efficacy and Ecological Integrity of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve .............. 209

Strategy T.3: Dry Tortugas Marine Laboratory and Research Support Feasibility Study

................................................................................................................................ 209

Strategy T.4: Wireless Data Transfer................................................................................. 210

Strategy T.5: Automated Oceanographic Data Collection ............................................... 210

Strategy T.6: Tortugas Region Non-Use Valuation Study................................................. 211

REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................. 212

GLOSSARY...................................................................................................................................................... 223

APPENDIX A: EXECUTIVE ORDER 13089: CORAL REEF PROTECTION.................................... 233

APPENDIX B: EXECUTIVE ORDER 12898: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.................................... 234

APPENDIX C. REGULATIONS................................................................................................................... 235

FKNMS REGULATIONS AS AMENDED FOR TORTUGAS ECOLOGICAL RESERVE ................................ 235

PART 922-NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS................. 235

Appendix IV to Subpart P of Part 922--Ecological Reserves Boundary ........................... 244

APPENDIX D: WORKING GROUP MEMBERSHIP .............................................................................. 251

APPENDIX E: LIST OF AGENCIES AND PERSONS CONSULTED ON BOUNDARY

EXPANSION AND PARTIAL LIST OF AGENCIES AND ENTITIES RECEIVING

FSEIS/FSMP...................................................................................................................................... 253
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APPENDIX F: SUMMARY OF PUBLIC SCOPING COMMENTS ON THE ECOLOGICAL

RESERVE .......................................................................................................................................... 254

APPENDIX G: NO-TAKE RESERVE NETWORKS: SUSTAINING FISHERY POPULATIONS

AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS...................................................................................................... 256

FISHERIES............................................................................................................................................. 257

FISHERY MANAGEMENT....................................................................................................................... 258

OTHER THREATS TO MARINE ECOSYSTEMS......................................................................................... 259

MARINE RESERVES............................................................................................................................... 260

BENEFITS OF NO-TAKE RESERVE NETWORKS ...................................................................................... 261

Protect ecosystem structure and functioning ...................................................................... 261

Increase scientific understanding........................................................................................ 261

Enhance non-extractive human activities ........................................................................... 262

Benefit fishery populations .................................................................................................. 262

Support fisheries and fishery management ......................................................................... 263

DESIGNING EFFECTIVE RESERVE NETWORKS ...................................................................................... 263

RESERVE EVALUATION ........................................................................................................................ 267

Social considerations ........................................................................................................... 268

CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................................................... 270

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................ 273

APPENDIX H: RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE DRAFT

SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND DRAFT

SUPPLEMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (DSEIS/SMP) AND THE PROPOSED

IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED TORTUGAS ECOLOGICAL

RESERVE .......................................................................................................................................... 284

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................... 284

SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND RESPONSES.............................................................. 284
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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Existing zone network in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. .......................................... 11

Figure 2. Map showing an exaggerated, three-dimensional rendering of the ocean floor with the location of

the Dry Tortugas, Tortugas Bank, and Riley’s Hump (courtesy of J. Ault, Univ. of Miami)............. 14

Figure 3. Map showing the location of the Dry Tortugas, Tortugas Bank, and Riley’s Hump. Also shown

are the locations of the seismic profiles illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Contours are in meters

below sea level (map courtesy of Dr. Dave Mallinson, Univ. of South Florida). .............................. 16

Figure 4. Sea-level record based on direct indicators (coral reefs) and proxy indicators (δ18 O curves).

Reefs of the Tortugas area may preserve a record of 5th order sea-level fluctuations (intermediatestands) occurring between stage 5e and stage 1.................................................................................. 17

Figure 5. High resolution seismic profile across Tortugas Bank (see Figure 2 for the location). Raw data

are shown at the top and an interpretation is presented below that. The acoustic signature and the

morphology of this bank suggest that it is a relict coral reef. The present lack of significant coral

growth on the structure, and the depth suggest that it may have formed during stage 5a (see sealevel curve inset), contemporary with the outlier reefs to the east. Several sequences are identified

in the subsurface of the surrounding area and it is predicted that similar sequences occur in the

reef framework. ..................................................................................................................................... 18

Figure 6. Seismic profile across Riley’s Hump (see Figure 2 for location). The acoustic signature and

morphology suggest that this structure is a relict coral reef. The depth suggests that it may have

formed during stage 3 (see sea-level curve inset), perhaps contemporary with the Florida Middle

Ground carbonate banks....................................................................................................................... 19

Figure 7. Examples of the tracks of several current drifters tracked by satellite showing the connectivity of

the Tortugas region with the Southwest shelf of Florida and the South Atlantic region (courtesy of

T. Lee/Univ. of Miami).......................................................................................................................... 21

Figure 8. Schematic of potential recruitment pathways for various larvae spawned locally in the Tortugas

and Florida Keys (courtesy of T. Lee/Univ. of Miami)........................................................................ 22
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Figure 9. Satellite drifter track #23113 demonstrating complexity of currents in the Florida Keys. After its

release off Shark River Slough on 10/15/98, the drifter moved southwest past the Marquesas and

into the countercurrent where it was transported west to the Tortugas. The drifter then got caught

in the Tortugas gyre and was transported rapidly to the east where it was entrained back into the

countercurrent around Long Key. After being transported all the way back to the Tortugas the

drifter once again got caught in the Tortugas gyre and was carried to the Tavernier area and was

again entrained in the countercurrent which carried it to the Marquesas where the batteries ran

out on 1/27/99 after 3.5 months of operation. This recirculating pattern of nearsurface currents is

a common occurrence in the lower and western Keys and provides a conveyor system with many

opportunities for larval recruitment into the Keys from both local and remote sources and may

help to explain the high species diversity and large abundance in the region. (Graphic courtesy of

T. Lee, Univ. of Miami)......................................................................................................................... 24

Figure 10. Typical coral formations found in Sherwood Forest; note the mushroom and plate-like

formations which are adaptations to the low light conditions found on these deep reefs.................. 36

Figure 11. Map showing the recovery locations of drifter bottles. 1000 drifters (small vials) were released

on Riley’s Hump on the full moon in May 1999 to coincide with the release of mutton snapper

larvae. The drifters began washing ashore in the middle Florida Keys around three weeks after

their release which approximates the planktonic larval duration for mutton snapper (Lutjanus

analis) (Graphic courtesy of Dr. Michael Domeier, Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research.

For more information see http://www.pier.org/MuttonSnapper.html). .............................................. 41

Figure 12. Status of the snapper-grouper complex in the Florida Keys (from Ault et al. 1998)...................... 43

Figure 13. Foraging range of the sooty tern (Sterna fuscata) . ......................................................................... 47

Figure 14. Green (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtle nesting activity in the DRTO

(Data courtesy of R. Brock, NPS)......................................................................................................... 48

Figure 15. Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study Area (TERSA) showing resource agency jurisdictions and

two coral banks: Sherwood Forest and Riley's Hump. The square demarcating Rileys Hump is

currently closed to fishing in May and June in order to protect a mutton snapper spawning

aggregation. The grid area represents the study area for the proposed reserve and was used as a

framework for collecting and organizing data and designing the proposed reserve (each grid cell

represents one minute by one minute of latitude or approximately one square nautical mile). ........ 51

Figure 16. Recreational charter fishing activity in the Tortugas region in 1998. ............................................ 52

Figure 17. Recreational charter diving (non-consumptive) activity in the Tortugas region in 1998............... 53

Figure 18. Recreational charter diving for lobster activity in the Tortugas region in 1998. ........................... 53

Figure 19. Recreational charter spearfishing activity in the Tortugas region in 1998. ................................... 54

Figure 20. Commercial handline fishing (reef fish) activity in the Tortugas region in 1998........................... 56
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Figure 21. Commercial handline fishing (King mackerel) activity in the Tortugas region in 1998................ 57

Figure 22. Commercial shrimp trawling activity in the Tortugas region in 1998 ............................................ 57

Figure 23. Commercial lobster trapping activity in the Tortugas region in 1998............................................ 58

Figure 24. Underwater photo of the anchor of the merchant vessel Lika taken by Sanctuary biologists while

the vessel was anchored on Tortugas Bank on 9/30/97. Large fragments of coral are visible below

and ahead of the pictured diver............................................................................................................ 60

Figure 25. Graphic depicting location of Area To Be Avoided buffer surrounding the DRTO and the

Tortugas Bank No Anchor Area implemented on Aug. 7, 1998 (15 C.F.R. 922.164(g)). The

proposed boundary of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve (North and South), a proposed no-anchor

area, is also shown................................................................................................................................ 61

Figure 26. Potential boundary alternatives developed at the April 1999 WG meeting.................................... 69

Figure 27. Preferred alternative recommended at the May 1999 WG meeting. ............................................... 70

Figure 28. Boundary Alternative II..................................................................................................................... 73

Figure 29. Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative)............................................................ 74

Figure 30. Boundary Alternative IV.................................................................................................................... 75

Figure 31. Boundary Alternative V showing proposed ecological reserve and boundary expansion.. ........... 76

Figure 32. Side-by-side comparison of all four boundary alternatives............................................................. 77

Figure 33. Proposed Sanctuary boundary expansion (denoted in dark gray on map) for Boundary

Alternatives III and IV........................................................................................................................... 78

Figure 34. Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study Area. ........................................................................................ 99

Figure 35. Preferred Alternative....................................................................................................................... 193
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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Estimates of benthic habitat coverage in the Tortugas. (FMRI and NOAA)...................................... 26

Table 2. Seagrasses in the Dry Tortugas National Park.................................................................................... 27

Table 3. Taxonomic list of fire and stony corals in the Dry Tortugas. .............................................................. 29

Table 4. Taxonomic list of octocorals observed from Dry Tortugas. ................................................................ 34

Table 6. Trophic classifications of fish in the Tortugas. .................................................................................... 40

Table 7. Migratory pelagic fish species likely to be found in the Tortugas region. .......................................... 44

Table 8. Sea turtles found in the Tortugas region. ............................................................................................. 48

Table 9. Resource management agencies with jurisdiction in the Tortugas. .................................................... 50

Table 10. Working Group Meetings. ................................................................................................................... 64

Table 11. Information provided to Working Group............................................................................................ 65

Table 12. Ecological Reserve criteria developed at the February 1999 WG meeting...................................... 67

Table 13. Criteria weighting profiles developed at the April 1999 WG meeting.............................................. 68

Table 14. Comparison of boundary alternatives by physical attributes. ........................................................... 72

Table15. Comparison of Regulatory Alternatives .............................................................................................. 80

Table 16. Boundary analysis summary: TERSA – Consumptive recreation. ................................................. 102

Table 17. Boundary Analysis Summary: Alternative II/ Regulatory Alternative D - Consumptive Recreation

.............................................................................................................................................................. 102

Table 18. Boundary Analysis Summary: Alternative III/ Regulatory Alternative D - Consumptive

Recreation............................................................................................................................................ 104

Table 19. Boundary Analysis Summary: Alternative IV/ Regulatory Alternative D - Consumptive Recreation

.............................................................................................................................................................. 105

Table 20. Boundary Analysis Summary: Alternative V/ Regulatory Alternative D - Consumptive Recreation

.............................................................................................................................................................. 106

Table 21. Calculation of Maximum Potential Market Economic Losses: Consumptive Recreation............. 107

Table 22. Summary of Maximum Total Potential Losses from Displacement: Consumptive Recreation...... 107

Table 23. Comparison to the Economic Contribution of Various Visitors to the Florida Keys and Monroe

County.................................................................................................................................................. 107

Table 24. Data from original survey - Revised Assumption: all activity takes place within Preferred

Boundary Alternative (based on comments received in June 2000). ................................................ 108

Table 25. Revised Assumption: Revenue $288,000, Profit $144,000 and all activity takes place within

Preferred Boundary Alternative (based on comments submitted in June 2000). ............................. 108

Table 26. Revised Assumption: Revenue $416,000 and all activity takes place within Preferred Boundary

Alternative (based on comments submitted in June 2000). ............................................................... 109

Table 27. Revised Assumption: Revenue $460,000 and all activity takes place within Preferred Boundary

Alternative (based on comments submitted in May 2000)................................................................. 109

Table 28. Non-consumptive Diving ................................................................................................................... 114

Table 29. TERSA Catch Potentially Lost from Displacement, 1997............................................................... 115

Table 30. Maximum Potential Losses to the Commercial Fisheries from Displacement .............................. 116

Table 31. Profile of TERSA Fishermen Compared to Other Keys Fishermen ................................................ 122

Table 31. Continued........................................................................................................................................... 123

Table 32. A Comparison of Nonuse Economic Values with Consumer’s Surplus and Economic Rents from

the Recreation Industry and Commercial Fisheries: Assuming Maximum Potential Losses and

Without Considering Mitigating Factors ........................................................................................... 135
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Table 33. Environmental Option Study, Inc. (National Sample of 804 Households Conducted 18-26 May,

1991 ..................................................................................................................................................... 136

Table 34. Roper 1989 and 1990 National Surveys ........................................................................................... 136

Table 35. SeaWeb 1996. (National Sample of 900 U.S. Households 10-15 May, 1996) ............................... 136

Table 37. Statement of Estimated Cost of Establishing the Tortugas Ecological Reserve - As of October

1999 ..................................................................................................................................................... 188

Table 38. Costs of implementation of the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve: Management Costs...... 189

Table 38. Criteria, Objectives, and Rational Developed by the Tortugas 2000 Working Group.................. 194
Executive Summary of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Final Supplemental

Management Plan for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

xi

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The National Ocean Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, working in cooperation with the State of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico

Fishery Management Council, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, proposes to

establish a 151 square nautical mile “no-take” ecological reserve to protect the critical

coral reef ecosystem of the Tortugas, a remote area in the western part of, and to the west

of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS or Sanctuary). The reserve

would consist of two sections, Tortugas North and Tortugas South, and would require an

expansion of the Sanctuary boundary to protect important coral reef resources in the areas

of Sherwood Forest and Riley’s Hump.

An ecological reserve in the Tortugas will preserve the richness of species and

health of fish stocks in the Tortugas and throughout the Florida Keys, helping to ensure

the stability of commercial and recreational fisheries. The reserve will protect important

spawning areas for snapper and grouper, as well as valuable deep water habitat for other

commercial species. Restrictions on vessel discharge and anchoring will protect water

quality and habitat complexity. The reserve’s geographical isolation will help scientists

distinguish between natural and human-caused changes to the coral reef environment.

Protecting Ocean Wilderness

Creating an ecological reserve in the Tortugas will protect some of the most

productive and unique marine resources of the Sanctuary. Because of its remote location

70 miles west of Key West and more than 140 miles from mainland Florida, the Tortugas

region has the best water quality in or near the Sanctuary. Healthy baitfish populations

support thriving seabird communities, including sooty and noddy terns, masked boobies

and the only roosting population of magnificent frigate birds in the continental U.S. Due

to its location at the juncture of several major ocean currents, the Tortugas has a high

potential for exporting the larvae of fish, lobster, and other marine organisms downstream

to the Keys and the east coast of Florida. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has stressed

the importance of this area to the well-being of the Key West and Great White Heron

National Wildlife Refuges.

The Tortugas reefs also boast the healthiest coral in the region. In the area known

as “Sherwood Forest,” coral cover often exceeds 30%, compared to an average of 10%

elsewhere in the Florida Keys. The well-developed reef forms a false bottom,

interspersed with gorgonian-forests, sponges, and black corals. Scientists examining one
Executive Summary of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Final Supplemental

Management Plan for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

xii

bizarre, mushroom-shaped coral, characteristic of Sherwood Forest, found it to be

approximately 400 years old. Other areas contain high relief pinnacles that protrude like

mountains upward from the seafloor, providing ideal habitat for a diverse array of fish.

Organisms rarely seen elsewhere in the Keys, such as crinoids (feather stars) and black

corals, occur on Tortugas’ reefs. Some species such as the red-tailed triggerfish only

occur in the Tortugas.

Threats to the Tortugas’ resources exist and are on the increase. Commercial and

recreational fishing pressure has reduced the average size of black grouper in the

Tortugas from 22.5 lbs. to 9 lbs. The FKNMS regulations prohibit freighters from

anchoring on the lush reefs of Tortugas Bank, but other parts of the region are still

threatened by damage from anchors weighing up to several tons. Visitation to the Dry

Tortugas National Park indicates a dramatic upward trend, from 18,000 visitors in 1984

to 72,000 in 1998. Continued pressures on this remote area are likely to intensify with

improved navigational technology and faster boats.

No-Take Areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

The 2,800 square nautical mile FKNMS was established in 1990 by the Florida

Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act (FKNMSSPA) to ensure the

sustainability of the marine environment by balancing resource protection with

compatible resource use. In that Act, Congress directed the Secretary of Commerce to

consider temporal and geographic zoning to ensure the protection of Sanctuary resources.

Like zoning on land, marine zoning designates different areas for different uses. “Notake” areas, which are closed to the taking of marine life, are one type of marine zone.

While no-take areas are a relatively new concept in the United States, resource

managers worldwide have used them successfully to protect species diversity, replenish

fish populations, and provide opportunities for education and research. Reserves provide

protection to species not covered by traditional commercial and recreational fishing

regulations. They protect habitat and food that fish and other creatures need to survive.

In 1997, the Sanctuary implemented a groundbreaking marine zoning plan

featuring a network of 23 no-take areas classified as ecological reserves, sanctuary

preservation areas and special use areas. These areas protect much of the critical shallow

reef habitat. Figure 1 of the FSEIS shows the 23 existing no-take areas along with the

existing 27 Wildlife Management Areas. While an ecological reserve was proposed to be

established at that time for the Tortugas region, it was not established because of public

comments indicating that the proposed boundaries did not include the most significant
Executive Summary of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Final Supplemental

Management Plan for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

xiii

coral reef resources and would cause serious economic harm to commercial fishermen.

Instead, the Sanctuary’s final management plan called for a collaborative initiative

bringing together all stakeholders to determine the area of the Tortugas that needed

zoning protection and the degree of protection needed.

The Collaborative Process

To develop a Preferred Alternative, a 25-member Working Group was established

composed of commercial and recreational fishers, divers, conservationists, scientists,

concerned citizens, and government agencies. The Working Group used the best

available information to develop a range of alternatives and recommend a Preferred

Alternative to the State of Florida and to the Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC). The

Working Group used an “ecosystem approach,” recommending alternatives based on

natural resources rather than jurisdictional boundaries.

The Working Group gathered ecological and socio-economic information through

two public meetings, and a site characterization document, and the firsthand experiences

of commercial and recreational fishermen and others. A series of public scoping meetings

was held throughout South Florida in the fall of 1998 to gather input. In May 1999, the

Working Group reached a consensus on proposed boundaries and regulations for the

Reserve. In June 1999, the Sanctuary Advisory Council unanimously approved the

Working Group’s proposal.

The Tortugas Ecological Reserve Proposal Contained in the DSEIS

issued in May 2000

The Preferred Alternative for the establishment of an ecological reserve in the

Tortugas region, contained in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

(DSEIS), consists of a boundary component (Boundary Alternative III) and a regulatory

component (Regulatory Alternative C). The boundary component would expand the

boundary of the Sanctuary by approximately 96 square nautical miles (nm) to include two

significant coral reef areas known as Sherwood Forest and Riley’s Hump and establish an

ecological reserve (the Tortugas Ecological Reserve) of approximately 151 square nm in

two separate areas. The first area would include and surround Sherwood Forest, and

would encompass approximately 91 square nm. This area would be called Tortugas

North. The second area would include and surround Riley’s Hump and would encompass

approximately 60 square nm. This area would be called Tortugas South.
Executive Summary of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Final Supplemental

Management Plan for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

xiv

 The Preferred Alternative would expand the boundary of the Sanctuary in its

northwestern corner by approximately 36 square nm to include Sherwood Forest and

would expand the boundary in the south by adding a noncontiguous area of

approximately 60 square nm to include Riley’s Hump. The Tortugas North section

would incorporate approximately 55 square nm of the existing Sanctuary.

 The regulatory component would apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing

ecological reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South; would prohibit anchoring in

Tortugas North and South; would control access to Tortugas North and South for other

than continuous transit or for law enforcement purposes via a simple, no cost permit;

would require call-in for entering and leaving Tortugas North and South; and would

prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a mooring buoy.

The Tortugas Ecological Reserve Proposal Contained in the FSEIS

The Preferred Alternative for the establishment of an ecological reserve in the

Tortugas region, contained in the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

(FSEIS), is the same as that for the Preferred Alternative in the DSEIS except that the
Executive Summary of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Final Supplemental

Management Plan for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

xv

regulatory component is Alternative D instead of Alternative C. The difference between

Regulatory Alternatives C and D is that Regulatory Alternative D would prohibit access

in Tortugas South except for continuous transit, law enforcement, or for scientific

research or educational purposes pursuant to a sanctuary permit. Under Alternative C,

which is less restrictive, access to Tortugas South, except for continuous transit and law

enforcement purposes would require a simple, no-cost permit and would require call-in

for entering and leaving.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC), at its July 10-13,

2000, meeting, took final action on its Generic Amendment Addressing the

Establishment of Tortugas Marine Reserves, which would create the Council’s own 60

square nautical mile marine reserve in the same location as Tortugas South and in the 13

square nautical mile portion of Tortugas North that is within the Council’s jurisdiction.

The GMFMC has proposed a prohibition on any fishing (consumptive activity) or

anchoring by fishing vessels. The Council also requested that NOS prohibit anchoring by

all vessels in the reserve and that NOS prohibit all diving in the areas of Tortugas North

and Tortugas South that are subject to Council jurisdiction.

The GMFMC expressed concern that non-consumptive diving would make the

no-take prohibitions difficult to enforce, particularly with regard to diving for lobsters

and spearfishing. The Council believes that eliminating all diving activities would greatly

simplify enforcement.

In addition, the GMFMC stated that non-consumptive diving can impact and

damage bottom habitat through the inadvertent contact with coral or by stirring up sand

and silt on the bottom. The Council also expressed concern about the biological impact of

diving on the behavior of reef fish populations. Tortugas South is a known spawning area

for many fish including red snapper, yellow tail snapper, mutton snapper, mangrove

snapper, snowy grouper, black grouper, red grouper, red hind, and rock hind. The

Council believes that the potential for diver impact on fish spawning would be eliminated

by the closure.

In addition, other commentors expressed concern over the effects of nonconsumptive diving on sensitive coral reef resources.

Based on the comments received, the Preferred Alternative in the FSEIS has been

revised from the Preferred Alternative in the DSEIS to prohibit all diving in Tortugas

South except for research or educational purposes pursuant to a Sanctuary permit. Nonconsumptive diving would still be allowed in Tortugas North. The resources of Tortugas
Executive Summary of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Final Supplemental

Management Plan for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

xvi

North are not as sensitive to diver impacts as those in Tortugas South and permitting nonconsumptive diving in Tortugas North with careful monitoring of the impacts of such

diving would provide exceptional resource appreciation and public education benefits.

Also, prohibiting diving in Tortugas South would provide a reference for assessing the

impact of diving activities in Tortugas North.

Socio-economic impacts, determined by analyzing the costs and benefits of notake regulations on various industries, indicate moderate impacts on fishermen, mostly

lobster and handline fishermen, and some recreational charter operators, and minimal or

small impacts on recreational fishermen, commercial shippers, and treasure salvors. The

potential for benefits to non-consumptive users and the scientific community is high due

to the educational and research value of an ecological reserve. Positive effects to

surrounding areas through long-term fisheries replenishment are also likely.

The FSEIS Preferred Alternative would adequately protect the nationally

significant coral reef resources of the Tortugas region and fulfill the objectives of the

FKNMSPA and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA). The Preferred Alternative

is of sufficient size and imposes adequate protection measures to achieve the goals and

objectives of the FKNMSPA and the NMSA while not unduly impacting user groups.

Commenting on the Proposal

NOAA encouraged the public to comment on the alternatives contained in the

DSEIS. Comments were accepted until July 31, 2000. NOAA held a series of public

hearings throughout South Florida to accept comments on the DSEIS in conjunction with

the National Park Service/Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission, and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.

More than 4,000 comments were received on the DSEIS/SMP and the proposed

implementing regulations for the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Almost 3000 of

the comments were form letters expressing general support for the creation of the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Two-hundred and forty-five persons commented by signing

a petition. The responses to comments received on the DSEIS are contained in Appendix

H.
Executive Summary of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Final Supplemental

Management Plan for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

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ABSTRACT

The National Ocean Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, working in cooperation with the State of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico

Fishery Management Council, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, proposes to

establish a 151 square nautical mile “no-take” ecological reserve to protect the critical

coral reef ecosystem of the Tortugas, a remote area in the western part of the Florida

Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The reserve would consist of two sections, Tortugas

North and Tortugas South, and would require an expansion of the Sanctuary boundary to

protect important coral reef resources in the areas of Sherwood Forest and Riley’s Hump.

This action is necessary to comprehensively protect some of the healthiest and most

diverse coral reefs in the Florida Keys. Without the protection that will be provided by

the proposed no-take and no-anchoring regulations, this deep water coral reef community

would continue to be degraded by activities such as anchoring and fishing. Degradation

of this special part of the ecosystem jeopardizes its integrity in addition to the ability of

Americans to experience and learn from a relatively healthy coral reef ecosystem.

In 1997, the Sanctuary implemented a groundbreaking marine zoning plan

featuring a network of 23 no-take areas classified as ecological reserves, sanctuary

preservation areas and special use areas. These areas protect much of the critical shallow

reef habitat. Figure 1 shows the 23 existing no-take areas along with the existing 27

Wildlife Management Areas. While an ecological reserve was proposed to be established

at that time for the Tortugas region, it was not established because of public comments

indicating that the proposed boundaries did not include the most significant coral reef

resources and would cause serious economic harm to commercial fishermen. Instead, the

Sanctuary’s final management plan called for a collaborative initiative bringing together

all stakeholders to determine the area of the Tortugas that needed zoning protection and

the degree of protection needed. This Final Supplemental Environmental Impact

Statement/Final Supplemental Management Plan (FSEIS/SMP) has been prepared for the

proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve and supplements the Final Environmental Impact

Statement/Final Management Plan (FEIS/MP) for the FKNMS accordingly. Much of the

discussion of the Sanctuary, its resources, and its goals in this document references the

FEIS/MP.
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Management Plan for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

xviii

• Part I of this FSEIS/SMP establishes the need for and purpose of this

action.

• Part II discusses the history of zoning in the FKNMS and how

ecological reserves can be used to help achieve the objectives of the

Sanctuary.

• Part III describes the area and environment that are the subject of the

proposed reserve.

• Part IV examines the alternatives, including the Preferred Alternative.

• Part V describes the environmental and socio-economic consequences

of each alternative.

• Part VI presents the selection of preferred boundary and regulatory

alternative for the proposed ecological reserve.

• Part VII provides a draft supplemental management plan for the

ecological reserve.

• Appendices provide supporting information.

Lead Agency: U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Ocean Service

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Contact: Billy D. Causey, Sanctuary Superintendent

NOAA/Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

P.O. Box 500368

Marathon, Florida 33050

(305) 743-2437 x26
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

1

PART I: NEED FOR AND PURPOSE OF THE ACTION

The National Ocean Service (NOS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), working in cooperation with the State of Florida, the Gulf of

Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC), and the National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), proposes to establish a 151 square nm “no-take” ecological reserve to

protect the critical coral reef ecosystem of the Tortugas, a remote area in the western part

of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS or Sanctuary). The reserve

would consist of two sections, Tortugas North and Tortugas South, and would require an

expansion of the Sanctuary boundary to protect important coral reef resources in the areas

of Sherwood Forest and Riley’s Hump.

An ecological reserve in the Tortugas would preserve the richness of species and

health of fish stocks in the Tortugas and throughout the Florida Keys, helping to ensure

the stability of commercial and recreational fisheries. The reserve would protect

important spawning areas for snapper and grouper, as well as valuable deep water habitat

for other commercial species. Restrictions on vessel discharge and anchoring would

protect water quality and habitat complexity. The proposed reserve’s geographical

isolation would help scientists distinguish between natural and human-caused changes to

the coral reef environment.

The purpose of this reserve would be to protect nationally significant coral reef

resources and to protect an area that serves as a source of biodiversity for the rest of the

Sanctuary as well as the southwest shelf of Florida. Establishment of the proposed

reserve would include expansion of the Sanctuary boundary to ensure sensitive coral

habitats lying outside the existing boundary of the Sanctuary are protected.

The FKNMS, which was designated by the Florida Keys National Marine

Sanctuary and Protection Act (FKNMSPA, Pub. L. 101-605) on November 16, 1990,

consists of approximately 2800 square nm (9500 square kilometers) of coastal and

oceanic waters, and the submerged lands thereunder, surrounding the Florida Keys and

the Tortugas. These waters contain the marine equivalent of tropical rain forests in that

they support high levels of biological diversity, are fragile and easily susceptible to

damage from human activities, and possess high value to human beings if properly

conserved. These environments support a vibrant tourist-based economy worth over $1.2

billion per year. The final management plan (MP) for the Sanctuary was implemented by

regulations that became effective on July 1, 1997. The Sanctuary's purpose is to ensure
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

2

sustainable use of the Keys' marine environment by protecting Sanctuary resources while

allowing uses compatible with resource protection.

The FKNMS currently contains a network of 23 no-take zones, one of which is an

ecological reserve (Western Sambo Ecological Reserve). This proposal would establish a

second ecological reserve to protect the nationally significant coral reef resources of the

Tortugas area. This proposal is being made to further the objectives of the National

Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. §§ 1431 et seq.) and the FKNMSPA and to

meet the objectives of Executive Order 13089, Coral Reef Protection (June 11, 1998).

Since 1991, NOAA has been concerned about the need to better protect the

Tortugas area. This need is documented in the Draft and Final Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS)/Management Plans for the Sanctuary (DOC 1995 and 1996). In the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Management Plan (DEIS/MP), NOAA

proposed a boundary for a 110 square nm Replenishment Reserve (Ecological Reserve)

in the Tortugas to protect significant coral resources while minimizing or avoiding

adverse impacts to users. Public comment indicated that the then-proposed boundary

would not protect the most significant coral reef resources and identified serious adverse

economic impacts from the then-proposed boundary and then-proposed no-take

regulations. Consequently, NOAA did not establish the reserve and did not issue

regulations to protect it other than the general Sanctuary-wide regulations. Instead, the

Final Management Plan for the Sanctuary committed to undertaking a process in

coordination with the National Park Service (NPS), which is presently revising its

management plan for the Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), to determine which area

of the Tortugas region outside of the DRTO needed marine zoning protection and to what

degree.

NOAA stated that it and the NPS would use the information gathered as part of

the public review of the draft MP and hold workshops with users, agency representatives,

environmental organizations, and the public. NOAA stated that it and the NPS would

publish another proposed boundary for the Tortugas Reserve for public comment (DOC

1996, Vol. I, p. 261).

The Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) in February 1998 established an ad hoc

Working Group (WG), composed of stakeholders and government representatives

including the NPS, to recommend a boundary for the reserve. After meeting five times

over the course of a year, the WG came to full consensus on recommending a preferred

boundary to the SAC that, in turn, recommended the same preferred boundary to NOAA
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

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and the State of Florida. The WG recommended the application of the existing ecological

reserve regulations to the preferred boundary.

The Tortugas is located in the westernmost portion of the FKNMS approximately

70 miles west of Key West. It contains the healthiest coral reefs found in the Sanctuary.

Coral pinnacles as high as forty feet with the highest coral cover (>30%) found in the

Keys jut up from the ocean floor. These coral formations are bathed by some of the

clearest and cleanest waters found in the Florida Keys. This occurs where the tropical

waters of the Caribbean mingle with the more temperate waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Tortugas is in a very strategic position oceanographically that makes it an ideal

location for an ecological reserve. It is both a source (where marine life is produced) and

a sink (where marine life settles) for a range of diverse marine organisms.

Despite the Tortugas' beauty and productivity, it has been exploited for decades,

greatly diminishing its potential as a source of larval recruits to the downstream portion

of the Florida Keys and to itself. Fish and lobster populations have been heavily fished

thus threatening the integrity and natural dynamics of the ecosystem. Anchoring by

freighters is destroying large areas of coral reef habitat that provide the foundation for

economically important fisheries.

Visitation to the Tortugas region has increased dramatically over the past 10

years. In the DRTO, visitation increased 300% over the 14-year period between 1984 and

1998. The population of South Florida is projected to increase from the current 6.3

million people to over 12 million by 2050. With continued technological innovations

such as global positioning systems (GPS), electronic fish finders, and better and faster

vessels, this increase in population will translate to more pressure on the resources in the

Tortugas.

By designating this area an ecological reserve, NOAA hopes to create a seascape

of promise—a place where the ecosystem's full potential can be realized and a place that

humans can experience, learn from and respect. This goal is consistent with Executive

Order 13089 on Coral Reef Protection and the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force

recommendations.

This FSEIS/SMP supplements the FEIS/MP for the Sanctuary. Further, because

this proposed reserve includes a Sanctuary boundary expansion, this FSEIS/SMP is

developed pursuant to section 304(a)(2) of the NMSA, 16 U.S.C. 1434(a)(2), consistent

with, and in fulfillment of, the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) of 1969.
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the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

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Relationship to other planning efforts for the Tortugas

There are four other planning efforts underway in conjunction with the effort

described in this document to ensure comprehensive protection of the unique resources of

the Tortugas region.

The NPS is revising the General Management Plan for the DRTO. The NPS

proposal includes a Preferred Alternative to create a Research/Natural Area (RNA)

within the Park. The proposed boundary and regulations for the RNA are compatible with

NOAA's proposed ecological reserve. The boundary for the proposed RNA is depicted in

the maps contained in this document for the purpose of providing the public a

comprehensive view of what is proposed for the region.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC)

has primary federal responsibility and expertise for the development of fishery

management plans (FMPs) throughout the Gulf of Mexico. The GMFMC has developed

an amendment for addressing Essential Fish Habitat requirements for the various Gulf of

Mexico Fishery Management Plans (GMFMPs) which cover the area of the proposed

Tortugas Ecological Reserve. The GMFMPs are implemented by regulations

promulgated by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (50 CFR 622). At the

GMFMC's meeting on November 9, 1999, the NOS and NMFS requested that the

GMFMC take steps to prohibit fishing, consistent with the purpose of the proposed

ecological reserve. The GMFMC accepted this request and at its July 10-13, 2000

meeting, adopted the Generic Amendment for Addressing Essential Fish Habitat

Requirements for Fishery Management Plans of the Gulf of Mexico. That amendment to

the GMFMPs is consistent with the no-take Tortugas Ecological Reserve proposed by

NOAA and NOAA’s regulations for ecological reserves in the FKNMS, at 15 CFR

922.164(d).

NMFS intends to issue regulations consistent with the no-take status of the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve for the species covered by the GMFMPs and for Atlantic

tunas, Swordfish, sharks, and Atlantic billfishes.

The State of Florida is drafting regulations to prohibit fishing in those portions of

Tortugas North that lie within State waters. Sanctuary regulations implementing the

reserve would not become effective in State waters until approved by the State of Florida.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

5

Combined with the establishment of the proposed ecological reserve, these

actions would result in comprehensive protection for the nationally significant coral reef

habitats from shallow to deep water extending from the Park into Sanctuary and GMFMC

waters.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

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PART II: ECOLOGICAL RESERVES AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL

An ecological reserve is a type of no-take area that has been used in the Florida

Keys National Marine Sanctuary since 1997. The term “ecological reserve” is used

interchangeably with “no-take zones” in this document to refer to special areas of the

ocean set aside from consumptive activities. Both terms are synonymous with "marine

reserves" used internationally to describe these special management areas.

No-take areas or marine reserves are increasing in popularity as tools for marine

conservation and fisheries management (PDT 1990, Roberts et al. 1995). In the face of

extreme uncertainty about the dynamics of fisheries or ecosystems even after more than

20 years of intensive management and modeling, no-take areas offer a more simplified

approach for the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources (Lauck et al.

1998).

No-take areas are important for establishing reference or control sites from which

to gauge the effect of human impacts on the ecosystem. Until 1997 there were no

undisturbed sites in the Florida Keys where researchers could compare the functioning of

a natural system versus a disturbed system. It is easier to effectively manage human

activities when the cumulative and cascading effects of those activities can be compared

to reference areas where human activities are restricted.

Appendix G of this FSEIS/SMP is a reproduction of a peer-reviewed paper on notake reserve networks that appeared in the November 1999 issue of the American

Fisheries Society's journal Fisheries. It summarizes the rationale and benefits of no-take

areas and is reproduced here because of its relevancy to NOAA's proposal and the notake zones in the FKNMS. The authors make a strong case for the need for no-take areas

as a precautionary strategy to complement traditional fishery management practices.

"Clearly, improved management approaches are required to sustain fisheries and

effectively protect U.S. marine ecosystems and the goods and services they provide."

(Murray et al. 1999). In describing increasing human threats to marine ecosystems, the

authors point out that whereas plants and herbivores are generally exploited on land, top

predators are generally exploited in the ocean. The removal of top predators has

cascading effects on the entire ecosystem. They argue for well-designed no-take networks

that take advantage of the ocean currents that move organisms and materials great

distances and that "sites providing sources of larvae and eggs need to be connected

hydrographically to recipient sites to ensure the maintenance of local populations"

(Murray et al. 1999).
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

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Because of the large size of the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve, it presents

an unprecedented and unique opportunity in the U.S. to study the effects of this reserve,

not only on the changes to in situ biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, but also on the

effects on surrounding fishery resources through spillover of adult biomass and

replenishment through larval dispersal. Other potential research opportunities are:

• Connectivity (energy transfer) and establishment of corridors between

the reserve components (North and South).

• Test of the S.L.O.S.S. (Single Large Or Several Small) theory using

the entire zone network in the FKNMS.

• Ecology of fish spawning aggregations.

• Benefit Cost Analysis of traditional fishery management versus marine

reserves.

• Impacts of shrimp trawling on benthic communities.

• Effects on deep water (>100m) benthic and fish communities.

History and performance of no-take areas in the FKNMS

The consideration of temporal and geographic zoning to ensure protection of

Sanctuary resources is mandated under Section 7(a)(2) of the FKNMSPA. No-take

zoning has been used in the FKNMS since 1997 when the Nation's first network of notake areas was implemented after a six-year planning process. Indeed, a form of marine

zoning was used in the Florida Keys as early as 1935 when the Fort Jefferson National

Monument was designated in the Dry Tortugas. Other forms of marine zoning in the

Keys followed, including the creation of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (1960),

the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary (1975) and the Looe Key National Marine

Sanctuary (1981). However, all of these areas allowed some form of consumptive

activities which altered their ecosystems over time.

The following are the goals and objectives for the zoning plan in the FKNMS (see

zoning action plan, FEIS/MP, Vol. I, beginning on p. 255).

Goals

The goal of the zoning plan in the Final Management Plan is to protect areas

representing diverse Sanctuary habitats and areas important for maintaining natural

resources (e.g., fishes, invertebrates) and ecosystem functions while facilitating activities
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

8

compatible with resource protection. Zoning is critical to achieving the Sanctuary's

primary goal of resource protection.

Objectives

To achieve these goals, the following objectives must be accomplished:

• reduce stresses from human activities by establishing areas that restrict

access to especially sensitive wildlife populations and habitats;

• protect biological diversity and the quality of resources by protecting

large, contiguous diverse habitats that are intended to provide natural

spawning, nursery, and permanent residence areas for the

replenishment and genetic protection of marine life and to protect and

preserve all habitats and species;

• minimize conflicting uses;

• protect Sanctuary resources and separate conflicting uses by

establishing a number of non-consumptive zones in areas that are

experiencing conflict between consumptive and non-consumptive uses

and in areas that are experiencing significant population or habitat

declines;

• eliminate injury to critical/sensitive habitats;

• disperse concentrated harvests of marine organisms;

• prevent heavy concentrations of uses that degrade Sanctuary resources;

• provide undisturbed monitoring sites for research activities by setting

areas aside for scientific research, monitoring, and restoration; and

• provide control sites to help determine the effects of human activities

on resources.

To meet these goals and objectives the following three types of marine zones

were established: Ecological Reserves, Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPA) and Specialuse Areas (see Figure 1 for a map of the 23 existing no-take zones and the 27 Wildlife

Management Areas located in the Sanctuary). SPAs are small no-take or restricted areas

that protect specific, critical habitats such as patch reefs or bank reefs such as Looe Key.

Special-use Areas are small areas set aside for scientific research and educational

purposes, recovery or restoration of Sanctuary resources, monitoring, to prevent use or

user conflicts, to facilitate access and use, or to promote public use and understanding of
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

9

Sanctuary resources. ERs and SPAs have the same no-take regulations. This proposal

would create the Tortugas Ecological Reserve as the Sanctuary's second Ecological

Reserve.

The following is the definition of ecological reserves from the FEIS/MP:

These areas are designed to encompass large, contiguous diverse

habitats. They are intended to provide natural spawning, nursery, and

permanent residence areas for the replenishment and genetic protection of

marine life and to protect and preserve all habitats and species particularly

those not protected by fishery management regulations. These reserves are

intended to protect areas that represent the full range of diversity of

resources and habitats found throughout the Sanctuary. The intent is to

meet these objectives by limiting consumptive activities, while continuing

to allow activities that are compatible with resource protection. This will

provide the opportunity for these areas to evolve in a natural state, with a

minimum of human influence. These zones will protect a limited number

of areas that provide important habitat for sustaining natural resources

such as fish and invertebrates.

The existing Western Sambo Ecological Reserve is 9 square nm (3000 hectares)

and extends from the mean low water mark on land out to the 60 foot isobath (see map at

http://www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov/research_monitoring/map.html). It is approximately 2

miles at its widest point and 6.8 miles long and encompasses a wide range of habitats

including nearshore hardbottom, patch reefs, mud bottom, seagrass beds, mid-channel

patch reefs, and offshore coral reefs.

The no-take zone network in the FKNMS is the only one of its kind in the U.S.

(Murray et al. 1999). The proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve would be the second

ecological reserve and the 24th no-take zone in the network. Given the general eastward

flowing direction of the currents in the Keys, the Tortugas reserve would serve a critical

role in the network by supplying larvae and biomass to downstream zones and other

areas.

The objectives of the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve are:

• Protect ecosystem integrity.

• Protect a wide range of contiguous habitats through deep water.

• Maximize connectivity among habitats.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

10

• Protect unique coral formations and areas of high coral cover,

including Sherwood Forest.

• Provide adequate buffer areas.

• Sustain ecological and evolutionary processes.

• Protect against short and long-term environmental perturbations.

• Encompass an area that is large enough and sufficiently protected

that, when combined with existing protections, maintains the

Tortugas region’s contribution to the Florida Keys ecosystem.

• Protect biodiversity, including the maintenance or restoration

of viable populations of native species.

• Protect the full range of species.

• Protect natural spawning, nursery, and permanent residence areas,

including Riley’s Hump.

• Protect and enhance commercially and recreationally important

fish species.

• Protect species with specific habitat requirements.

• Protect endangered, threatened, rare, or imperiled species.

• Protect areas with physical oceanographic characteristics that will

enhance larval dispersal.

• Protect areas of high coral and fish diversity.

• Protect areas of high productivity.

• Protect foraging areas for seabirds and endangered sea turtle

populations.

• Protect areas of high endemism.

• Enhance scientific understanding of marine ecosystems.

• Provide a reference area to monitor the effects of both

consumptive and non-consumptive activities on ecosystem

structure and processes.

• Provide a reference area to discriminate between humancaused and natural changes in the Florida Keys marine

ecosystem.

• Facilitate human uses to the extent consistent with

the other objectives.

• Minimize adverse socio-economic impacts to the

extent consistent with the other objectives.

• Facilitate enforcement and compliance.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

11

Figure 1. Existing zone network in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
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the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

12

When the zoning plan became effective in July 1997, NOAA implemented a fiveyear zone monitoring program to determine the effect of the zones on biodiversity and

human activities. This program uses a combination of academic and government

scientists as well as volunteers to look at the changes in ecosystem structure (abundance

and size) and function (processes such as fish grazing rates) that result from the cessation

of consumptive activities. The goal of the program is to present federal and state resource

managers a Zone Performance Report in 2002 that describes what effect these zones are

having on biodiversity and human activities so that they may make an informed decision

on the future of zoning in the FKNMS. After monitoring the zones for one year (1997-

98), scientists found that the abundance of some exploited fish species and abundance

and average size of spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) increased significantly in the zones

when compared to corresponding reference sites. An online version of this report is

available at http://www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov/research_monitoring/zpr98.html. The fact

that these animal populations responded so quickly to the cessation of fishing is

suggestive of the intense exploitation pressure they were under.

The FKNMS is the final downstream component of the South Florida Ecosystem

Restoration project, a Congressionally-authorized project composed of nearly 200

environmental restoration, growth management, agricultural, and urban revitalization

projects, programs, and initiatives that are designed to make South Florida more

sustainable in the future. As the final downstream component, the monitoring of status

and trends of Sanctuary resources both in disturbed and undisturbed areas is critical to

elucidating the causes of ecosystem change and to measuring the success of the multibillion dollar South Florida ecosystem restoration project. The proposed Tortugas

Ecological Reserve is part of this restoration effort and would serve as a critical reference

site for distinguishing between natural versus human-caused changes to the ecosystem.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

13

PART III: DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE

ASSESSMENT REPORT

Introduction

The following section supplements the description of the affected environment of

the FKNMS found in the FEIS/MP (Volume II, Section 2) with a particular focus on the

Tortugas Region.

“The Tortugas, Florida, probably surpasses any other situation in the tropical

Atlantic, in the richness of its marine fauna and in natural advantages for the study of

tropical life . . . .” (Mayer 1903). This observation written ninety-seven years ago by one

of the nation's preeminent marine biologists of the time, Alfred Goldsborough Mayer,

still holds true, and is even more relevant today with the degradation of coral reef

ecosystems in the Keys and around the world. The relatively clear waters and healthy

coral reef resources of the region have not changed much since the days of Mayer’s

Tortugas Marine Lab (1904-1939) and Louis and Alexander Agassiz’s Tortugas

explorations in the mid- to late 1800’s.

The Tortugas region refers to an approximately 480 square nmarea of open ocean

containing several carbonate banks, one of which is emergent with 7 small, sandy islands

(Figure 2). The Tortugas is remote – located approximately 70 miles west of Key West

and over 140 miles from mainland Florida. Its coral reef, hardbottom, and seagrass

communities are bathed by the clearest and cleanest waters in the Florida Keys

archipelago (R. Jones, pers. comm.). The area's rich biodiversity is fueled by the

confluence of strong ocean currents emanating from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean

Sea. Some of the deeper water portions of the Tortugas are afforded some protection by

the FKNMS while the shallower areas and the associated islands are afforded some

protection by the DRTO, which is not part of the FKNMS. The DRTO was established in

1992.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

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Figure 2. Map showing an exaggerated, three-dimensional rendering of the ocean floor with the location

of the Dry Tortugas, Tortugas Bank, and Riley’s Hump (courtesy of J. Ault, Univ. of Miami).

This section also meets the requirements of section 303(b)(3) of the NMSA which

requires that the Secretary of Commerce report on any resource uses in the area under

consideration that are subject to the primary jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior

and report on any past, present, or proposed future disposal or discharge of materials in

the vicinity of the proposed area. The area under consideration for the proposed

ecological reserve is not within the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior.

However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of Interior (USFWS)

commented that the Tortugas area is an important spawning site and source reef for the
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

15

fish communities found in the Key West and Great White Heron National Wildlife

Refuges and the avian species of the Refuges feed upon these fish. USFWS advised

NOAA that protection in the Tortugas region will translate into benefits to the trust

resources of the USFWS and the National Wildlife Refuge System. These Refuges are

well outside the area of the subject action. In consulting with the Departments of Defense

and Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency on the proposed boundary

expansion, NOAA was not informed of any past, present, or proposed future discharge or

disposal of materials.

The following sections describe the physical, ecological and human use

characteristics of the Tortugas region. Even though the DRTO is not part of the

Sanctuary, it is included in the descriptions because it is surrounded by the FKNMS, is an

inseparable part of the overall ecosystem, and is in area of the Tortugas about which the

most is known. The DRTO is relevant to this proposal because it contains similar

biodiversity as the proposed reserve and contains shallow water habitat that is critical to

the life histories of many of the species that inhabit the proposed reserve.

A number of people contributed to the following section. Dr. David Mallinson of

the University of South Florida contributed the material on geology. Dr. Tom Lee of the

University of Miami contributed the material on physical oceanography. Walt Jaap

(Florida Marine Research Institute), Jennifer Wheaton (Florida Marine Research

Institute), G. P. Schmahl (NOAA), Dione Swanson (National Undersea Research Center),

and Dr. Jim Fourqurean (Florida International University) contributed to the description

of benthic communities. Drs. Jerry Ault (Univ. of Miami), Jim Bohnsack (NMFS), Tom

Schmidt (NPS), and Ken Lindeman (Univ. of Miami) contributed to the description of

fish and fisheries. Dr. Bob Leeworthy (NOAA), Peter Wiley (NOAA), Manoj Shivlani

(Univ. of Miami) and Tom Murray (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) contributed to

the description of human activities.

Geology

The Tortugas comprises a series of carbonate banks situated on the southwest

Florida continental margin (Figure 3). The banks define a roughly circular pattern and

were described as an atoll by Vaughan (1914). The shallow rim of the atoll is

discontinuous and consists of Holocene (<10,000 years old) corals and several sandy

islands including Loggerhead Key, Bush Key and Garden Key. These banks occupy a

transitional zone between the south and east facing rimmed margin (to the east) and the

west facing ramp margin (to the north) of the Florida Carbonate Platform.
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Figure 3. Map showing the location of the Dry Tortugas, Tortugas Bank, and Riley’s Hump. Also shown

are the locations of the seismic profiles illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Contours are in meters below sea

level (map courtesy of Dr. Dave Mallinson, Univ. of South Florida).

The Holocene reefs which comprise the Dry Tortugas, approximately 14 meters

(46 feet) thick, are composed of massive head corals such as Montastrea sp., and are

situated upon a topographic high of the Key Largo Limestone (~135 thousand years old

during a period of warm water) (Figure 4) (Shinn et al. 1977). The reefs surrounding the

study area represent windward reef margins in regards to their orientation relative to the

dominant wind and wave energies (Hine and Mullins 1983). Tidal energy is also

important in the study area with exchange occurring between the southwest Florida Shelf

(Gulf of Mexico waters) to the north, and the Florida Straits to the south (Shinn et al.

1977). Two additional significant carbonate banks are situated in close proximity to the

Dry Tortugas. These include Tortugas Bank and Riley’s Hump.
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Figure 4. Sea-level record based on direct indicators (coral reefs) and proxy indicators (δ18 O curves).

Reefs of the Tortugas area may preserve a record of 5th order sea-level fluctuations (intermediatestands) occurring between stage 5e and stage 1.
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Figure 5. High resolution seismic profile across Tortugas Bank (see Figure 2 for the location). Raw data

are shown at the top and an interpretation is presented below that. The acoustic signature and the

morphology of this bank suggest that it is a relict coral reef. The present lack of significant coral growth

on the structure, and the depth suggest that it may have formed during stage 5a (see sea-level curve

inset), contemporary with the outlier reefs to the east. Several sequences are identified in the subsurface

of the surrounding area and it is predicted that similar sequences occur in the reef framework.

Tortugas Bank crests at approximately 20 meters, and is located directly west of

the Dry Tortugas reefs (Figures 2 and 4). A northeast-southwest trending channel, ~34

meters deep and 5 km wide, separates Tortugas Bank from the Dry Tortugas reefs.

Tortugas Bank has a 30 meter escarpment on the west side and a 15 meter face on the

east side. Sediment aprons drape the flanks of the bank and small patch reefs occur on the

top of the bank. Recent geological investigations by the University of South Florida

Department of Marine Science show that Tortugas Bank consists of reef framework

formed during multiple sea-level fluctuations. Uranium-series and radiocarbon dates of

core material are pending. Seismic data and core data initially suggest that the bank

consists dominantly of Stage 5a reef framework sediments, overlying highly altered Stage

5e reef sediments. This would indicate that Tortugas Bank was formed at the same time

as the outlier reefs seaward of the Keys reef tract (Lidz et al. 1991; Ludwig et al. 1996).
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Riley’s Hump is a carbonate bank cresting at ~30 meters directly south-southwest of

Tortugas Bank (Figures 2 and 6). The southern face of the bank exhibits a 20

meter escarpment situated at the shelf/slope break. Thick sedimentary deposits fill

a trough separating Riley’s Hump from Tortugas Bank to the north. Based on the position

of Riley’s Hump, we postulate that it may be equivalent in age to the Florida Middle

Ground, possibly stage 3.

Figure 6. Seismic profile across Riley’s Hump (see Figure 2 for location). The acoustic signature and

morphology suggest that this structure is a relict coral reef. The depth suggests that it may have formed

during stage 3 (see sea-level curve inset), perhaps contemporary with the Florida Middle Ground

carbonate banks.

Physical oceanography and recruitment pathways

This section describes a variety of oceanographic characteristics of the Tortugas

region using a synthesis of results from the literature, as well as recent and ongoing

studies. Particular emphasis is placed on the influence of physical processes on larval

recruitment from local and remote sources. The results presented are based primarily on

the following recent and ongoing studies of the University of Miami: the South East

Florida and Caribbean Recruitment study (SEFCAR); the South Florida Oil Spill

Research Center study (SFOSRC); and the Florida Bay Circulation and Exchange Project

of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Prediction and Modeling Program
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(SFERPM) study. Results of a completed Minerals Management Service study of the

physical oceanography of the Florida Current by Science Applications International

Corporation were also of considerable use for describing the offshore conditions. For a

more detailed description of the physical oceanography of the Tortugas region see Lee, et

al. 1999.

The findings show clearly that the Tortugas region is unique in its location and the

extent to which oceanographic processes impact the area. But even more importantly, the

Tortugas plays a dynamic role in supporting marine ecosystems throughout south Florida

and the Florida Keys (Figure 7). Larvae that are spawned from adult populations in the

Tortugas can be spread throughout the Keys and south and southwest Florida by a

persistent system of currents and eddies that provide pathways necessary for successful

recruitment (settlement) of both local and foreign spawned recruits (juveniles) with larval

stages ranging from hours for some coral species up to one year for spiny lobster. In

addition the upwelling and convergence of the current systems provide the necessary

food supplies in concentrated frontal regions to support larval growth.
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Figure 7. Examples of the tracks of several current drifters tracked by satellite showing the connectivity

of the Tortugas region with the Southwest shelf of Florida and the South Atlantic region (courtesy of T.

Lee/Univ. of Miami).

The Tortugas is located at the transition between the Gulf of Mexico and the

Atlantic. As such, it is strongly impacted by two major current systems, the Loop Current

in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Current in the Straits of Florida, as well as

by the system of eddies that form and travel along the boundary of these currents. Of

particular importance to the marine communities of the Tortugas and Florida Keys is the

formation of a large counter-clockwise rotating gyre (large eddy) that forms just south of

the Tortugas where the Loop Current turns abruptly into the Straits of Florida (Figure 8).

This gyre can persist for several months before it is forced downstream along the Keys

decreasing in size and increasing in forward speed until its demise in the middle Keys.

This gyre serves as a retention mechanism for local recruits, and as a pathway to inshore

habitats for foreign recruits. It may also serve as a potential food provider through

plankton production and concentration.
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Figure 8. Schematic of potential recruitment pathways for various larvae spawned locally in the

Tortugas and Florida Keys (courtesy of T. Lee/Univ. of Miami).

The Tortugas is also located adjacent to two coastal current systems, including the

wind–driven currents of both the Florida Keys coastal zone and the west Florida shelf.

Persistent westward winds over the Keys create a downwelling system that drives a

westward coastal countercurrent which runs primarily along the lower Keys and out to

the Tortugas. The countercurrent provides a return route to the Tortugas and its

gyre–dominated circulation, and onshore surface Ekman transport (a process whereby

wind-driven upwelling bottom water is transported ~45° to the left of the actual wind

direction in the northern hemisphere) provides a mechanism for larval entry into coastal

habitats. Circulation on the west Florida shelf is strongly influenced by wind forcing, but

there also appears to be a significant southward mean flow, possibly due to the Loop

Current. The effect of these currents on the Tortugas is to provide a larval return

mechanism to the Florida Bay nursery grounds during periods of southeast winds, as well

as a transport mechanism for low-salinity shelf waters from the north when the mean

southward flow is strong.

The combination of downstream transport in the Florida Current, onshore Ekman

transport along the downwelling coast, upstream flow in the coastal countercurrent and

recirculation in the Tortugas gyre forms a recirculating recruitment pathway stretching

from the Dry Tortugas to the middle Keys which enhances larval retention and

recruitment into the Keys coastal waters of larvae spawned locally or foreign larvae from
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remote upstream areas of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Convergence between

the Florida Current front and coastal gyres provide a mechanism to concentrate foreign

and local larvae, as well as their planktonic food supply. Onshore Ekman transport and

horizontal mixing from frontal instabilities enhance export from the oceanic waters into

the coastal zone. A wind- and gyre-driven coastal countercurrent provides a return leg to

aid larval retention in local waters. Seasonal cycles of the winds, countercurrent and

Florida Current favor recruitment to the coastal waters during the fall when the

countercurrent can extend the length of the Keys from the Dry Tortugas to Key Largo,

onshore Ekman transport is maximum and downstream flow in the Florida Current is

minimum. The mix and variability of the different processes forming the recruitment

conveyor provide ample opportunity for local recruitment of species with larval stages

ranging from days to several months. For species with longer larval stages, such as the

spiny lobster Panulirus argus, which has a 6 to 12 month larval period, a local

recruitment pathway exists that utilizes retention in the Tortugas gyre and southwest

Florida shelf and return via the Loop Current and the Keys conveyor system. Return from

the southwest Florida shelf could also occur through western Florida Bay and the Keys

coastal countercurrent, due to a net southeastward flow recently observed connecting the

Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic through the Keys (Figure 9).
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Figure 9. Satellite drifter track #23113 demonstrating complexity of currents in the Florida Keys. After

its release off Shark River Slough on 10/15/98, the drifter moved southwest past the Marquesas and into

the countercurrent where it was transported west to the Tortugas. The drifter then got caught in the

Tortugas gyre and was transported rapidly to the east where it was entrained back into the

countercurrent around Long Key. After being transported all the way back to the Tortugas the drifter

once again got caught in the Tortugas gyre and was carried to the Tavernier area and was again

entrained in the countercurrent which carried it to the Marquesas where the batteries ran out on 1/27/99

after 3.5 months of operation. This recirculating pattern of nearsurface currents is a common

occurrence in the lower and western Keys and provides a conveyor system with many opportunities for

larval recruitment into the Keys from both local and remote sources and may help to explain the high

species diversity and large abundance in the region. (Graphic courtesy of T. Lee, Univ. of Miami).

Benthic Habitats

The following is a description of both the benthic (seafloor) habitats found within

the DRTO and the deeper water habitats found in Sanctuary waters to the west of the

Park boundary.

Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO)

The Dry Tortugas was discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. The area was very

much a graveyard of ships (Murphy 1993). The sailing instructions in the eighteenth
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century warned mariners to be cautious in traversing the area (Gauld 1796). Natural

history expeditions to the area in the nineteenth century include Louis and Alexander

Agassiz and Louis Pourtales. The greatest contribution in documenting marine benthic

resources during this era is a map of submerged habitats published by Alexander Agassiz

(1882). In 1904, the Carnegie Institution established a marine laboratory on Loggerhead

Key, Dry Tortugas (Mayer 1903). Under Alfred G. Mayer's direction, the Tortugas

laboratory was a leading research facility studying the biology, geology, and the

environmental conditions of the Dry Tortugas and adjacent area (Davenport 1926; Colin

1980). The Carnegie Institution, Washington, D.C., has published a complete set of the

publications resulting from the research at the Tortugas Laboratory. Seminal coral reef

work includes: Vaughan (1911, 1914, 1915, 1916); Mayer (1914 and 1918); and Wells

(1932). Subsequent publications on Tortugas coral reefs include Shinn et al. (1977),

Thompson and Schmidt (1977), Davis (1979 and 1982), Halley (1979), Dustan (1985),

Jaap et al. (1989), Jaap and Sargent (1993). See Schmidt and Pikula (1997) for an

annotated bibliography of scientific studies within the DRTO.

An excellent history of the Dry Tortugas island dynamics and status is found in

Robertson (1964). As an example, Robertson reported that Bird Key was a major island

with a large rookery of terns (documented by Audubon in 1832). Severe hurricanes in

1910 and 1919 destroyed the vegetation (eight foot high bay cedar) and were followed by

chronic erosion of the island. By 1929 the Audubon warden abandoned his house on Bird

Key and moved to Garden Key.

Current research at Dry Tortugas benefits from the historical data base, relative

isolation, and from the fact that the Dry Tortugas has been a National Park with a history

of protecting natural resources. Within DRTO, commercial fishing is prohibited and

recreational fishing is limited to hook and line fishing for fin-fish (Florida Fishing

Regulations apply). Lobster, conch, and other benthic resources have been totally

protected within the park boundaries since 1992.

The physiography/bathymetry of the Dry Tortugas is complex and dynamic. The

DRTO is an elliptical area with a northeast to southwest axis. The approximate

dimensions are 11 nm NE to SW and 5.5 to 6 nm SE to NW (Figure 1). Depth outside the

ellipse is 18 m (60 ft) or greater. The park boundaries are delineated by buoys (listed on

the charts as: A, C, E, H, I, J, K, L, N, O). The park includes approximately 101 square

miles (26,183 hectares), less than one percent of which is terrestrial (Davis 1982). This

ellipsoid area has three major components: a crescent-shaped shoal on the east that

includes East and Middle Keys; a shoal that extends from Iowa Rock in a southwestern
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trend for approximately 4 nm and includes Bush, Garden, and Long Keys; and a western

shoal including Loggerhead Key and extending northeast to southwest approximately 5.4

nm. A relatively deep basin (12 to 20 m (40 to 67 ft)) occupies the central portion of the

ellipse. Three channels to the outside-deeper waters (Southeast, Southwest, and

Northwest) converge in the basin. Smaller shoal-water banks (emergent or semi-emergent

at low tides) and reefs are found throughout the basin (including Hospital Key, Middle

Ground, White Shoal, and Texas Rock).

A recent collaborative effort by the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) and

NOAA (FMRI 1998) provides a recent estimate of benthic habitats in the Dry Tortugas,

and adjacent areas outside the park boundaries (Table 1).

Table 1. Estimates of benthic habitat coverage in the Tortugas. (FMRI and NOAA).

Habitat Acres Hectares Percent

Total Reef 23,370 9,440 27.46

Patch Reefs 1,760 710 2.07

Bank Reefs 21,610 8,730 25.39

Hard bottom 40 20 0.06

Seagrass 10,960 4,430 12.88

Unmapped 50,710 20,490 59.60

Total 85,080 34,380 100

Algal Communities

Algal communities are the most ephemeral of the benthic communities. Davis

(1982) reported that the distribution of algae was restricted to rocks or rubble in areas of

high wave energy, such as the reef flats. The conspicuous genera include: Laurencia,

Dictyota, Sargassum, Cladophora, and Padina. In deeper areas there are often abundant

algae that are attached to the hard substrate or sedimentary deposits. Common genera

include: Halimeda, Avrainvillea, Penicillus, Lobophora, Udotea. Crustose coralline algae

(Rhodophyceae) form thin crusts typically attached to the limestone. These algae

proliferate in shallow areas with high wave energy (Humm 1984) or in more protected

areas exposed to intensive urchin grazing.

The benthic algae and seagrasses function as primary producers contributing

biomass and oxygen to the system. The algae and seagrasses are consumed by

invertebrate and vertebrate herbivores ranging from microscopic crustaceans to large sea
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turtles. Some animal species, such as the damselfish, lay their eggs in the algae. The life

cycles of the algae are very rapid compared to sponges, corals and fish. The marine algae

at Dry Tortugas include at least 377 species (Taylor 1928). Taylor found 50 species of

algae within a few yards off the northwest beach of Loggerhead Key. Work to describe

the marine algae at Dry Tortugas continues: Ballantine and Aponte (1995) and

Ballantine (1996) described eight new species near Pulaski Shoal (northeastern DRTO).

In addition to biomass and oxygen, algae such as Halimeda contribute significant

amounts of carbonate sediments to the system.

Seagrasses

Seagrass beds are one of the most common benthic habitats in the Dry Tortugas

and are found in water as deep as 30 m (100 ft) whenever there is sufficient light and

unconsolidated sediment to support their root systems. Five species of seagrass have been

recorded from the Dry Tortugas (Table 2).

Table 2. Seagrasses in the Dry Tortugas National Park.

Turtle grass Thalassia testudinum (Banks ex Koënig)

Manatee grass Syringodium filiforme (Kützing)

Shoal grass Halodule wrightii (Ascherson)

Paddle grass Halophila decipiens (Ostenfeld)

Star grass Halophila engelmannii (Ascherson)

Seagrasses are valued for their role as nursery grounds, foraging habitat, shelter,

sediment stabilization, energy attenuation, and primary production (Zieman 1982). As

primary producers, energy fixed by seagrasses predominantly reaches higher trophic

levels through the detritus pathway - seagrass blades die and are colonized by bacteria

and fungi before being consumed by other organisms. Few animal species graze directly

on living seagrass blades, but of those that do, some are quite conspicuous. Green sea

turtles (Chelonia mydas) feed almost exclusively on seagrass, and the Dry Tortugas is an

important refuge for this endangered species. In 1998, 165 green turtle nesting attempts

(and 78 actual nests) were recorded in DRTO (Reardon 1998). Many other valued

animals are dependent on seagrass beds during part of their life cycle, including pink

shrimp (Penaeus duorarum), spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) and queen conch (Strombus

gigas). Many predatory fishes of the reef also forage in seagrass beds and many

herbivorous fishes that find shelter on coral reefs during the day feed in seagrass beds at
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night. Vast schools of grunts and snappers migrate off of daytime resting areas around

reefs to feed at night in the seagrass beds (Robblee and Zieman 1984).

The distribution of seagrass beds is determined by exposure to air, penetration of

light in the water column, availability of nutrients, suitable sandy or muddy sediments,

and levels of disturbance (Zieman 1982). The Dry Tortugas lie at the western end of a

nearly continuous shallow-water seagrass bed that covers over 14,000 km2

 (Fourqurean et

al., in press). As water quality in the park is sufficient to support seagrass growth on the

bottom, the primary factor limiting the distribution of seagrasses within DRTO is the

presence of suitable unconsolidated substratum. The maximum depth for T. testudinum is

18 m (59 ft) and a mean depth of 3 m (10 ft) from 898 randomly-sampled sites in south

Florida (Fourqurean et al. in press). These findings indicate that deeper waters in Dry

Tortugas are generally clear enough to support growth of seagrass beds.

In shallow water, Thalassia testudinum forms dense seagrass meadows. As depth

increases, other species can coexist with T. testudinum. For example, as one swims down

the slope of the bank north of Loggerhead Key, a dense Thalassia bed grades into a

mixed Thalassia- Syringodium bed, then Thalassia drops out, and Halodule becomes

common with the Syringodium. Deeper still, Syringodium drops out, and Halophila

engelmannii and Halophila decipiens occur interspersed with Halodule. At 23 m (75 ft),

the dominant seagrass is Halophila decipiens. The seagrass beds of DRTO are relatively

diverse compared to other beds in south Florida. It is not uncommon to find three or four

seagrass species growing in close association; and 5 species have been found in the same

0.25 m2

 area.

Sponges

The sponge (Porifera) fauna at Dry Tortugas was studied by deLaubenfels during

the Carnegie Laboratory period. He described 76 species including five dredged from

1,047 m. Schmahl (1984) reported 85 sponge species within DRTO. Sponges create

ecological space (niches) and are thus an important asset to the area. The numbers of

species and the broad range of habitat that sponges occupy gives testament to their

importance. Sponges are a source of shelter, habitat, and food for many marine

organisms. They also play an important role in filtering a large volume of seawater. In the

context of reefs and carbonate rock, sponges can be an important structural buttress

holding the reef together. Carbonate producing sponges provide structure and

demosponges provide an interstitial fabric which holds the materials together. The boring
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sponges are destructive to the reef, however, because they excavate coral limestone

skeletons. Over time the weakened skeletons may break loose from the reef platform.

Coral Habitats

The term coral reef is a broad category used to define many habitats where

massive corals are conspicuous. In other cases, the existing community is a mixture of

smaller corals, octocorals, and sponges, but the underlying foundation was built in the

recent past by massive corals.

The major reef types at Dry Tortugas include bank reefs, patch reefs, and thickets

of staghorn coral. The once abundant elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) assemblages (44

hectares by Agassiz's estimate in 1882) have virtually disappeared from the area (Davis

1982, Jaap and Sargent 1993). Since Davis published his map, some of the staghorn

(Acropora cervicornis, A. prolifera) coral populations have declined due to hypothermal

stress (Roberts et al., 1982) and a virulent disease (Peters et al. 1983).

Reefs are constructed principally by the massive scleractinian (stony) coral

species and acroporids. Most of the corals that are found associated with reefs in the

western Atlantic and Caribbean occur at Dry Tortugas (Jaap, et al., 1989).

The following is a list of fire corals and stony corals reported from Dry Tortugas

based on literature and field observations (Table 3).

Table 3. Taxonomic list of fire and stony corals in the Dry Tortugas.

Phylum Cnidaria

Class Hydrozoa, (Owen, 1843)

Order Milleporina (Hickson, 1901)

Family Milleporidae (Fleming, 1828)

Millepora alcicornis (Linn, 1758)

Millepora complanata (Lamarck, 1816)

Class Anthozoa (Ehrenberg, 1834)

Order Scleractinia (Bourne, 1900)

Family Astrocoeniidae (Koby, 1890)

Stephanocenia michelinii (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1848)

Family Pocillopridae (Gray, 1842)

Madracis decactis (Lyman, 1859)

Madracis pharensis (Heller, 1868)

Madracis mirabilis (sensu Wells 1973)

Madracis formosa (Wells, 1973)
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Family Acroporidae (Verrill 1902)

Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816)

Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816)

Acropora prolifera (Lamarck, 1816)

Family Agariciidae (Gray, 1847)

Agaricia agaricites (Linn , 1758)

Forma agaricites (Linn , 1758)

Forma purpurea (LeSeuer, 1821)

Forma humilis (Verrill, 1901)

Forma carinata (Wells, 1973)

Agaricia lamarcki (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1851)

Agaricia fragilis (Dana, 1846)

Leptoseris cucullata (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Family Siderastreidae (Vaughan and Wells, 1943)

Siderastrea radians (Pallas, 1766)

Siderastrea siderea (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Family Poritidae (Gray, 1842)

Porites astreoides (Lamarck, 1816)

Porites branneri (Rathbun, 1887)

Porites porites (Pallas, 1766)

Forma porites (Pallas, 1766)

Forma clavaria (Lamarck, 1816)

Forma furcata (Lamarck, 1816)

Forma divaricata (LeSueur ,1821)

Family Faviidae (Gregory, 1900)

Favia fragum (Esper, 1795)

Favia gravida (Verrill, 1868)

Diploria labyrithiformis (Linn, 1758)

Diploria clivosa (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Diploria strigosa (Dana, 1846)

Manicina areolata (Linn , 1758)

Forma areolata (Linn , 1758)

Forma mayori (Wells, 1936)

Colpophyllia natans (Houttuyn, 1772)

Cladocora arbuscula (LeSueur, 1821)

Montastraea annularis (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Forma annularis (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Forma faveolata (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Forma franksi (Gregory, 1895)

Montastraea cavernosa (Linn , 1767)

Solenastrea hyades (Dana, 1846)

Solenastrea bournoni (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1849)
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Family Rhizangiidae (D’Orbigny, 1851)

Astrangia soliteria (LeSueur, 1817)

Astrangia poculata (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1848)

Phyllangia americana (Milne and Edwards, 1850)

Family Oculinidae (Gray, 1847)

Oculina diffusa (Lamarck, 1816)

Oculina robusta (Pourtales, 1871)

Family Meandrinidae

Meandrina meandrites (Linn, 1758)

Forma meandrites (Linn ,1758)

Forma danai (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1848)

Dichocoenia stokesii (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1848)

Dendrogyra cylindrus (Ehrenberg, 1834)

Family Mussidae (Ortmann, 1890)

Mussa angulosa (Pallas, 1766)

Scolymia lacera (Pallas, 1766)

Scolymia cubensis (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1849)

Isophyllia sinuosa (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Isophyllastrea rigida (Dana, 1846)

Mycetophyllia lamarckiana (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1849)

Mycetophyllia danaana (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1849)

Mycetophyllia ferox (Wells, 1973)

Mycetophyllia aliciae (Wells, 1973)

Family Caryophylliidae

Eusmilia fastigiata (Pallas, 1766) 

Bank Reefs

The bank reef habitat occurs in an arc along the northeastern to southern margins

of DRTO. This habitat includes spur and groove structures and large isolated formations

with up to three meters of relief. Bird Key Reef in the southern portion of the park is a

good example of this reef type. The reef is estimated to be 5,883 years old (Shinn et al.

1977). Three species of coral (Montastraea annularis, M. cavernosa, and Siderastrea

siderea) were the principal frame work builders on this reef. Coral diversity, cover, and

habitat complexity increased with depth. Coral cover (as determined by linear

measurement) was highest in depths between 9 and 13 m. Octocorals exhibited their

greatest species richness in depths less than 8 m. Thirty-three species of stony corals were

inventoried at Bird Key Reef in 1975-1976.

The topographic complexity of the reef structure provides excellent refuge for

both sessile and mobile organisms. Sponges, octocorals, and stony corals are conspicuous

on the structures. The grooves between the structures contain sediments that are
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important as refuges for polycheates and crustaceans that are hidden in the sediments

during the daylight hours, but are found in the waters above the reef at night.

Patch Reefs

Patch reefs are isolated accumulations of massive corals that are often surrounded

by seagrass and sediments. At DRTO, patch reefs lie inside the bank reef formations in

the northeast to southeast, to the south and east of Loggerhead Key, and to the west of

Garden Key. The highest concentration of patch reefs is a large area southwest of

Loggerhead Key (on the charts as Loggerhead Reef). These formations are isolated or in

loose clusters. Well-developed patch reefs have massive colonies of Montastraea

annularis that are several meters in diameter. A good example of this type of formation is

the area due west of Loggerhead Key, commonly referred to as, "Little Africa." Isolated

patch reefs off the edge of Loggerhead Key, in 15 m depths, have a circular to irregular

outline and come to within 8 m of the surface. The surrounding area is seagrass, rubble

and sediments. The massive corals are typically eroded around the bases with small to

moderate openings that lead to the interior of the reef. These galleries provide refuge for

invertebrates such as lobsters and crabs and dead areas on the massive corals are often

occupied by algae (Halimeda and Dictyota), sponges, octocorals, and other stony corals

(Porites porites, Mycetophyllia spp).

Staghorn Coral Reefs

Staghorn reefs are constructed by two species of staghorn corals (Acropora

cervicornis and Acropora prolifera) that are able to rapidly monopolize a large area.

Their success is partially the result of broken fragments surviving and growing into new

colonies. These species have the highest growth rate of any scleractinian corals in

Florida. Vaughan (1916) reported 4 cm per year, Shinn (1966) reported a rate of 10.9 cm

a year and Jaap (1974) reported a growth rate of 11.5 cm per year. The large thickets of

staghorn coral up to two meters high have virtually no other coral species associated with

them. In the period prior to January 1977, staghorn reefs were the most commonly

occurring reef in Dry Tortugas. In an area west of Loggerhead Key, huge fields of

staghorn coral were typical (Davis 1977). Davis (1982) estimated staghorn reefs

comprised 478 hectares of the seafloor (55.3 percent of all reef habitat). The staghorn reef

community is very susceptible to perturbation from meteorological phenomena, however,

and the passage of a winter cold front in January of 1977 eliminated up to 95 percent of

the extant staghorn reefs (Walker 1981, Davis 1982, Porter et al. 1982, Roberts et al.

1982). The M/V Mavro Vetranic ship grounding near Pulaski Shoal (Tilmant et al. 1989)
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exposed a deep cross section of reef strata composed of alternating layers of staghorn

corals and star and brain corals showing that, over centuries, staghorn coral reefs have

been dynamic: proliferating and waning in time and space.

In 1989, Jaap et al. installed permanent monitoring sites east and west of

Loggerhead Key. These areas had extensive staghorn coral thickets in 1975-77. As

reported above, these thickets were severely impacted by hypothermic stress during the

January 1977 cold front passage. These areas were sampled by a quadrat census from

1989-1991 and recorded that recovery of staghorn corals was not occurring west of

Loggerhead Key. There was evidence of recruitment and growth at White Shoal (east of

Loggerhead Key), particularly on the north end. Jaap et al. have subsequently returned to

these sites (between 1991 and 1997) and examined them qualitatively. The area west of

Loggerhead Key is still characterized as staghorn coral rubble covered with Dictyota,

Lobophora, and Halimeda algae. The White Shoal area has extensive thickets of

Acropora cervicornis that occupy the northeastern portions of the bank. Other areas

within the DRTO have moderately large staghorn coral reefs.

Elkhorn Coral Reefs

The extant elkorn (Acropora palmata) assemblage at Dry Tortugas is located in

front of Garden Key. It is a remnant population that survived Hurricane Georges (October

1998) and occupies approximately 800 m2

. This formerly abundant coral now is at risk of

local extinction.

Octocoral Dominated Hardbottom

This was the habitat type that Davis (1982) identified as major bottom type. He

reported 3,965 hectares of octocoral covered hardbottom within DRTO (4.08 percent of

the seafloor in the park). The most conspicuous characteristics of the octocoral

hardbottom are the abundant sea whips, sea plumes, sea fans, and the rather flat

topography. Octocoral species density at a monitoring station at Pulaski Shoal was

15.50Å3.50 and 92.60Å31.74 colonies per m2

. The area is like a jungle with the bottom

virtually obscured by the octocoral canopy. The octocoral hardgrounds have a rich

diversity in species. The following is a list of species that are reported from Dry

Tortugas. These data are based on the literature and Jennifer Wheaton's field notes (Table

4).
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Table 4. Taxonomic list of octocorals observed from Dry Tortugas.

Phylum Cnidaria

Subclass Octocorallia (Haeckel, 1866)

Order Alcyonacea (Lamouroux, 1816)

Family Briareidae (Gray, 1840)

Briareum asbestinium (Pallas, 1766)

Family Anthothelidae

Iciligorgia schrammi (Duchassaing, 1870)

Erythropodium caribaeorum (Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1860)

Family Plexauridae (Gray, 1859)

Plexaura homomalla (Esper,1792)

Plexaura flexuosa (Lamouroux, 1821)

Eunicea succinea (Pallas,1766)

Eunicea calyculata (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Eunicea laxispica (Lamarck, 1815)

Eunicea mammosa (Lamouroux, 1816)

Eunicea fusca (Duchassaing and Michelotti , 1860)

Eunicea lanciniata (Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1860)

Eunicea tourneforti (Milne, Edwards and Haime, 1857)

Eunicea knighti (Bayer, 1961)

Plexaurella dichotoma (Esper, 1791)

Plexaurella grisea (Kunze, 1916)

Plexaurella fusifera (Kunze, 1916)

Muricea elongata (Lamouroux, 1821)

Muricea laxa (Verrill, 1864)

Muricea atlantica (Kenthal, 1919)

Pseudoplexaura porosa (Houttuyn, 1772)

Pseudoplexaura flagellosa (Houttuyn, 1772)

Pseudoplexaura crucis (Bayer, 1961)

Family Gorgoniidae (Lamouroux, 1812)

Pseudopterogorgia acerosa (Pallas, 1766)

Pseudopterogorgia americana (Gmelin ,1791) (Figure 9)

Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata (Verril, 1864)

Gorgonia ventalina (Linn, 1758)

Pterogorgia anceps (Pallas, 1766)

Pterogorgia citrina (Esper 1792)

Pterogorgia guadalupensis (Duchassaing and Michelin, 1846)

Sedimentary Habitats

The largest component of the Dry Tortugas sea floor is composed of sediments

(silt, sand, gravel). Davis (1982) estimated that sediments were contributing 10,892

hectares (47.80%) of the benthic habitat in DRTO. If seagrasses are included (because

seagrasses grow in sediments), the sediment benthic contribution in DRTO is 78 percent.
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Research on Dry Tortugas sedimentary habitats is very limited. Sedimentary habitats

provide niches for virtually every marine phyla and thus the biodiversity of these habitats

is relatively high. Because organisms are living (for the most part) under the surface of

the sediments, there is a misconception that this area is barren of life (Cahoon et al. 1990,

Snelgrove 1999). Bacteria, diatoms, protozoa, mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms,

polycheates, gobies, and blennies are examples of higher order taxonomic categories that

are found in the sediments. The sediments also function as a forage area for larger

predators (Cox et al. 1996) and serve as a pool of geo-chemical material (calcium

carbonate).

Benthic habitats outside of the DRTO

Deep Coral Banks

To the west of the DRTO in the area proposed for the ecological reserve are

several deep water coral banks. In contrast to the DRTO, these deep reefs have not been

well studied or mapped. Water depths surrounding the banks are 20 to 24 m (66 to 78 ft),

the shallowest portions of these banks being 11 to 15 m (36 to 48 ft) deep. Diving

observations reveal a complex karst-like limestone with abundant attached reef organisms

(sponges, corals, octocorals).

Tortugas Bank

Tortugas Bank is approximately 7 nm west of Loggerhead Key; 8 Fathom Rock is

located north of Tortugas Bank and approximately 5.5 nm WNW of Loggerhead Key;

and Little Bank is north of 8 Fathom Rock and approximately 6.6 nm NW of Loggerhead

Key. The central, western, northern, and southern portions of Tortugas Bank are

characterized by low-relief hard-bottom with patches of sand and rubble at 7-23 m depth.

The substratum is dominated by brown algae and gorgonians.

The southern terminus of the bank is characterized by deep sandy plains with

patches of hard-bottom at 25-27 m depth. Corals found on the banks appear light starved.

As depth increases, corals respond by maximizing their surface area, building pancakelike structures rather than the mounds or hemispheres characteristic of shallow water.

Sherwood Forest

Along the western flank of Tortugas Bank is an ancient coral forest exhibiting

high coral cover. Coral abundance exceeds 30% bottom cover in many areas compared to
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an average coral cover of 10% in the rest of the Florida Keys (see Table 1). The area was

dubbed "Sherwood Forest" because of the bizarre mushroom shaped coral heads that are

an adaptation to the low light conditions (Figure 10). Robert Ginsburg and Phil Kramer at

the University of Miami sectioned one coral mushroom head from Sherwood Forest in

1999 estimated it to be approximately 400 years old, and determined that it was a

composite of two coral species (R. Ginsburg, pers. comm.). The coral reef is so welldeveloped it forms a veneer over the true bottom approximately 3 feet below the coral

reef. This veneer is riddled with holes and caves providing ideal habitat for a high

diversity of fish. Soft corals, gorgonian-forests, sponges, and black corals are also

present. In other areas, such as Black Coral Rock, large relief structures protrude like

mountains upward from the seafloor.

Figure 10. Typical coral formations found in Sherwood Forest; note the mushroom and plate-like

formations which are adaptations to the low light conditions found on these deep reefs.

The black corals (Antipathies spp.) which are uncommon in Florida Keys reefs,

are attached along wall faces. Black corals are a branching type of coral that have a

yellow to red outer tissue layer with a solid black matrix skeleton. The skeleton has value

in the manufacture of jewelry and in many areas collection pressure has made black

corals rare. Black corals are listed in the Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida (Deyrup
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and Franz, 1994) as being extirpated (meaning no longer found in Florida). This is

inaccurate: they are rare, but do occur in isolated places. They favor deep reef

environments with moderate to strong currents. Black corals are listed as totally protected

under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Moderate

to strong currents are common on Tortugas Banks and may be one of the reasons that

black corals are moderately abundant in the area. Reef corals are abundant on the deep

banks and are a principal faunal and major constructional component of the reef

structures. The most common corals are the Montastraea complex with other common

genera being Siderastrea, Colpophyllia, and Agaricia. Halimeda is common and occupies

the areas between the corals.

Riley's Hump

Riley’s Hump is located approximately 10 nm southwest of DRTO just outside

State waters. This deep reef terrace (22-27 m in depth) is dominated by algae interspersed

with coral. It is not known for spectacular coral formations, but for its richness of fish and

other marine life. A small population of sargassum, or red-tailed triggerfish (Xanthichthys

ringens) is among the unique species found in the area. Large pelagic fish (tunas, jacks,

and sharks) are common in the area as well as dolphins. Evidence suggests that this low

profile reef is an aggregation or spawning site for snapper-grouper species, including

gray, cubera, mutton, dog, red and yellowtail snapper, black grouper and ocean

triggerfish. Under the FMP for reef fish developed by the GMFMC, Riley’s Hump is

closed two months of the year to protect mutton snapper while they spawn. The deeper

water habitats to the south of Riley's contain important habitat for red and goldeye

snapper, tilefish, golden crab and snowy grouper. Large freighters, now prohibited from

anchoring on Tortugas Bank, use Riley’s as a secure place to anchor between port visits.

The several ton anchors and chains of these freighters are devastating this fragile coral

reef habitat (see section below on commercial shipping). Riley's Hump lies outside the

existing boundary of the FKNMS, and thus cannot be protected by the Sanctuary without

a boundary modification.
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Table 5. Percent cover of various benthic habitats in the Tortugas region

 (data courtesy of D. Swanson, Univ. of North Carolina at Wilmington).

Region No. sites

Mean S D Range Mean S D Range Mean S D Range

DRTO 10 49.1 14.4 23.0-77.5 4.5 2.9 0.3-19.5 7.6 16.0 7.3-52.8

Tortugas Bank 9 54.4 8.3 41.3-63.0 5.3 3.1 0.8-8.8 8.7 13.6 0.5-32.8

Sherwood Forest 2 67.4 5.1 63.8-71.0 5.7 0.5 5.3-6.0 19.8 8.1 14.0-25.5

Algal cover (%) Sponge cover (%) Coral cover (%)

Essential Fish Habitat

Essential fish habitat (EFH) is defined in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act as those waters and substrate necessary to fish for

spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity. This definition is codified in NMFS’

Regulations at 50 CFR 600.100. The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires the fishery

management councils to describe and identify EFH, including the identification of

adverse impacts from both fishing and non-fishing activities on EFH and the

identification of actions required to conserve and enhance EFH. Both the South Atlantic

and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils have identified hermatypic coral

reefs, hardbottom, seagrass, and areas within the FKNMS as EFH and Habitat Areas of

Particular Concern. The proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve is located in an area

identified as EFH in the 1998 amendment to the fishery management plans prepared by

the GMFMC. The proposed reserve is also located in an area identified as EFH for adult

and juvenile pink shrimp; postlarval, juvenile, and adult black and red grouper; and gray,

yellowtail, mutton, and lane snappers. The SAFMC has identified spawning areas as

EFH-Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (SAFMC 1998).

Fish Communities and Fisheries

This section summarizes the major findings of a report entitled, "Site

characterization for the Tortugas region: Fisheries and essential habitats" by Schmidt et

al. 1999. The report synthesized the pertinent literature and data to determine the extent

and current status of key resources in the Tortugas region relevant to the condition of the

broader fish communities and fisheries of the Florida Keys. The report was

commissioned by the National Park Service and the FKNMS as background and baseline

information for designing and evaluating the ecological reserve and assessing

management needs for the DRTO. For the full report see Schmidt et al. 1999.
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Reef Fish Biogeography, Trophic Structure, and Species Diversity

The geographic description of fishes varies over time. The distribution of each

fish species being partly a product of regional oceanography, coastal geomorphology,

habitat availability, and natural disturbance. The Tortugas is a region of convergence for

a wide variety of tropical, subtropical, and temperate fish species. Tortugas reef fish

constitute a highly diverse fauna of over 400 fish species packed into a relatively small

area represented by the Tortugas region according to a long-term study by Longley and

Hildebrand (1940). Many of these species are rare and some are endemic to the region

such as the red-tailed triggerfish (Xanthichthys ringens). Researchers counted 53 species

of fish on one dive in 1999 (Bohnsack, pers. comm.).

The demersal fishes of the Tortugas region can be classified into four basic types

based on habitat descriptions and species distribution as discussed by Longhurst and

Pauly (1987). The four categories are: (1) sciaenid assemblages (drums, croakers,

groupers), (2) lutjanid assemblages (snappers), (3) active, large-eyed species adapted to

clear water/high illumination (grunts, mojarra), and (4) highly evolved genera specific to

reefs (e.g. triggerfishes, boxfishes, pufferfishes). Sciaenid assemblages occur from warm

temperate turbid waters to tropical areas in the western Atlantic. Although the tropical

Sciaenid assemblages have not been reported in Florida, the subtropical sciaenid

assemblage does occur in the Florida/Tortugas area and is represented by families/species

from the northern Gulf of Mexico to Cape Hatteras (Longhurst and Pauly 1987) including

sciaenidae (drums/croakers), Serranidae (groupers), Clupeidae (herrings), Mullidae

(goatfishes), and Gerreidae (mojarra). The lutjanid assemblage inhabits rock, coral, and

coral sand habitats from Florida to Brazil and includes species from the families

Lutjanidae (snapper), Serranidae (grouper), Balistidae (triggerfishes), and Haemulidae

(grunts). These species are found primarily offshore from the Tortugas region northward

to west central Florida. In addition to the species specific to reefs (e.g., triggerfishes,

trunkfishes) the Florida Keys/Tortugas Region is considered a faunal transitional zone

based on the presence of one or more demersal assemblages (Schomer & Drew 1982).

Starck (1968) described assemblages of fish as either insular (reef-associated species

from abiotically stable environments) or continental as represented by species found over

muddy bottoms or turbid waters. The merging of temperate and tropical species is also

apparent in other taxa (e.g., invertebrates and benthic algae) as reported in Chiappone and

Sluka (1996). This unique convergence of abiotic and biotic factors provides for diverse

and variable fish communities relative to the more tropical (Caribbean) and more

temperate (e.g., northern Gulf of Mexico) environments in the western Atlantic.
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Table 6 below describes the various trophic classifications for reef fish indicating

the general type of prey items they consume. Many reef fish are herbivorous bottom

feeders on plants and animals and some feed mostly during the night to avoid predation.

Table 6. Trophic classifications of fish in the Tortugas.

Trophic classification Prey

Herbivores Algae, seagrasses

Planktivores Plankton in water column

Benthic invertivores Invertebrates on the bottom

Benthic carnivores Invertebrates and fish on the bottom

Pelagic carnivores Invertebrates and fish in the water column

Corallivores Corals

Omnivores Everything

Detritus feeders Dead or decaying matter

Reproduction, larval transport, and recruitment

Recruitment is defined as the addition of newborn to a stock each year. In the

tropics, recruitment can occur over most of the year (Ault 1988; Ault and Fox 1990).

Spawning aggregations often bring together specific conditions of biological cycles,

physical oceanography and habitat. A number of spawning aggregation sites have been

identified in the Tortugas region. These areas concentrate fish during the spawning

season and serve as the source points for larvae that then drift advectively and then

behaviorally until they become competent to metamorphose and settle to take on a

benthic existence. A suite of different species occupies different spawning sites at

different times. For example the snapper species, gray (Lutjanus griseus), cubera

(Lutjanus cyanopterus), mutton (Lutjanus analis), yellowtail (Ocyurus chrysurus), and

dog (Lutjanus jocu), are all thought to use the Riley’s Hump area as a spawning site

(Domeier et al. 1996, Lindeman et al. in press). It is critical to protect the integrity of the

spawning sites and spawners during the reproductive periods of the year, and to protect

the habitats critical to the survivorship of settling juveniles.
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Figure 11. Map showing the recovery locations of drifter bottles. 1000 drifters (small vials) were

released on Riley’s Hump on the full moon in May 1999 to coincide with the release of mutton snapper

larvae. The drifters began washing ashore in the middle Florida Keys around three weeks after their

release which approximates the planktonic larval duration for mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis)

(Graphic courtesy of Dr. Michael Domeier, Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research. For more

information see http://www.pier.org/MuttonSnapper.html).

Most tropical marine reef fishes of the Florida Keys and the Tortugas region have

pelagic larvae that are dispersed by currents driven by winds, tides and bathymetry.

Recruitment of juveniles into a particular habitat or environment (e.g., the inshore coastal

bays, nearshore barrier islands or the coral reef tract) of this region is dependent upon the

nature of the water flow. Evidence of larval settlement of important reef fish species

within DRTO clearly exists (Lindeman et al. in press). Interestingly, new evidence from

physical oceanographers suggests gyre formations and diametric current reversals occur

seasonally which facilitate the transport and retention of larvae to suitable settling areas

(Figures 8 and 11). Migrations across the continental shelf are often necessary to connect

settlement areas to spawning sites. Indeed, several spawning sites in the Tortugas region

have been identified by commercial fishermen and others (Lindeman et al. in press).

Thus the probability of successful recruitment is a function of the size of the parent stock,

the number of gravid (egg-bearing) fish spawning at a particular location, and the
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physical environment prevalent during the period of spawning and transport. In general,

the biophysical processes involved in recruitment and survivorship of the larvae and

juveniles are often the most poorly understood portion of the life history of reef fishes.

Relatively few studies of reef fishes in the Florida Keys have examined the

recruitment and post-settlement of fish larvae near the Tortugas Region. Recent studies

by Cha et al. (1994) and Limouzy-Paris et al. (1994) have examined the distribution and

biodiversity of reef fish larvae from the Upper Florida Keys to Cosgrove Reef near the

eastern boundary of Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study Area (TERSA) (Marquesas

Keys). Of the 68 families of reef fishes compiled by Starck (1968) at Alligator Reef in

the Middle Keys, larvae of 43 families were collected in plankton tows from May 31 to

June 5, 1989 (Limouzy-Paris et al. 1994). Of these 43 families, the nine most common

ones (most frequently occurring among stations, and in the top 10% in terms of

abundance) were Paralichthyidae (flounders), Scombridae (mackerel/tunas), Gobiidae

(gobies), Bregmacerotidae (codlets) Myctophidae (lanternfishes), Serranidae (seabasses),

Carangidae (jacks), and Bothidae (lefteye flounders).

Status of Fishes and Fisheries

Compared to the rest of the Florida Keys, the Tortugas region appears to have

more and larger fish of the key predatory species (e.g., groupers, snappers, hogfish,

grunts). However, throughout the Florida Keys including the Tortugas there appears to be

a serious “serial overfishing” problem in which the largest, most desirable, and

vulnerable species (e.g. Nassau grouper) are depleted first, followed by smaller, less

desirable species.

Using two independent data sources on reef fish: fishery-independent diver

observations and fishery-dependent charter fishing catches, Ault et al. (1998) showed that

13 of 16 groupers (Epinephelus), 7 of 12 snappers (Lutjanidae), and 2 of 5 grunts

(Haemulidae) were below the 30% spawning potential ratio (SPR) federal standard

(Figure 12). Some stocks appear to have been chronically overfished since the late

1970's. The Florida Keys reef fishery exhibits classic “serial overfishing.”
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Figure 12. Status of the snapper-grouper complex in the Florida Keys (from Ault et al. 1998).

Black grouper was used as an example of the effects of overfishing on the

fisheries resources of the Tortugas region and the Florida Keys. The net conclusion of

these analyses relevant to fishermen is that the average size of black grouper caught in

1999 was 40% its historical level (i.e., average of 22.5 lbs. circa 1930 versus 9 lbs. today)

(Schmidt et al. 1999). In terms of the stability and resiliency of the black grouper

population, the spawning stock biomass is estimated to now be at 5% of what it once was

(Schmidt et al. 1999). The current rate of fishing mortality on the black grouper stock is

now greater than four times the level that would be expected to produce maximum

sustainable yield (Schmidt et al. 1999). This situation is similar for a broad segment of

the economically and ecologically important reef fish stocks in the Florida Keys.

Highly Migratory Fish Species

Table 7 provides a list of migratory fish species that are very likely to be found in

the Tortugas region (Ed Little, pers. comm.). Very little is known about distribution and

abundance of highly migratory species in the Tortugas region, or about the region's

importance to these species. However, one study discovered that the Tortugas region

likely serves as a spawning ground for a variety of migratory species such as bluefin tuna.
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In an analysis of the regurgitated food of sooty terns (Sterna fuscata) and brown noddies

(Anous stolidus), Potthoff and Richards (1970) found 40 juvenile bluefin tuna (Thunnus

thynnus) and other juvenile scomberids such as blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus), bullet

mackerel (Auxis spp.), little tuna (Euthynnus alletteratus), and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus

pelamis). Migratory species in the Tortugas region are managed under three FMPs: the

FMP for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks and the Atlantic Billfish FMP developed

and adopted by the Secretary of Commerce through NMFS and the FMP for Coastal

Migratory Pelagic Resources developed and adopted jointly by the GMFMC and South

Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC). A FMP for dolphin and wahoo is under

development by the South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Fishery Management

Councils.

Table 7. Migratory pelagic fish species likely to be found in the Tortugas region.

Group Species Scientific name

Swordfish Swordfish Xiphias gladius

Atlantic Billfishes Sailfish Istiophorus platypterus

White marlin Terapturus albidus

Blue marlin Makaira nigricans

Longbill spearfish Terapturus pfluegeri

Atlantic Tunas Atlantic bluefin Thunnus thynnus

Atlantic bigeye Thunnus obesus

Atlantic yellowfin Thunnus albacares

Albacore Thunnus alalunga

Skipjack Katsuwonus pelamis

Little tunny Euthynnus alletteratus

Ocean Pelagics Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri

Dolphin Coryphaena hippurus

Bonito Sarda sarda

Mackerels King Scomberomorus cavalla

Spanish Scomberomorus maculatus

Cero Scomberomorus regalis

Cobia Cobia Rachycentron canadum
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Atlantic Sharks

Large Coastal Species

Basking Sharks Basking shark Cetorhinus maximus

Hammerheads Great hammerhead Sphyrna mokarran

Scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini

Smooth hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena

Mackerel Sharks White shark Carcharadon carcharius

Nurse Sharks Nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum

Requiem sharks Bignose shark Carcharhinus altimus

Blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus

Bull shark Carcharhinus leucas

Caribbean Reef shark Carcharhinus perezi

Dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus

Galapagos shark Carcharhinus galapagensis

Lemon shark Negaprion brevirostris

Narrowtooth shark Carcharhinus brachyurus

Night shark Carcharhinus signatus

Sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus

Silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis

Spinner shark Carcharhinus brevipinna

Tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvieri

Sand Tiger sharks Bigeye sandtiger shark Odontaspis noronhai

Sand Tiger shark Odontaspis taurus

Whale Sharks Whale shark Rhinocodon typus
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Small Coastal Species

Angel sharks Atlantic angel shark Squatina dumerili

Hammerhead sharks Bonnethead shark Sphyrna tiburo

Requiem sharks Atlantic sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Blacknose shark Carcharhinus acronotus

Caribbean sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon porosus

Finetooth shark Carcharhinus isodon

Smalltail shark Carcharhinus porosus

Pelagic Species

Cow sharks Bigeye sixgill shark Hexanchus vitulus

Sevengill shark Heptranchias perlo

Mackerel sharks Longfin mako Isurus paucus

Porbeagle shark Lamna nasus

Shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus

Requiem sharks Blue shark Prionace glauca

Oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus

Thresher sharks Bigeye thresher shark Alopias superciliosus

Thresher shark Alopias vulpinus

Seabirds

The islands of the Tortugas are the only breeding ground in the continental U.S.

for magnificent frigate birds (Fregata magnificines), sooty terns (Sterna fuscata), brown

noddies (Anous stolidus), and masked boobies (Sula dactylatra). These seabirds rely on

the clear waters of the area to see and prey on fast moving baitfish. The foraging range of

the sooty tern is approximately 15 miles from Bush Key (Potterhoff and Richards 1970)

(Figure 13). This sooty tern colony is the most productive in the Caribbean region

(Wayne Hoffman, pers. comm.).
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Figure 13. Foraging range of the sooty tern (Sterna fuscata) .

Marine reptiles and mammals

Sea Turtles

Table 8 lists the five species of marine turtles found in the Tortugas region. The

Tortugas is the most productive nesting area for the green and loggerhead turtles in the

entire Florida Keys. All of these species were once much more abundant, but now all are

listed under the Endangered Species Act as either endangered or threatened. By the late

1800’s there was a full-scale turtle fishery in Key West where one cannery was canning

200 quarts of turtle meat a day (Lott et al. 1996). Prior to this era of exploitation, turtles

served a critical ecological role in grazing on seagrass and converting it into labile

nutrients. Jackson (1997) estimated that the green turtle population in the Caribbean basin

before the industrial revolution was around 660 million; now the population is in the tens

of thousands. One green turtle eats roughly the same amount of turtlegrass as 500 large

Diadema (sea urchins). The turtle is able to break down the grass into basic nutrients and

distribute these over a wide area for reuse by the ecosystem (Jackson 1997). Whereas
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once the green turtle played a major role in structuring the Florida Keys ecosystem, both

sea turtles and Diadema are now effectively ecologically extinct.

Table 8. Sea turtles found in the Tortugas region.

Common name Scientific name

green Chelonia mydas

loggerhead Caretta caretta

Kemp's ridley Lepidochelys kempii

hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata

leatherback Dermochelys coriacea

The DRTO contains the largest remaining loggerhead and green turtle rookery in

the Florida Keys. The Park has surveyed turtle nests and nesting activities from April

through October since 1995 (Figure 14).

Figure 14. Green (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtle nesting activity in the DRTO

(Data courtesy of R. Brock, NPS).

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

False Crawls Successful Nests

Dolphins and whales

Because of the remoteness of this region, very little is known about the dolphin

and whale species that visit the area. The most common dolphins found in the area are:

bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), offshore

spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata), and Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) (Laura

Engleby, pers. comm.). Bottlenose dolphins are undoubtedly the most common cetacean

in the area. Given the depths in the proposed Tortugas South reserve, it is likely that some
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of the deeper diving whales (sperm, right, and minke) can be found there. See Lott (1997)

for a list of cetaceans found in the Florida Keys and environs.

Submerged Cultural Resources

While very little is known about the submerged cultural resources (SCRs) in the

deeper waters surrounding the Dry Tortugas, a great deal is known about the SCRs in the

DRTO. Over the past two decades the Submerged Cultural Resources Unit of the

National Park Service has extensively inventoried the SCRs of the Park. For a description

of the SCRs in the DRTO, please visit their web site at http://www.nps.gov/drto/scru.

There is currently one Sanctuary survey and inventory permit (allows for finding and

mapping SCRs) for SCRs outside the Park. This is on Tortugas Bank and is within

Sanctuary waters.

Human Activities

Resource agency jurisdictions

The jurisdictions of several resource management agencies converge in the Tortugas

region; six of which would be affected by the proposed reserve. Referring to Figure 15

below, Table 9 lists the six resource management agencies and their responsibilities in the

Tortugas region.
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Table 9. Resource management agencies with jurisdiction in the Tortugas.

Agency/Responsibility

Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

1. National Ocean Service/Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary – Responsible

for managing and protecting natural and cultural resources within the Sanctuary.

2. National Marine Fisheries Service – Responsible for approving and implementing

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council FMPs for fishery resources in the

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico, for preparing and

implementing FMPs for Atlantic highly migratory species, and for protecting

marine mammals and threatened and endangered species.

3. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council – Responsible for preparing FMPs

for fishery resources in the EEZ of the Gulf of Mexico, and for recommending

fishery regulations for the Sanctuary.

Department of the Interior/National Park Service/Dry Tortugas National Park

4. Responsible for protecting and interpreting the DRTO – A pristine subtropical

terrestrial and marine ecosystem, including an intact coral reef ecosystem.

State of Florida

5. Department of Environmental Protection – Co-trustee with NOAA for the

management of Sanctuary resources.

6. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission – Responsible for managing fish and

wildlife resources within state waters.

This proposed action does not directly affect the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic

Fishery Management Council (SAFMC); however, the SAFMC does have jurisdiction in

a portion of the Tortugas region, has an interest in the effects of the reserve, and has been

consulted extensively by the FKNMS throughout the process of establishing the proposed

reserve.
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Figure 15. Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study Area (TERSA) showing resource agency jurisdictions and

two coral banks: Sherwood Forest and Riley's Hump. The square demarcating Rileys Hump is currently

closed to fishing in May and June in order to protect a mutton snapper spawning aggregation. The grid

area represents the study area for the proposed reserve and was used as a framework for collecting and

organizing data and designing the proposed reserve (each grid cell represents one minute by one minute

of latitude or approximately one square nautical mile).

Human Uses

Recreational charter and commercial activities in the Tortugas region (excluding

the DRTO) were characterized and mapped during 1998 so that the potential economic

impacts of a reserve could be analyzed. Private recreational activities were not mapped.

Every effort was made to contact fishing clubs in the region. During the public comment

period, data on private boat usage was acquired and has been analyzed (see Figures 16

through 19).
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The location and intensity of recreational charter and commercial fishing

activities were determined by interviews in which the interviewee was asked to draw on a

gridded map, similar to the one in Figure 15 above, where he or she fishes and dives and

at what intensity. Intensity was recorded as person-days for recreational charter activities

and pounds of fish caught for commercial fishing activities. The entire population of

recreational charter vessel operators (12) that operate outside of the DRTO was

interviewed. A sample of the commercial fishing population that fishes the Tortugas

region was interviewed (90). The population of commercial fishermen (105-110) was

determined by holders of saltwater-product licenses for Florida Marine Research Institute

Areas 2.0 and 2.9 that fall within the study area. Figures 16-23 are the result of this data

collection effort. See Part V for a detailed analysis of the economic impacts of the

proposed action.

Recreational Diving and Fishing

Figure 16. Recreational charter fishing activity in the Tortugas region in 1998.
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Figure 17. Recreational charter diving (non-consumptive) activity in the Tortugas region in 1998.

Figure 18. Recreational charter diving for lobster activity in the Tortugas region in 1998.
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Figure 19. Recreational charter spearfishing activity in the Tortugas region in 1998.

Commercial Fisheries

Commercial fisheries of southern Florida and the Tortugas region have been

described previously by Bannerot (1990), Bohnsack et al. (1994), and Chiappone and

Sluka (1996). Analyses of commercial and recreational sector fisheries operations within

the FKNMS, including the Tortugas area, were described by Bohnsack et al. (1994). The

Tortugas region supports productive and profitable fisheries. For example, of the fish

caught in the Florida Keys in 1997, the Tortugas catch (FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9)

accounted for 26% of the reef fish, 17% of spiny lobster, and 60% of pink shrimp

(Leeworthy, pers. comm.).

Reef Fish

Reef fish refers to the snapper-grouper complex comprised of approximately 56

species (Figure 20). The primary means of catching reef fish are by hook-and-line,

longline, and fish traps (pots). Hook-and-line fishermen are fairly effective at targeting

snapper and grouper, particularly, yellowtail snapper. However, longlines and fish traps

are much more indiscriminate gear types producing significant bycatch. Because of

chronic problems with regulating fish trapping and lost fish traps, this gear was

prohibited from State waters in 1980 and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
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waters in 1990 which effectively made fish traps illegal in the Sanctuary. The GMFMC is

considering phasing out fish traps from the Tortugas region in 2001. Consequently, they

are still legal in the area proposed for the Tortugas South reserve.

Pink Shrimp

The Tortugas region has been the principal fishing grounds for pink shrimp, and

represents one the most valuable commercial fisheries in Florida waters. Pink shrimp

appear to favor sediments composed of hard- and sand-bottoms in waters between 9 and

44 m deep. The main commercial gear is double-winged trawls. Most shrimp are caught

south and north of the DRTO (Figure 22). The fishery was developed in the early 1950's,

and the pink shrimp fishery has grown to average annual landings of around 10 million

pounds. Area closures have been the primary measures used for managing the pink

shrimp population off south Florida and the Tortugas grounds. The Tortugas Shrimp

Sanctuary (not to be confused with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary) north of

the Marquesas Keys was established in the 1960's to protect juveniles. Pink shrimp

spawn year round, and juveniles settle inshore in the low salinity environments of coastal

bays, tending to get larger (and mature) as they move farther from shore (Ault et al.

1998).

Spiny Lobster

The spiny lobster fishery is extremely productive in the Tortugas region. The

main fishing method is by trapping although some diving does occur. Commercial fishing

for lobster in the DRTO ended in 1935 and recreational fishing ended in 1971. Most of

the lobster is landed on the south side of the DRTO (Figure 23). However, in the winter

when the winds pick up, fishermen tend to move their traps to the east or west (Tortugas

Bank).

In a study of lobster spawning potential throughout the Keys, Bertelsen and Hunt

(1999) found some stark differences between fished and unfished populations. Lobster

sizes ranged from 17 mm carapace length (CL) from a back reef area in the Upper Keys

to 184 mm CL from a back reef area in the DRTO. Egg mass sizes ranged from 1.95

million eggs found in the DRTO to 0.03 million eggs found west of Key West. The

average egg mass size in the DRTO was 800,000 eggs whereas it was 300,000 for the rest

of the Keys (Bertelsen and Hunt 1999).
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King mackerel

King mackerel is a seasonal species caught primarily in the Lower and Middle

Keys. It is a multiple gear species, in that net fishermen and hook-and-line fishermen

target the fish. Also, both commercial and charter fishermen target the species. In the

Tortugas the catch is limited to certain hot spots which may be an artifact of the dumping

of shrimp trawl bycatch such as in the area northeast of the DRTO (Figure 21).

Figure 20. Commercial handline fishing (reef fish) activity in the Tortugas region in 1998.
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Figure 21. Commercial handline fishing (King mackerel) activity in the Tortugas region in 1998

Figure 22. Commercial shrimp trawling activity in the Tortugas region in 1998
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Figure 23. Commercial lobster trapping activity in the Tortugas region in 1998

Tourism

Tourism is generally confined to the DRTO. Recently, visitor utilization has

increased dramatically at the Park as a result of scheduled tour boats from Key West and

Ft. Myers and seaplane tours from Key West. In 1998, an estimated 72,000 people visited

the park. This number is a three hundred percent increase since 1984 (NPS 1998). The

resources and infrastructure at DRTO are not able to sustain a growth rate of this

magnitude while at the same time maintaining the resources and providing visitors with a

memorable experience. The number of live-aboard sailboats and yachts visiting Dry

Tortugas has also increased in the last decade. It serves as a popular layover site for

vessels going to and from Cuba and Mexico. The Tortugas is a refuge for migratory birds

and is an internationally renowned birdwatching destination that annually draws over 500

people for three-day trips, with several thousand people coming on single day trips.

Commercial Shipping

The Straits of Florida have historically been the access route for all vessels

entering the Gulf of Mexico from the north and east and, consequently, the area is one of

the most heavily trafficked in the world. It is estimated that 40 percent of the world’s
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commerce passes within 1.5 days’ sailing time of Key West (U.S. Dept. of the Navy,

1990).

According to the Navy, over the past several years approximately 1,000-1,200

commercial ships from over 60 different countries have annually transited the area of the

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Most of this traffic is composed of cargo ships

(300+), tankers (300+) and bulk carriers (300+). However, there are also some 30-40

passenger ships, 8-16 tugboats, 7-12 research vessels, and several service, fishing,

training, and miscellaneous vessels annually transiting this area.

Area to be Avoided

In 1990, the FKNMSPA declared an "Area to be Avoided" (ATBA) off-limits to

tankers and other vessels 50 meters or greater in length in response to the region's many

historical groundings. Large vessels are prohibited from operating in the ATBA located

along the Florida Reef Tract, four separate portions of which account for 96 square nm of

waters within and adjacent to the Sanctuary. One of the ATBAs provides a two mile

wide buffer around the DRTO (Figure 25).

Anchoring

Many commercial ships going west to ports in Mexico and along the Gulf of

Mexico anchor outside the ATBA in the region from Rebecca Shoal to Riley’s Hump

until a port has been selected for the ship’s next cargo pick-up. The length of stay for

ships awaiting their next cargo ranges from one day to several months. According to

NOAA records, 17 ships were reported to have anchored on Tortugas Banks, Rebecca

Shoal, and Riley's Hump from August 1997 to November 1999. Nearly all of these ships

were foreign flagged vessels from Greece, Liberia, Panama, Russia, Monrovia, Malta,

and Saudi Arabia. The 6-10 ton anchors of these ships cause extreme damage to corals

and other habitats (Figure 24). In addition, the chain warp composed of 100 pound chain

links causes extreme damage to natural resources as it drags across the bottom. In

response to the damage to coral caused by this anchoring, NOAA issued a final rule on

August 17, 1998, prohibiting anchoring by vessels 50 meters or greater in registered

length on Tortugas Bank (15 C.F.R. 922.164(g); 63 FR 43870-43873) (Figure 25). It

appears that the vessels that in the past anchored on Tortugas Bank now anchor in the

Riley's Hump and Rebecca Shoal areas. These areas also contain coral reef habitat.

Riley's Hump is not within the existing boundary of the Sanctuary.
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Figure 24. Underwater photo of the anchor of the merchant vessel Lika taken by Sanctuary biologists

while the vessel was anchored on Tortugas Bank on 9/30/97. Large fragments of coral are visible below

and ahead of the pictured diver.
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Figure 25. Graphic depicting location of Area To Be Avoided buffer surrounding the DRTO and the

Tortugas Bank No Anchor Area implemented on Aug. 7, 1998 (15 C.F.R. 922.164(g)). The proposed

boundary of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve (North and South), a proposed no-anchor area, is also

shown.

Preferred Routes

Offshore of the Florida Keys lies the eastward flowing Gulf Stream. The mean

center line of the Gulf Stream lies 65 nm south of the Dry Tortugas, and 45 nm south of

Key West. Farther along the Keys, the centerline moves closer to land until it is within

20 nm of Fowey Rocks (near Miami). The northern edge of the Gulf Stream is

considerably closer to land however, and is generally within 15 to 20 nm of Key West.

Ships traveling west along the Keys must stay outside of the ATBA, which is

approximately 4.5 nm offshore of the coral reef tract or along the approximate 600 foot

depth contour. Once past Key West, ships with destinations west of the Mississippi River
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to Mexico will go around the Dry Tortugas before turning north for their destinations.

Ships with destinations east of the Mississippi River will travel through Rebecca Channel

which separates the Dry Tortugas from the rest of the Keys (not in the ATBA) and head

north. Ships traveling east usually stay in the Gulf Stream to make use of its 2.5 knot

current in the vicinity of Key West.

Inside the reef, a counter current runs to the west until approximately Rebecca

Channel. The current through Rebecca Channel is generally to the south. Therefore,

yachts traveling to Mexico will usually travel along the Intracoastal Waterway in this

counter current between the reef and land.

Pollutant Discharges

According to a report by the Department of Commerce (1985), petroleum

hydrocarbon discharges from ships within 50 nm of the TERSA were greater than 50,000

gallons per year. Petroleum hydrocarbons discharged from ships under normal operating

conditions in the Gulf of Mexico represented an estimated 2.5 million gallons for the year

1979. In comparison, the average amount of oil spilled 12 or more miles from shore in

American waters for the years 1976-1980 was 80,000 gallons/year (U.S. DOT 1983).

Operational discharges are an important source of chronic discharges into the Gulf of

Mexico, contributing up to 30 times more oil than accidental spills (DOC 1985).
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PART IV: ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PREFERRED

Introduction to the Development of Boundary and Regulatory

Alternatives

Since 1991, NOAA has been concerned about the need to better protect the

Tortugas area. This need is documented in the Draft and Final Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS)/Management Plans for the Sanctuary (DOC 1995, 1996). In the

DEIS/MP, NOAA proposed a boundary for a 110 square nm Replenishment Reserve

(Ecological Reserve) in the Tortugas area to protect significant coral resources while

minimizing or avoiding adverse impacts to users. Public comment indicated that the thenproposed boundary would not protect the most significant coral reef resources and

identified serious adverse economic impacts on commercial fishers from the thenproposed boundary and then-proposed no-take regulations. Accepting these comments,

NOAA postponed establishing a reserve and went back to the drawing board by

convening an ad hoc 25 member WG of the SAC, composed of key stakeholder

representatives, eight SAC members, and government agency representatives with

resource management authority in the Tortugas area to recommend a "Preferred

Boundary Alternative" for the reserve.

One of the key stakeholders in the WG process was the NPS because of its

stewardship of the DRTO, which is surrounded by but jurisdictionally separate from the

FKNMS. The NPS's involvement in the design of the reserve was critical because of the

important shallow water coral reef resources found within the Park and the connectivity

of those resources with surrounding Sanctuary waters. Coordination with the NPS was

further motivated by the fact that the Park is revising its general management plan

concurrent with the design of the ecological reserve and is considering making part of the

Park a no-take area.

The following is a description of the WG process.

Chronology of the Process

The process to develop the proposed ecological reserve can be described in three

phases. The design phase (Phase I) took place from April 1998 to June 1999 and

culminated with the SAC's recommendation and NOAA's acceptance of a preferred

boundary. Phase II has been the development of the SEIS/MP and solicitation of public

comments on them. Phase III is the completion of the Final Supplemental Environmental
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Impact Statement/Final Supplemental Management Plan (FSEIS/SMP), including

responding to public comments.

At the core of this planning process was the 25-member WG composed of

stakeholder representatives, eight SAC members, and government agency representatives

with resource management authority in the Tortugas area (see Appendix D for

membership list). The WG’s charge was as follows:

Using the best available information, the Tortugas 2000 Working

Group will collaborate in seeking to reach agreement on a

recommendation to the State of Florida and the Sanctuary Advisory

Council regarding a preferred alternative for an ecological reserve in the

Tortugas area. The Working Group will develop criteria for evaluating a

range of alternatives regarding location, size, and regulations that are

consistent with the objectives for “Ecological Reserves” that were defined

in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s Final Management Plan.

Over a 13 month period, the WG met five times in Key West (Table 10) and built

up a knowledge base on the Tortugas region using scientific information provided by

Sanctuary staff and experts, personal knowledge, knowledge passed on by their

constituents, and anecdotal information (Table 11). To inform the WG of the resources

and human uses of the area, two forums were held; one on ecological aspects of the

region and one on socio-economic uses. Scientists and knowledgeable local residents

were invited to present their information to the WG (see

http://www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov/tortugas for agenda and summaries of forums). All of the

WG meetings were facilitated to ensure timely discussion of relevant issues and help

build consensus.

Table 10. Working Group Meetings.

Date Purpose

April 1998 (2 days) Ecological Forum and setting ground rules for group process

June 1998 (1 day) Socio-economic Forum

February 1999 (2 days) Criteria development

April 1999 (2 days) Boundary alternative development

May 1999 (1 day) Selection of Preferred Alternative
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Table 11. Information provided to Working Group.

Date Information provided

May 1998 Summary of April meeting

June 1998 Tortugas web site available online

July 1998 Summary of June meeting

September 1998 Summaries of Ecological and socio-economic fora

January 1999 Resource binder containing ecological site characterization,

newspaper articles, and other relevant information

March 1999 Summary of the February meeting

April 1999 Site characterization maps of ecology and uses with overlays for

drafting alternative

May 1999 12 draft alternatives developed at April meeting

The Tortugas 2000 web site (www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov/tortugas) was a critical

tool for disseminating information and was constantly updated as the process evolved and

products were produced.

Site Characterization and Geographic Information Systems

The NOS and NPS commissioned an ecological site characterization document

composed of three chapters. Chapter One covered physical oceanography and recruitment

and was completed by Dr. Tom Lee of the University of Miami. Chapter Two dealt with

fish and fisheries and was completed by Dr. Jerry Ault of the University of Miami and

colleagues Dr. Jim Bohnsack of NMFS and Dr. Tom Schmidt of Everglades National

Park. Chapter Three was on benthic communities and was completed by Walt Jaap and

Jennifer Wheaton of the Florida Marine Research Institute. The information contained in

these analyses was used to inform the WG of the resources and uniqueness of the

Tortugas region and the data were used to create geographic information system (GIS)

maps of the resources.

In addition to the ecological information, socio-economic data were gathered

from the commercial and recreational users of the area. This was an unprecedented data

collection effort spearheaded by Dr. Vernon R. (Bob) Leeworthy of NOAA. His

contractors first determined that approximately 105-110 commercial fishermen used the

area. They then collected information on catch, costs, and trips from 90 of the fishermen.

These 90 fishermen caught over 90% of the total harvest from the Tortugas. The entire
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population of recreational charter users was interviewed and data on trips and costs were

obtained. Through the help of the Florida Marine Research Institute, the commercial and

recreational data were input into a GIS format and maps were produced showing intensity

of use.

A critical aspect of this GIS data was the creation of maps at a consistent scale

using the same grid cell framework so comparisons could be made between maps. The

study area was partitioned into one minute by one minute (approximately one square

nautical mile) grid cells which facilitated the collection and analysis of data and the

creation of boundary alternatives.

Building Consensus

In February 1999, the WG developed criteria for the ecological reserve that

addressed ecological and socio-economic concerns (Table 12).
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Table 12. Ecological Reserve criteria developed at the February 1999 WG meeting.

Criteria Objective

Biodiversity and habitat Try to choose an area that would contain the greatest level of biological

diversity and widest range of contiguous habitats.

Fisheries sustainability

 • Spawning areas

 • Full life cycles

Try to choose an area that would provide the greatest benefit in protecting

and enhancing commercially and recreationally important fish species,

especially those that are rare, threatened, or depleted.

Try to choose an area that would include significant fish spawning

aggregation sites.

Try to choose an area that would encompass all the habitats required to

support the full life cycle of commercially and recreationally important fish.

Sufficient size Try to choose a boundary that would encompass an area that is large

enough to meet the criteria listed above and to achieve the potential benefits

and goals of an ecological reserve.

Allowable activities Try to allow only those activities in the Ecological Reserve that would be

compatible with achieving its goals.

Socio-economic impacts Try to choose an area and craft recommendations that would serve to

minimize adverse socio-economic impacts on established users of resources

in the area.

Reference area/monitoring Try to choose an area that would serve as a reference or control area to

facilitate the monitoring of anthropogenic impacts and to evaluate the

consequences of establishing the Ecological Reserve.

Enforcement/compliance Try to choose a boundary and craft regulations that would facilitate

enforcement and encourage compliance.

On April 7, 1999, a packet of GIS maps was sent to the WG. Each WG member

was instructed to overlay the grid cell transparency on each map and develop his or her

own map of critical concerns. From this map, each member could formulate a draft

alternative and bring it to the April meeting.

At the April 22-23, 1999 meeting, the criteria were ranked and 12 potential

alternatives were drafted. Sanctuary staff presented some “strawman” alternatives that

addressed single criteria for the purpose of jump starting the discussions of alternatives.

In order to develop a range of alternatives, the criteria were first prioritized by the entire

WG. The facilitator then broke up the WG into two groups: those that were conservationoriented and those that were use-oriented. The groups reprioritized the criteria according

to their interests resulting in a less protective profile and a more protective profile. This
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exercise produced a matrix of three criteria weighting profiles (Table 13) that were used

to develop the draft alternatives. In order to draw alternatives, the WG was broken up

into four groups of varied perspectives (to facilitate an early development of consensus).

Table 13. Criteria weighting profiles developed at the April 1999 WG meeting.

Criteria Weighting Profile “A”

Mid-range Consensus

Criteria Weighting Profile “B”

Less Protective

Criteria Weighting Profile “C”

More Protective

Biodiversity and Habitat 27% Fisheries Sustainability 25% Sufficient Size 50%

Fisheries Sustainability 26% Socio-economic Impacts 25% Fisheries Sustainability 20%

Enforcement & Compliance

17%

Enforcement & Compliance

20%

Biodiversity and Habitat 15%

Sufficient Size 16% Biodiversity and Habitat 15% Reference Area and Monitoring

5%

Socio-economic Impacts 9% Reference Area and Monitoring

10%

Enforcement & Compliance 5%

Reference Area and Monitoring

5%

Sufficient Size 5% Socio-economic Impacts 5%

Total 100% Total 100% Total 100%

These groups, convened around roundtables, were presented with large, blank

grid maps with corresponding transparent overlays. They also had workbooks showing

maps of resources and uses. Each group was instructed to develop one alternative for

each criteria profile. Observers who were not WG members were allowed to provide

input into the drawing of the maps. Twelve draft alternatives were produced representing

a range of protection (Figure 26).
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Figure 26. Potential boundary alternatives developed at the April 1999 WG meeting.

At the May 22, 1999, meeting, the WG chose two (1a and 4a, Figure 26) of the 12

alternatives to focus on and from those two alternatives a compromise arose that was

presented by members of the WG (Figure 27). After considerable deliberation this

compromise was ultimately endorsed by the WG through consensus as the

Recommended Preferred Alternative.
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Figure 27. Preferred alternative recommended at the May 1999 WG meeting.

The rationale presented by the WG for this compromise alternative was as

follows:

• Protects a range of contiguous habitats including shallow areas in the

DRTO.

• Sufficient size to protect biological diversity and achieve fisheries

sustainability criterion.

• Protects several known spawning sites and provides connectivity with

other habitats.

• Includes Riley's Hump and a buffer area.

• Includes Sherwood Forest and its unique coral formations.

• Protects important habitat to the west and north of Tortugas Bank.
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• Protects deep water habitat and species, such as snowy grouper,

tilefish, golden crab, and red snapper.

• Facilitates enforcement with simple boundaries.

• Leaves open significant fishing grounds for lobster and reef fish such

as the southern half of Tortugas Bank, which is an important fishing

area in the winter.

• Leaves open fishing areas for King mackerel.

• Includes long-term monitoring sites in DRTO.

• Leaves open southern half of Tortugas Bank to be used as a reference

site for gauging impacts of fishing on the ecosystem.

Sanctuary Advisory Council Recommendation

On June 15, 1999, a presentation on the WG's process and recommended

Preferred Alternative was given to the SAC. Following a lengthy and thorough

deliberation the SAC voted unanimously to adopt the recommendation of the WG and

forward it to NOAA and the State of Florida. The SAC passed the following motion with

unanimous consent:

The Sanctuary Advisory Council recognizes the hard work and

extensive deliberations of the Working Group, a diverse group of

stakeholders, in arriving at an unprecedented consensus recommendation

for an ecological reserve that both protects biodiversity and minimizes

impacts to users. The FKNMS SAC adopts the attached recommendation

of the Tortugas 2000 Working Group Alternative as the Preferred

Alternative for the T2000 Ecological Reserve.

Development of Boundary Alternatives by National Ocean Service

Staff

In developing the boundary alternatives presented in this document, Sanctuary

staff took into consideration the deliberations of the WG, the recommendation of the

SAC, the requirements of the FKNMSPA, NMSA and NEPA, and the NPS's proposed

Research/Natural Area alternative. NOS staff have developed five boundary alternatives

for analysis which represent a broad range of areas for protection (Figures 28-31). The

basis for these alternatives is the SAC's recommended Preferred Boundary Alternative
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(III) as well as the two alternatives (1a and 4a) that the WG chose to focus on at their

final meeting. Alternatives 1a and 4a were modified in order to create a broad range of

options for consideration and are presented here as Boundary Alternatives II and IV.

To aid the reader in the analysis of this proposal, NOAA notes here that Boundary

Alternative III is its Preferred Alternative. The basis for that selection appears in Part V,

below. Table 14 below compares the boundary alternatives by physical attributes.

Table 14. Comparison of boundary alternatives by physical attributes.

Attribute Boundary Alternatives

I

(no action)

II III IV V

Size1 (square nm) - Total

 - Tortugas North

 - Tortugas South

0 55

55

0

151

91

60

175

115

60

189

144.5

44.5

State waters (square nm) 0 55 77.2 101.2 102.1

State waters outside of FKNMS

jurisdiction (square nm)

0 0 22.2 46.2 47.1

Federal waters in Gulf Council

jurisdiction (square nm)

 - Tortugas North

 - Tortugas South

0

0

0

0

13.8

60

13.8

60

42.4

44.5

FKNMS Boundary Expansion (new

area in square nm)

N N Y (96) Y (120) Y (134)

% of total FKNMS area as no-take 0.5 2.5 5.9 6.8 7.4

Sherwood Forest included N N Y Y Y

Riley's Hump included N N Y Y Y

Percent of known spawning areas

included (n=8)

13% 13% 63% 88% 88%

Percent of known habitats protected2

- Hardbottom NA 60 76 100 100

- High relief reef NA 85 85 100 100

- Low relief reef NA 54 76 100 100

- Pinnacle reef NA 100 100 100 100

- Sand bottom NA 68 88 100 100

Volume to edge ratio NA 1.4 2.7 2.9 3.0

Enforcement burden rank3 NA 1 2 3 4

1- does not include area within the DRTO

2- based on habitats mapped by side scan sonar which comprise an estimated 50% of the

critical habitat area

3- based on volume/edge ratio, 1=easier, 4=harder
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Boundary Alternative I. This alternative would be taking no-action, that is, not

expanding the Sanctuary boundary and not establishing a Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

Figure 28. Boundary Alternative II.

Boundary Alternative II. This alternative limits the reserve to the existing

Sanctuary boundary for a total area of approximately 55 square nm (Figure 28). Areas

within the SAC's recommended reserve boundary that are not protected by this

alternative would have to be protected by the relevant management agency. This

alternative includes a portion of Sherwood Forest and the coral pinnacles north of

Tortugas Bank; it does not include Riley's Hump. It includes some coral and hardbottom

habitat north of the DRTO.
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Figure 29. Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative).

Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative). This alternative

would expand the boundary of the Sanctuary and its westernmost corner by

approximately 36 square nm to include Sherwood Forest (Figure 29). In addition, this

alternative would expand the boundary by adding a non-contiguous area of

approximately 60 square nm to include Riley’s Hump. The proposed Reserve would also

incorporate approximately 55 square nm of the existing Sanctuary in its northern section,

for a total area of approximately 151 square nm. The area of the proposed Reserve

surrounding Sherwood Forest would be called Tortugas North and encompass

approximately 91 square nm; the area surrounding Riley’s Hump would be called

Tortugas South and encompass approximately 60 square nm. This alternative would

involve four different management jurisdictions: FKNMS, State of Florida, GMFMC,

and NMFS, all of which are in the process of taking steps to protect the areas within their

respective jurisdictions. This alternative represents the WG's recommendation adopted by

the SAC and recommended to NOAA and the State of Florida.
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Figure 30. Boundary Alternative IV.

Boundary Alternative IV. This alternative would increase the area of Tortugas

North over that in Alternative III by an additional 23 square nm to make it conterminous

with the DRTO's proposed Research/Natural Area for a total area of approximately 175

square nm (Figure 30). It would involve the same boundary expansion as in Alternative

III. The Tortugas South area would be the same as in Alternative III.
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Figure 31. Boundary Alternative V showing proposed ecological reserve and boundary expansion..

Boundary Alternative V. This alternative involves a Sanctuary boundary

expansion to the west by 3 square nm over Alternatives III and IV to make the boundary

extend as far west as the western boundary of Tortugas South. Tortugas North would be

expanded to over Alternatives III and IV to include this boundary expansion. The area of

Tortugas North would be approximately 145 square nm (Figure 31). The area of Tortugas

South would be approximately 45 square nm, by reducing its southern extent over

alternatives III and IV. Under Alternative V the overall area of the Reserve would be

approximately 190 square nm.
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Figure 32. Side-by-side comparison of all four boundary alternatives.

Boundary Expansion

Boundary Alternatives III, IV, and V would require expansions of the existing

Sanctuary boundary (Figure 33 for Alternatives III and IV and Figure 31 for Alternative

V). The existing boundary in the western portion of the Sanctuary established by

Congress in the FKNMSPA, was based on bathymetry as there was little information

available at the time on the significant ecological features related to the coral reef

resources in the far western extent of the Florida Keys. Over the last decade, scientists

and managers have learned and documented a considerable amount about the existence of

extensive and unique coral reef resources that are located outside the current boundary of

the Sanctuary.
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Consistent with Executive Order 13089, Coral Reef Protection, and consistent

with comprehensively protecting the nationally significant coral reef resources that were

unknown to the agency and to Congress at the time the Sanctuary was designated, the

boundary of the Sanctuary would need to be expanded to protect these resources.

Boundary Alternative III is the Preferred Boundary Alternative.

Figure 33. Proposed Sanctuary boundary expansion (denoted in dark gray on map) for Boundary

Alternatives III and IV.

Development and Description of Regulatory Alternatives

Four alternatives for regulating human activities within the reserve were

developed (Table 15). The regulatory alternatives are independent of the boundary

alternatives (i.e., regulatory alternatives can be paired with various boundary

alternatives).

The foundations for these alternatives are the current Sanctuary-wide regulations

(15 C.F.R. 922 Subpart P, in particular, 922.163) and the additional regulations

applicable to ecological reserves (15 C.F.R. 922.164(d)). In summary, the Sanctuary-
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wide regulations prohibit mineral and hydrocarbon exploration; removal of, injury to, or

possession of coral or live rock; alteration of, or construction on, the seabed; discharge or

deposit of materials or other matter; operation of vessels in a manner that endangers life,

marine resources, or property; diving and snorkeling without flying a divers down flag;

releasing exotic species; damaging or removing markers; moving, removing, injuring, or

possessing Sanctuary historical resources; taking or possessing protected wildlife;

possessing or using explosives or electrical charges; harvesting or possessing marine life

species not in accordance with the Florida Administrative Code; and interfering with law

enforcement authorities.

In summary, the ecological reserve regulations prohibit the take or disturbance of

any dead or living material; fishing; discharge or deposit of any material except cooling

water or engine exhaust; anchoring when a mooring buoy is available or on living or dead

coral; and touching living or dead coral. Transit by vessels is allowed as long as all

fishing gear is stowed away. All of the alternatives begin with this foundation. Currently,

there is one ecological reserve in the Sanctuary (Western Sambo Ecological Reserve).

Other regulatory alternatives considered but rejected were taking no action, or

making the entire proposed ecological reserve a no access, research/education-only area.

The no action alternative was rejected because it would not provide sufficient protection

to coral reef resources from anchoring and other consumptive activities. Making the

entire reserve a no access, research/education-only area appears to unnecessarily restrict

non-consumptive activities that could provide unique resource appreciation and education

opportunities to the public.
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Table15. Comparison of Regulatory Alternatives

Regulatory Alternative

ABC D (Pref.

Alt.)

Comparison of Regulatory

Alternatives

TN TS TN TS TN TS TN TS

Regulation

Existing Sanctuary-wide Regulations Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Existing Ecological Reserve Regulations Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

(Includes No Fishing)

No Mooring by Ships >100’ N N Y N YY Y Y

Access by Permit Only N N Y N YY Y Y

No Anchoring N N Y N YY Y Y

Access for Research/Education Only N N N N N N N Y

TN = Tortugas North

TS = Tortugas South

Regulatory Alternative A

• Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological reserve

regulations to Tortugas North and South.

Regulations:

• Tortugas North. Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing

ecological reserve regulations.

• Tortugas South. Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing

ecological reserve regulations.

Objective: To minimize human disturbance in order to restore and maintain

ecological integrity including a full assemblage of fishes, coral, and other benthic

invertebrates.
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Regulatory Alternative B

• Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological reserve

regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Alternative

A).

• Prohibit anchoring in, prohibit mooring by vessels more than 100 ft in

length overall (LOA), and control access to Tortugas South for other

than continuous transit or for law enforcement purposes via permit and

require permitted vessels to call-in prior to entering and when leaving.

Regulations:

• Tortugas North. Same as in Alternative A above.

• Tortugas South. Same as in Alternative A above. In addition, prohibit

anchoring, prohibit mooring by vessels more than 100 ft LOA, require

a permit to enter the reserve for other than continuous transit or for law

enforcement purposes, and require permitted vessels to call-in prior to

entering and when leaving.

• Description of access permit: Permit would be free, no paperwork

would be required, and Sanctuary staff would be available year-round

to handle requests.

Application: Applicant must call the Key West or Marathon Sanctuary office to

request a permit and would have to radio the Sanctuary staff person at Fort Jefferson

(DRTO) prior to entering and upon leaving the reserve.

Required Information:

1. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of owner, captain, and

applicant.

2. Vessel name and home port.

3. USCG documentation number, state license, or boat registration

number.

4. Length of vessel and primary propulsion type (i.e., motor or sail).

5. Number of divers.

6. Requested effective date and duration of permit.
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Permit duration: For the time the vessel is in the area, not to exceed two weeks.

Restrictions: Vessels longer than 100 ft LOA cannot use the mooring buoys.

Advance reservations can be made no more than one month in advance.

Special Conditions: Doubling-up on mooring buoys would be permissible, leave

and return privileges (dive during day, stay at the park overnight) would be allowed

within the time period covered by the permit.

Call-in requirement: Permit holders must notify FKNMS staff at DRTO by radio

no less than 30 minutes and no more than six hours before entering the reserve and upon

leaving.

Objective: To minimize human disturbance in order to restore and maintain

ecological integrity including a full assemblage of fishes, coral, and other benthic

invertebrates and to create a reference area for studying human impacts on the ecosystem.

This alternative would better protect Tortugas South by prohibiting anchoring and by

controlling access (except for continuous transit) by a new type of permit. Prohibiting

anchoring would better protect the coral reef resources in Tortugas South because the

high cover of coral and the deep water depths make it difficult to anchor without

damaging coral. The prohibition on mooring by vessels more than 100 ft LOA would

protect the buoys from being ripped off their moorings by vessels exceeding the buoys’

mooring capacity. Making Tortugas South a controlled access area would enhance its

utility as a reference site for research and would facilitate enforcement of the regulations

by giving advance notice to enforcement officers of the presence of a user vessel in this

remote area.

Regulatory Alternative C

• Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological reserve

regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Alternative

A).

• Prohibit anchoring in, prohibit mooring by vessels more than 100 ft

LOA, and control access to Tortugas North and South, except for

continuous transit or for law enforcement purposes, and require

permitted vessels to call-in when entering and leaving (as described in

Alternative B).
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Regulations:

• Tortugas North. Same as for Tortugas South in Alternative B above.

• Tortugas South. Same as for Tortugas South in Alternative B above.

Objective: To minimize human disturbance in order to restore and maintain

ecological integrity including a full assemblage of fishes, coral, and other benthic

invertebrates and to create a reference area for studying human impacts on the ecosystem.

Over Regulatory Alternative B, this alternative provides increased protection to Tortugas

North by prohibiting anchoring and by controlling access (except for continuous transit)

by access permit. Prohibiting anchoring would better protect the coral reef resources in

Tortugas North because of the difficulty of anchoring without damaging coral due to the

high cover of coral and the deep water depths. Anchoring by vessels 50 m or greater in

length is already prohibited in approximately 19% of Tortugas North. The prohibition on

mooring by vessels more than 100 ft LOA would protect the buoys from being ripped off

their moorings by vessels exceeding the buoys’ mooring capacity. Making Tortugas

North a controlled access area would enhance its utility as a reference site for researching

and would facilitate enforcement of the regulations by giving advance notice to

enforcement officers of the presence of a user vessel in this remote area. The existing

ATBA already prohibits vessels 50m or greater from accessing approximately 23% of

Tortugas North.

Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative).

• Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological reserve

regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Alternative

A).

• Prohibit anchoring in, prohibit mooring by vessels more than 100 ft

LOA, and control access to Tortugas North, other than for continuous

transit or for law enforcement purposes, via permit and require

permitted vessels to call-in prior to entering and when leaving (as

described in Alternative B).

• Prohibit anchoring in, prohibit mooring by vessels more than 100 ft

LOA, and restrict access to Tortugas South, other than for continuous

transit or for law enforcement purposes, to research or educational

purposes. A sanctuary permit would be required for all research and

educational purposes.
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Regulations:

• Tortugas North. Same as in Alternative C above.

• Tortugas South. Except for continuous transit, law enforcement, or for

scientific research or educational purposes pursuant to a sanctuary

permit (see 15 CFR 922.166(a)), access to Tortugas South would be

prohibited.

Objective: To minimize human disturbance in order to restore and maintain

ecological integrity including a full assemblage of fishes, coral, and other benthic

invertebrates and to create a reference area for studying human impacts on the ecosystem.

Tortugas North would have the same protections as outlined in Regulatory Alternative C

above. This alternative provides increased protection to Tortugas South over Alternative

C by making it a research/education-only area. Making Tortugas South a

research/education-only area would greatly enhance its utility as a reference site for

researching and monitoring the effects of human activities on the functioning of a coral

reef ecosystem. This alternative would also protect sensitive resources in Tortugas

South, such as fish aggregating and spawning areas, from the effects of non-consumptive

diving. The prohibition on mooring by vessels more than 100 ft LOA would protect the

buoys from being ripped off their moorings by vessels exceeding the buoys’ mooring

capacity.

Preferred Alternative

The preferred alternative is to implement Boundary Alternative III and Regulatory

Alternative D. The Sanctuary Designation Document would be revised and 15 CFR

922.161 would be amended to expand the boundary of the FKNMS to be consistent with

Boundary Alternative III. The Sanctuary boundary coordinates would also be revised to

make minor revisions in the existing boundary to correct errors, provide clarification,

reflect more accurate data and, in the area of Biscayne National Park, to provide a fixed,

enforceable boundary. The coordinates would be set forth in the Designation Document

and in Appendix I to Part 922. Appendix IV to Part 922 would be revised to make the

area within the coordinates for Boundary Alternative III an ecological reserve, to provide

clarification, and to remove no longer needed introductory text. (Appendices II, V, VI,

and VII would also be revised to correct technical errors, provide clarification, and reflect

more accurate data.)
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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The draft final regulations would revise the ecological reserve regulations at 15

CFR 922.164(d)(1) to prohibit: anchoring in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve; entering

Tortugas South (except for continuous transit, law enforcement purposes, or, pursuant to

a sanctuary permit, for scientific research or educational purposes); entering Tortugas

North without a valid access permit (except for continuous transit or law enforcement

purposes); entering or leaving Tortugas North without calling in; and tying a vessel

greater than 100 ft (30.45 meters) LOA to a mooring buoy in the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve or tying more than one vessel (other than vessels carried on board a vessel), if

the combined lengths would exceed 100 ft (30.45 meters) LOA, to a mooring buoy or to a

vessel tied to a mooring buoy in the ecological reserve. The length restriction is intended

to prevent a buoy from being ripped off its mooring.

Because all anchoring will be prohibited in the northern portion of the Tortugas

Bank no-anchoring zone established by 15 CFR 922.164(g), the regulations would revise

the zone to be consistent. The existing zone is an area within the Sanctuary boundary

where vessels 50 m or greater in LOA are prohibited from anchoring. The northern

portion of the zone overlaps the proposed ecological reserve.

The regulations would add a new section to provide for permits for access to the

Tortugas North. Access to Tortugas South will be restricted to continuous transit, law

enforcement purposes, or, pursuant to a sanctuary permit, to scientific research or

educational purposes. Except for continuous transit or for law enforcement, a person will

only be allowed to enter Tortugas North with a valid access permit. Access permits will

not require written applications or the payment of any fee. Access permits will have to

be requested at least 72 hours but no longer than one month before the date the permit

would be effective. Permits can be requested via telephone or radio by contacting the

Sanctuary office in Key West or Marathon. A permit applicant will be required to

provide, as applicable, the following information: vessel name; the names, addresses, and

telephone number of the owner, operator and applicant; USCG documentation, state

license, or registration number; home port; length of vessel and propulsion type (i.e.,

motor or sail); number of divers; and the requested effective date and duration of permit

(two weeks, maximum). The Sanctuary Superintendent will issue a permit to the owner

or to the owner’s representative for the vessel when all applicable information has been

provided. FKNMS would provide a permit number to the applicant and confirm the

effective date and duration period of the permit. Written confirmation of permit issuance

will be provided upon request. Permit holders will be required to notify FKNMS staff at

the Dry Tortugas National Park office by telephone or radio no less than 30 minutes and

no more than six hours, before entering and upon leaving the Tortugas Ecological
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Reserve. Permit holders could leave and return to the ecological reserve during the time

their permit is effective.

Finally, the regulations would add a new definition to 15 CFR 922.162, to define

“length overall (LOA) or length of a vessel.”

See Appendix C for the draft final regulations.
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PART V: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF

BOUNDARY AND REGULATORY ALTERNATIVES

Environmental Consequences

This section compares the differences in environmental impacts among the

boundary and regulatory alternatives being considered for the proposed ecological

reserve.

Boundary Alternative I is the no-action or status quo alternative. Some protection

to coral and bottom formations is already provided in part of the area by the existing

anchoring prohibition that applies to vessels 50m or greater in registered length. The

existing ATBA also provides some protection to part of the area by prohibiting access by

tank vessels and by vessels 50m or greater in registered length. This alternative assumes

that no action would be taken and that the current trajectory of uses and concomitant

threats to the area would continue. Anchoring by large vessels on Riley's Hump would

continue destroying coral reefs and essential fish habitat. Cumulative impacts from

fishing would continue to alter the ecosystem by reducing the number of top level

predators which has cascading effects on the trophic structure of the ecosystem often

reducing the size of spawning aggregations. Fishing also would continue to degrade the

genetic heterogeneity of species making them less resilient to stress. Fishing would

continue to skew the size structure of populations toward smaller individuals that produce

significantly fewer gametes (eggs) than large adults, which compromises the ability of

populations to sustain themselves. Cumulative impacts from fishing gear, such as the use

of shrimp trawls, lobster traps, fish traps, and grapples for retrieving trap lines, would

continue to erode the integrity of the ecosystem by destroying habitat. Juveniles would

continue to be lost from the system as bycatch. Under this alternative a nationally

significant coral reef community and associated resources such as fish, shellfish and other

invertebrates would continue to degrade. The degradation of this critical region impairs

the long-term ecological integrity of the Sanctuary.

Boundary Alternative II (Figure 28) limits the reserve area to within the existing

Sanctuary boundary. Under Regulatory Alternative A (see Part IV) this alternative would

protect part of the northern half of Tortugas Bank including the high profile coral reef

areas around Little Bank and Eight Fathom Rock and along the northern edge of the

DRTO by making it subject to the existing regulations applicable to ecological reserves

(this area is already subject to the existing Sanctuary-wide regulations). However, the

majority of the important coral formations and habitat found in Sherwood Forest would
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not be protected and this alternative would include less of the diverse benthic habitats

than Alternatives III, IV, or V. The highly productive Riley's Hump area and the deep

water habitats to the south of Riley’s Hump would also not be protected. Protecting part

of the northern half of Tortugas Bank would facilitate the study of fishing effects and

would allow comparison with areas outside the reserve that are not subject to no-take

restrictions. One of the eight known fish spawning areas would be protected by this

alternative. Of the known coral reef habitat in the area being considered for the reserve,

Boundary Alternative II would protect approximately 80% of it and 60% of the

hardbottom area. This alternative would be the easiest to enforce because of its small size

and relative proximity to the base of operations in the DRTO. Regulatory Alternatives B

and D (see Part IV) are not applicable to this boundary alternative. Under Regulatory

Alternative C (see Part IV), in addition to the Sanctuary-wide regulations and the existing

ecological reserve regulations, anchoring would be prohibited, access for other than

continuous transit or for law enforcement purposes would be allowed only by permit, and

permitted vessels would be required to call in when entering and leaving. This would

provide increased protection to the significant coral reef resources of the area by

preventing anchor damage from all vessels and would facilitate enforcement by giving

advance notice to enforcement officers of the presence of a user vessel. Within the area of

Boundary Alternative II, the prohibition on all forms of take would either stop or greatly

reduce the impacts of fishing and fishing gear and the ecological integrity of the area

would be restored and preserved. This would maintain the number of top level predators,

thereby avoiding cascading effects on the trophic structure of the ecosystem. The genetic

heterogeneity of species would also be maintained within the Reserve and it is expected

that the size structure of populations would be preserved.

There may be some potential negative impacts on surrounding resources from the

displacement of fishing activity from Boundary Alternative II. This impact would be

similar under all of the regulatory alternatives since they all displace consumptive users.

The impacts would be most prevalent on the southern half of Tortugas Bank that is

currently a heavily fished area. Impacts on lobster would be minimal given the State of

Florida's trap reduction program. Habitat destruction from gear impacts may increase due

to increased fishing effort in adjacent areas. Impacts on fish resources may be greater

given their overfished status outside of the reserve. It remains to be seen whether the

impact will be mitigated or exacerbated by spillover of adult biomass into adjacent areas

such as the southern half of Tortugas Bank.

Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative) (Figure 29) consists of

two components: Tortugas North covering the northern half of Tortugas Bank, including
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Sherwood Forest, and Tortugas South covering Riley's Hump and deep water areas to the

south.

The Tortugas North component would include Sherwood Forest, an area of high

coral cover. Some of the coral formations in Sherwood Forest are estimated to be

approximately 400 years old. The thick veneer covering the bottom contains holes and

caves that provide ideal habitat for a high diversity of fishes. Soft corals, gorgonianforests, sponges, and black corals are also present. In addition to Sherwood Forest,

Tortugas North would include several deep water coral banks in depths to approximately

24 m. Part of Tortugas Bank would also be included in the Tortugas North component.

The bank is characterized by low-relief hard-bottom with patches of sand and rubble at 7-

23 m depth. Tortugas North would also include a substantial sand buffer area around the

coral community that provides foraging areas for reef inhabitants. The inclusion of

diverse habitats such as sand areas and other benthic habitats is essential to preserve the

biodiversity of the Tortugas region. Research in the Tortugas region has indicated that

benthic primary production provides the base for the food web on this portion of the

West Florida Shelf. The surrounding open sand, algae and seagrass communities directly

support large numbers and species of fish.

The Tortugas South component of Boundary Alternative III would include a full

range of coral reef related-habitats. Tortugas South includes a range of deep water coral

reef habitats with biologically diverse marine communities. These habitats include the

shallow Riley's Hump area, which is composed of scattered small coral colonies and sand

in less than 100 feet of water. Riley’s Hump is a known fish aggregating and spawning

site. The area in 200 to 400 foot depths consists of deep reef habitats with numerous soft

corals but few stony corals. These varied communities are apparent through the deeper

areas of Tortugas South from 250 to 1,800 feet depths. Small seamounts or pinnacles

have been identified in regions of Tortugas South from 250 to 550 feet of water, and

there is a series of smaller pinnacles that surround a larger seamount. These are part of

an east-west running ledge that begins around 250 feet and drops to almost 400 feet in a

nearly vertical profile. This is unlike any other coral reef habitat discovered within

Sanctuary waters to date.

At 250 feet the surrounding bottom is a mixture of sand and low-profile hard

substrate that supports a diverse assemblage of benthic organisms. In 380 feet of water,

the bottom of one portion of a ledge is described to have huge, rocky boulders protruding

from the surrounding sand bottom. Large numbers and diversity of deep water species

have been observed at a depth of 250 feet, including streamer bass, yellowmouth grouper,
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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snowy grouper, scamp, speckled hind, creole fish, bank butterflyfish, amberjack, almaco,

and unique sea urchins.

At 1,600 to 1,800 foot depths a limestone ledge exists with unusual deep-dwelling

sea life such as lantern fish (myctophids), tilefish, golden crabs, and giant isopods. This

deep sand bottom habitat is teeming with unique deep sea species of shrimp, fish, sea

cucumbers, anemones, and crabs.

This boundary alternative includes a contiguous expansion of the Sanctuary to

encompass the northwest corner of Tortugas North and a non-contiguous boundary

expansion to encompass Tortugas South, making both subject to the Sanctuary-wide

regulations. Under all of the regulatory alternatives, deep water habitats and their

associated species would be protected as no-take areas. Protecting the entire northern half

of Tortugas Bank would facilitate the study of fishing effects and would allow

comparison with areas outside the reserve that are not subject to no-take restrictions. This

alternative would protect 5 of the 8 known fish spawning areas as well as approximately

87% of the known coral reef habitat and 76% of the known hardbottom habitat.

Protecting Tortugas South would preserve the important habitats of Riley’s Hump as well

as the deep water sand and limestone substrates to the south, where fishing gear impacts

have been observed.

The prohibition against all forms of take would apply under all of the regulatory

alternatives. In both Tortugas North and Tortugas South the impacts from fishing and

from fishing gear would either stop or be greatly reduced and the ecological integrity of

the area would be restored and preserved. This would maintain the number of top level

predators, thereby avoiding cascading effects on the trophic structure of the ecosystem.

The genetic heterogeneity of species would also be maintained within the Reserve and it

is expected that the size structure of populations would be preserved.

Under Regulatory Alternative B (see Part IV), in addition to the Sanctuary-wide

regulations and the existing ecological reserve no-take regulations, anchoring would be

prohibited, mooring by vessels greater than 100 ft LOA would be prohibited, access to

Tortugas South for other than continuous transit or for law enforcement purposes would

be allowed only by permit, and permitted vessels would be required to call in when

entering and leaving. This would provide increased protection to the significant coral reef

resources of Tortugas South by preventing anchor damage and would facilitate

enforcement in Tortugas South, a remote area, by giving advance notice to enforcement

officers of the presence of a user vessel. Under Regulatory Alternative C (see Part IV), in

addition to the Sanctuary-wide regulations and the existing ecological reserve
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regulations, anchoring would be prohibited, access for other than continuous transit or for

law enforcement purposes would be allowed only by permit, and permitted vessels would

be required to call in when entering and leaving. This would provide increased protection

to the significant coral reef resources of Tortugas North and South by preventing anchor

damage and would facilitate enforcement in Tortugas North and South by giving advance

notice to enforcement officers of the presence of a user vessel. Under Regulatory

Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative) (see Part IV), one additional protection

in Tortugas South would be provided by allowing access, other than for continuous

transit or for law enforcement purposes, only for research and educational purposes.

Access for research or educational purposes would require a sanctuary permit. This will

greatly enhance the utility of Tortugas South as a reference site for researching and

monitoring the effects of human activities on the functioning of a coral reef ecosystem.

Boundary Alternative IV (Figure 30) is similar in configuration to Alternative III,

but is larger in area. The Tortugas South component would be the same as in Alternative

III. Tortugas North would be expanded to the south by an additional 23 square nm to

coincide with the DRTO's proposed Research/Natural Area. This would protect the

habitats found along the southwest slope of the bank that forms the Dry Tortugas, thereby

protecting contiguous habitats from shallow to deep water. It would also encompass all of

the productive habitat on Tortugas Bank including a known fish spawning area. As with

Alternative III, this alternative would require a contiguous expansion of the Sanctuary

boundary to encompass the northwest corner of the Tortugas North and a non-contiguous

boundary expansion to encompass Tortugas South. Because this alternative covers all of

Tortugas Bank there would be no comparable reference area to assess the impacts of

fishing. This alternative would encompass 6 of 8 known fish spawning sites. It is

estimated that 100% of the known coral and hardbottom habitat would be protected by

this alternative.

The prohibition against all forms of take would apply under all of the regulatory

alternatives. In both Tortugas North and Tortugas South the impacts from fishing and

from fishing gear would either stop or be greatly reduced and the ecological integrity of

the area would be restored and preserved. This would maintain the number of top level

predators, thereby avoiding cascading effects on the trophic structure of the ecosystem.

The genetic heterogeneity of species would also be maintained within the Reserve and it

is expected that the size structure of populations would be preserved.

Under Regulatory Alternative B (see Part IV), in addition to the Sanctuary-wide

regulations and the existing ecological reserve no-take regulations, anchoring would be
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prohibited, mooring by vessels greater than 100 ft LOA would be prohibited, access to

Tortugas South for other than continuous transit or for law enforcement purposes, would

be allowed only by permit and permitted vessels would be required to call in when

entering a leaving. This would provide increased protection to the significant coral reef

resources of Tortugas South by preventing anchor damage and would facilitate

enforcement in Tortugas South, a remote area, by giving advance notice to enforcement

officers of the presence of a user vessel. Under Regulatory Alternative C (see Part IV), in

addition to the Sanctuary-wide regulations and the existing ecological reserve

regulations, anchoring would be prohibited, mooring by vessels greater than 100 ft LOA

would be prohibited, access to both Tortugas North and South for other than continuous

transit or for law enforcement purposes, would be allowed only by permit and permitted

vessels would be required to call in when entering a leaving. This would provide

increased protection to the significant coral reef resources of Tortugas North and South

by preventing anchor damage and would facilitate enforcement in Tortugas North and

South by giving advance notice to enforcement officers of the presence of a user vessel.

Under Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative) (see Part IV), one

additional protection in Tortugas South would be provided by allowing access, other than

for continuous transit or for law enforcement, only for research and educational purposes.

Access for research or educational purposes would require a sanctuary permit. This will

greatly enhance the utility of Tortugas South as a reference site for researching and

monitoring the effects of human activities on the functioning of a coral reef ecosystem.

Boundary Alternative V (Figure 31), as in Alternatives III and IV, includes two

components: Tortugas North and Tortugas South. However, Tortugas North would be

expanded to the west by 28.6 square nm from that in Alternative IV to encompass more

deep water habitats and Tortugas South would be reduced in size by 15.5 square nmfrom

that in Alternatives III and IV. While this alternative would require a boundary expansion

as would Alternatives III and IV, this alternative would require a much larger boundary

expansion and one that was contiguous with the existing boundary, and would make

waters outside of the reserve but within the additional Sanctuary area subject to the

Sanctuary-wide regulations (15 C.F.R. § 922.163). Because this alternative covers all of

Tortugas Bank, there would be no comparable reference area to assess the impacts of

fishing. This alternative would encompass 7 out of 8 known fish spawning sites and

would protect all of the known coral and hardbottom habitat. The expansion of Tortugas

North to the west would mean increased protection for deep water habitats and associated

species. The reduction in size of Tortugas South would mean less protection for deep

water habitat and associated species in that area.
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The prohibition against all forms of take would apply under all of the regulatory

alternatives. In both Tortugas North and Tortugas South the impacts from fishing and

from fishing gear would either stop or be greatly reduced and the ecological integrity of

the area would be restored and preserved. This would maintain the number of top level

predators, thereby avoiding cascading effects on the trophic structure of the ecosystem.

The genetic heterogeneity of species would also be maintained within the Reserve and it

is expected that the size structure of populations would be preserved.

Under Regulatory Alternative B (see Part IV), in addition to the Sanctuary-wide

regulations and the existing ecological reserve no-take regulations, anchoring would be

prohibited, mooring by vessels greater than 100 ft LOA would be prohibited, access to

Tortugas South for other than continuous transit or for law enforcement purposes, would

be allowed only by permit and permitted vessels would be required to call in when

entering a leaving. This would provide increased protection to the significant coral reef

resources of Tortugas South by preventing anchor damage and would facilitate

enforcement in Tortugas South, a remote area, by giving advance notice to enforcement

officers of the presence of a user vessel. Under Regulatory Alternative C (see Part IV), in

addition to the Sanctuary-wide regulations and the existing ecological reserve

regulations, anchoring would be prohibited, mooring by vessels greater than 100 ft LOA

would be prohibited, access to both Tortugas North and South for other than continuous

transit or for law enforcement purposes, would be allowed only by permit and permitted

vessels would be required to call in when entering a leaving. This would provide

increased protection to the significant coral reef resources of Tortugas North and South

by preventing anchor damage and would facilitate enforcement in Tortugas North and

South by giving advance notice to enforcement officers of the presence of a user vessel.

Under Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative) (see Part IV), one

additional protection in Tortugas South would be provided by allowing access, other than

for continuous transit or for law enforcement, only for research and educational purposes.

Access for research or educational purposes would require a sanctuary permit. This will

greatly enhance the utility of Tortugas South as a reference site for researching and

monitoring the effects of human activities on the functioning of a coral reef ecosystem.
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Socio-Economic Consequences of Boundary and Regulatory

Alternatives

Background

This section meets the requirements of Executive Order 12866, which requires for

this action which has been determined to be significant for purposes of review by the

Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a draft text of the regulations to be proposed,

a reasonably detailed description of the need for the action, an explanation of how the

action will meet that need, and an assessment of the potential costs and benefits,

including an explanation of the manner in which the action is consistent with statutory

mandates and, to the extent permitted by law, promotes the President's priorities and

avoids undue interference with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of their

governmental functions (referred to as Regulatory Impact Review (RIR)). This section,

together with Parts I, IV, VI and Appendix H, of this FSEIS, meets the requirements of

the Regulatory Flexibility Act which requires the preparation of a Final Regulatory

Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) setting forth: 1) a succinct statement of the need for and

objectives of the rule; 2) a summary of the significant issues raised by the public

comments in response to the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), a summary

of the assessment of the agency of such issues, a statement of any changes made to the

proposed rule as a result of such comments; 3) a description of and an estimate of the

number of small entities to which the rule will apply or an explanation of why no such

estimate is available; 4) a description of the projected reporting, record keeping and other

compliance requirements of the regulations, including an estimate of the classes of small

entities that will be subject to these requirements and the type of professional skills

necessary to prepare any required report or record; 5) a description of the steps the

agency has taken to minimize the significant economic impact on small entities consistent

with the stated objectives of applicable statutes, including a statement of the factual

policy and legal reasons for selecting the alternative adopted in the final rule and why

each of the other significant alternatives to the rule considered by the agency which affect

the impact on small entities was rejected. This section provides a comprehensive review

of the level and incidence of impact associated with the regulatory actions. The section,

also provides a review of the problems and policy objectives prompting the regulatory

proposals and an evaluation of the significant alternatives that meet the objectives of the

FKNMSPA and minimize socio-economic impacts.

The RIR and FRFA presented here are based on a complete socio-economic impact

analysis that can be found in Leeworthy and Wiley (2000). Leeworthy and Wiley (2000)
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is a revision of Leeworthy and Wiley (1999) based on public comments and contains

complete descriptions of the data and methods used and contains technical appendices

that provide more detailed results than provided in the summary tables included here. The

technical appendices also provide how consumer’s surpluses were calculated for the

commercial fisheries and the geographic information system (GIS) maps that show the

distributions of commercial catch and recreation activity in the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve Study Area (TERSA).

Species not documented as being commercially or recreationally fished in the

Tortugas region are not included in this analysis. Even if some species not here included

were taken in small amounts, it would not change the results of this analysis.

Statement of Need

See Part I of this document for a statement of need and why regulatory action is

being considered.

Goals, Objectives and Legal Basis

See Part I of this document for the goals and objectives of, and legal basis for this

action.

Discussion of all Relevant State and Federal Rules Which May Duplicate,

Overlap or Conflict with the Regulations

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the GMFMC has primary federal responsibility

and expertise for the development of FMPs throughout the Gulf of Mexico and has

developed an Essential Fish Habitat Amendment for the various GMFMPs, which

includes the area of the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve. The GMFMPs are

implemented by regulations promulgated by the NMFS (50 CFR 622). At the GMFMC's

meeting on November 9, 1999, the NOS and NMFS requested that the GMFMC take

steps to prohibit fishing, consistent with the purpose of the proposed ecological reserve.

The GMFMC accepted this request and at its July 10-13, 2000 meeting, adopted a

Generic Amendment Addressing the Establishment of Tortugas Marine Reserves. That

amendment to the GMFMPs is consistent with the no-take Tortugas Ecological Reserve

proposed by NOAA and NOAA’s regulations for ecological reserves in the FKNMS, at

15 CFR 922.164(d).
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NMFS intends to issue regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Act consistent with

the no-take status of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve for the species covered by the

GMFMPs and for Atlantic Atlantic tunas, swordfish, sharks, and billfish. These

regulations will duplicate and overlap, but not conflict, with the Sanctuary regulations

prohibiting fishing in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Regulations issued under the

Magnuson-Stevens Act must satisfy the requirements of that Act including the National

Standards set forth in that Act. Sanctuary regulations including those governing fishing

are issued under the NMSA. While some of the goals and objectives of the two Acts are

similar, many of the goals and objectives of the two statutes are quite different.

The State of Florida may implement a no-fishing rule for the areas of Tortugas North

within State waters. This rule could duplicate and overlap with the Sanctuary, but not

conflict with the Sanctuary no-take rule for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. The State

of Florida is co-manager of the Reserve with NOAA and Sanctuary regulations affecting

State waters must have the approval of the State.

Description of the Projected Reporting, Record Keeping and Other

Compliance Requirements of the Regulations, Including an Estimate of the

Classes of Small Entities that Will be Subject to These Requirements and the

Type of Professional Skills Necessary to Prepare Any Required Report or

Record

See Part IV for a description of the access permit application and call in

requirements. Any entity desiring to enter Tortugas North for other than continuous

transit or for law enforcement purposes would be subject to these requirements. It is

anticipated that dive charters operators and individuals wishing to dive from a private

vessel would be the primary class of small entity subject to this requirement. No special

skills would be necessary to comply with the permitting or call in requirements.

Any entity desiring to conduct educational and research activities in Tortugas

South would be required to apply for a National Marine Sanctuary General Permit. Each

permit applicant would be required to provide a detailed description of the proposed

activity, including a timetable for completion of the activity and the equipment, personnel

and methodology to be employed; the qualifications and experience of all personnel; a

statement of the financial resources available to the applicant to conduct and complete the

proposed activity; a statement as to why it is necessary to conduct the activity within the

Sanctuary; a statement of the potential impacts of the activity, if any, on Sanctuary

resources and qualities; and a statement of the benefit to be derived from the activity; and
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such other information as the Director may request. Copies of all other required licenses,

permits, approvals, or other authorizations must be attached to the application. The

application requirements for such a permit are set forth in 15 CFR 922.166(e). There

would be additional reporting and record keeping requirements associated with a

Sanctuary permit. These are projected to include submitting interim reports on the status

of the activity and final reports including relevant research findings.

It is anticipated that marine scientists affiliated with public and private research

institutions, universities, and conservation organizations, and associated graduate

students or assistants, would be the primary class of small entity subject to this

requirement.

The skills necessary for preparing a permit application and subsequent reports are

the same as those that are required to prepare research proposals, grant applications, and

their associated activity reporting requirements.

Approach to the Analysis

In a standard benefit-cost analysis (BCA), the benefits and costs are identified, and to

the extent practical, the benefits and costs are quantified. Benefits and costs in the BCA

framework are usually limited to consumer’s surpluses and producer’s surpluses or

economic rents. The approach used here is broader than the BCA approach. Here we do

identify and quantify, where possible, consumer’s surpluses and economic rents.

Generally, we concluded that economic rents did not exist in either the recreation

industry or in the commercial fisheries (See Leeworthy and Wiley, 2000). Consumer’s

surplus and economic rents are generally referred to as non-market economic values and

are the appropriate inputs in a BCA. However, BCA is usually focused on economic

efficiency arguments where it is assumed that the economy is at full employment and

labor and capital are completely mobile. In addition, equity issues are also usually

ignored in the calculus of BCA. Our socio-economic impact analysis recognizes the

limitations of BCA. A great deal of focus is placed on the market economic impacts as

measured by direct revenue, costs and profits of the business firms directly affected by

the “no-take” regulations. These impacts are then translated into the secondary or

multiplier impacts on the local economy. For the recreational industry, the impact area is

defined as Monroe County, Florida and, for the commercial fisheries the impact areas are

Monroe County and Lee/Collier counties. For the commercial fisheries, the results

presented here are an aggregation of the impacts on both Monroe and Lee/Collier

Counties. The market economic impacts include estimates of output/sales, income and
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employment. The details by impacted area can be found in Leeworthy and Wiley (2000).

Although the results are only presented for impacts on Monroe and Lee/Collier Counties,

the impacts are based on catch landed in all counties. The results for Monroe and

Lee/Collier counties are slightly overstated because they include the amounts landed in

other counties, but for the boundary alternatives, these amounts are insignificant.

The approach begins by first analyzing the affects of the “no-take” regulation for

each boundary alternative. Analyses are presented for the recreation industry (broken

down into consumptive and non-consumptive), the commercial fisheries, commercial

shipping, treasure salvors and then other benefits (non-users, scientific and education

values). The next step is to analyze other regulations. Other regulations include the no

anchoring/required mooring buoy use regulation, access restrictions, and sanctuary-wide

regulations (for boundary alternatives that include areas outside current Sanctuary

boundary). For most of the sanctuary-wide regulations, there is no additional or

incremental impact over the “no-take” regulation.

The approach used here proceeds in two basic steps for the recreation industry and

the commercial fisheries. First, the impacts are estimated under the assumption that all

the activities displaced result in complete loss. This is done by simply adding up all the

activities within the geographic area defined by an ecological reserve boundary (i.e., the

no-take area) and applying the appropriate economic parameters. In the second step, a

qualitative approach is used to assess whether the results from step 1 are likely to occur.

Here mitigating factors and offsetting factors are taken into account and an assessment is

made as to whether net benefits or costs exist in the short and longer terms. Over the long

term, the ecological reserve is expected to generate replenishment effects to the fisheries.

In the commercial reef fisheries, there may be some short term losses, however over the

longer term, the expectation is that there would be long-term benefits even to commercial

reef fishermen and related dependent businesses.

Results are presented in four sections. The first section addresses the recreation

industry. Consumptive recreation is separated from non-consumptive recreation since

consumptive recreation activities are displaced from the “no-take” areas and may

potentially be negatively impacted, while non-consumptive activities would be

beneficiaries of the “no-take” area in Tortugas North. The second section addresses the

commercial fisheries which would all be displaced from the “no-take” areas and thus

potentially negatively impacted. Section three addresses other potential benefits of the

“no-take” areas including non-use economic values, scientific values, and education

values. Section four addresses the costs of the management action to create the reserve.
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This analysis assumes that all entities impacted are small entities within the meaning of

the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Definition of the Study Area. For purposes of the analyses presented in this report,

NOS examined a 1,020 square nm area called the Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study

Area (TERSA) (Fig. 34). All socio-economic information was collected and organized

for the TERSA at a geographical resolution of one square nm. Detailed descriptions of

the data are included for the recreation industry and for the commercial fisheries. Four

separate boundary alternatives were identified within the TERSA and analyzed using the

information collected for the TERSA.

Figure 34. Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study Area.
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Boundary Alternatives

For a description of the boundary alternatives see Development of Sanctuary Staff

Boundary Alternatives in Part IV.

No-take Regulations

Recreation Industry

Boundary Analysis. The interpretation of the estimates provided in this analysis is

critical to understanding the “true” impact of the various alternatives proposed for the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve. The estimates from our geographic information system

(GIS) analysis for the different boundary alternatives are simply the sum of each

measurement within the boundaries for a given alternative. The estimates therefore

represent the maximum total potential loss from displacement of the consumptive

recreational activities. This analysis ignores possible mitigating factors and the possibility

of net benefits that might be derived if the proposed ecological reserve has replenishment

effects. Although the extent of the mitigating factors or the potential benefits from

replenishment is unknown, this analysis will discuss these as well as other potential

benefits of the proposed ecological reserve after the maximum potential losses from

displacement of the current consumptive recreational uses are presented and discussed.

There are two types of potential losses identified and quantified in the analysis, nonmarket economic values and market economic values.

Non-Market Economic Values. There are two types of non-market economic values.

The first is consumer’s surplus, which is the amount an individual is willing to pay for a

good or service over and above what he or she is required to pay for the good or service.

It is a net benefit to the consumer and in the context of recreation use of natural

resources, where the natural resources go unpriced in markets, this value is often referred

to as the net user value of the natural resource. The second type of non-market economic

value is one received by producers or owners of the businesses providing goods or

services to the users of the natural resources. This is commonly referred to as producer’s

surplus. The concept is similar to consumer’s surplus in that the businesses do not pay a

price for the use of natural resources when providing goods or services to users of the

resources. However, this concept is a little more complicated because, in “welfare

economics”, not all producer’s surplus is considered a proper indicator in the

improvement of welfare. Only that portion of producer’s surplus called “economic rent”

is appropriate for inclusion. Economic rent is the amount of profit a business receives
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over and above a normal return on investment (i.e., the amount of return on investment

that could be earned by switching to some alternative activity). Again, because businesses

that depend on natural resources in the Tortugas do not have to pay for the use of them,

there exists the possibility of earning above normal rates of return on investment or

“economic rent”. This like consumer’s surplus, would be additional economic value

attributable to the natural resources (i.e., another user value).

Economic rents are different from consumer’s surplus in that supply and demand

conditions are often likely to lead to dissipation of the economic rents. This is generally

true for most open access situations. As new firms enter the industry because of the lure

of higher than normal returns on investment, the net effect is to eliminate most if not all

of the economic rent. However, given the remoteness of the TERSA, it is likely that all

economic rents would not be eliminated. Accounting profits are used as a proxy for

economic rents in the analysis. The absolute levels of accounting profits are not a good

proxy for economic rents, however, they are used here as an index for assessing the

relative impacts across the different boundary alternatives.

The estimates for consumer’s surplus were derived by combining estimates of

person-days from all the operators in the TERSA with estimates of consumer’s surplus

per person-day from Leeworthy and Bowker (1997). The estimates were derived

separately by season (see Leeworthy and Wiley 2000).

Market Economic Values. Revenues from the charter boat operations that provided

service to the consumptive recreational users provide the basis for this portion of the

analysis. Total output/sales, income and employment impacts on the Monroe County

economy are then derived from these estimates. These impacts include the ripple or

multiplier impacts. Total output/sales is equal to business revenue times the total output

multiplier of 1.12 from English et al. (1996). Income is then derived by taking the total

output/sales impact and dividing by the total output-to-income ratio (2.63) from English

et al. And, total employment was derived by dividing the total income impact by the total

income-to-employment ratio ($23,160) from English et al.

Boundary Alternative I: No Action

The no-action alternative simply means that the proposed Tortugas Ecological

Reserve and corresponding no-take regulations would not take place. The no-action

alternative has a simple interpretation in that any costs of imposing the no-take

regulations, for any given alternative with no-take regulations, would be the benefits of

the no-action alternative. That is, by not adopting the no-take regulations, the costs are
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avoided. Similarly, any benefits from imposing the no-take regulations, for any given

alternative with no-take regulations, would be the costs of the no action alternative. That

is, by not adopting the no-take regulations, the costs are the benefits lost by not adopting

the no-take regulations. Said another way, the opportunities lost. The impacts of the noaction alternative can only be understood by comparing it to one of the proposed

alternatives. Thus the impacts of the no-action alternative can be obtained by reading the

impacts from any of the proposed alternatives in reverse (Tables 16-23). Table 17 shows

the 1997 baseline conditions.

Table 16. Boundary analysis summary: TERSA – Consumptive recreation.

yy y p

Diving for Lobsters Fishing Spearfishing Total

Wi thin FKNM S Bo undary

Person-Days 1,442 12,215 1,569 15,226 

Revenue 99,282 $ 579,143 $ 291,898 $ 970,323 $ 

Cost 68,372 $ 471,657 $ 149,503 $ 689,532 $ 

Profit $ 107,497 30,909 $ 142,395 $ 280,801 $ 

Number of Firms 2 10 3 12 1

Consumer Surplus 1 $ 996,744 31,222 $ 144,034 $ 1,272,000 $ 

Outside FKNMS Bo undary

Person-Days 288 4,163 303 4,754 

Revenue 19,868 $ 267,597 $ 41,795 $ 329,260 $ 

Cost 13,680 $ 217,794 $ 22,926 $ 254,400 $ 

Profit 6,188 $ 49,804 $ 18,869 $ 74,861 $ 

Number of Firms 2 4 2 5 1

Consumer Surplus $ 339,619 26,208 $ 27,815 $ 393,642 $ 

Total

Person-Days 1,730 16,378 1,872 19,980 

Revenue 119,150 $ 846,740 $ 333,693 $ 1,299,583 $ 

Cost 82,052 $ 689,451 $ 172,429 $ 943,932 $ 

Profit $ 157,301 37,097 $ 161,264 $ 355,662 $ 

Number of Firms 2 10 3 12 1

Consumer Surplus 1 $ 1,336,363 57,430 $ 171,850 $ 1,665,643 $ 

1. Number of firms does not add up to the total because individual firms may engage in more than one activity.

Table 17. Boundary Analysis Summary: Alternative II/ Regulatory Alternative D - Consumptive Recreation yy y g y p

Charter/Party Boat Operators

Diving for Lobsters2 Fishing2 Spearfishing2 Total2

Within FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days 461 (31.97%) 200 (1.64%) 485 (30.91%) (7.53%) 1,146

Revenue $ (31.96%) 31,732 $ (4.26%) 24,691 $ (22.89%) 66,816 $ (12.70%) 123,239

Cost $ (31.98%) 21,862 $ (3.07%) 14,496 $ (24.52%) 36,656 $ (10.59%) 73,014

Profit $ (31.93%) 9,870 $ (9.48%) 10,195 $ (21.18%) 30,160 $ (17.89%) 50,225

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 8 (80.00%) 3 (100.00%) 9 (75.00%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (31.99%) 41,977 $ (1.59%) 15,859 $ (30.93%) 44,548 $ (8.05%) 102,384

Outside FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days - (0.00%) - (0.00%) - (0.00%) - (0.00%)

Revenue - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%)

Cost - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%)

Profit - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%)

Number of Firms - (0.00%) - (0.00%) - (0.00%) - (0.00%) 1

Consumer Surplus - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%)

Total

Person-Days 461 (26.65%) 200 (1.22%) 485 (25.91%) (5.74%) 1,146

Revenue $ (26.63%) 31,732 $ (2.92%) 24,691 $ (20.02%) 66,816 $ (9.48%) 123,239

Cost $ (26.64%) 21,862 $ (2.10%) 14,496 $ (21.26%) 36,656 $ (7.74%) 73,014

Profit $ (26.61%) 9,870 $ (6.48%) 10,195 $ (18.70%) 30,160 $ (14.12%) 50,225

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 8 (80.00%) 3 (100.00%) 9 (75.00%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (26.66%) 41,977 $ (1.19%) 15,859 $ (25.92%) 44,548 $ (6.15%) 102,384

Private Boats3

Person-Days - n/a 673 (100.00%) - n/a 673 (100.00%)

Consumer's surplus - $ n/a 53,392 $ (100.00%) - $ n/a 53,392 $ (100.00%)

1. Number of firms does not add up to the total because individual firms may engage in more than one activity.

2. Percent of TERSA (See Table 15) by activity and total in parentheses.

3. Private boat activity does not involve losses to commercial recreation operators, therefore the only impacts are in loss of person-days of activity and in consumer's surplus.

Private boat activity does not involve losses to commercial recreation operators, therefore the only impacts are in loss of person-days

of activity and in consumer's surplus. Lacking any information with regard to the distribution of the activity, the assumption was

made that all of the activity takes place within the boundary alternative.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

103

Boundary Alternative II

Non-Market Economic Values. This alternative would displace over 26% of the

total person-days of diving for lobsters, about 26% of the spearfishing, and just over 2%

of the fishing. Across all three consumptive recreational activities just under 6% of the

person-days would be displaced (Table 18). This alternative is entirely within the

FKNMS boundary. Because of the way in which consumer’s surpluses are calculated,

they generally mirror the patterns in displaced use. Minor differences would be due to the

distributions across activities by season. Only in the case of diving for lobsters are the

impacts on person-days and profits equal. For spearfishing, the impacts on profits are

lower than the affect on person-days (18.7% versus 25.9%), while for fishing the affect is

greater on profits than on person-days (6.5% versus 1.2%). The GIS generated maps

show why diving for lobsters and spearfishing are relatively more affected than fishing.

The reason is that diving for lobsters and spearfishing are concentrated on Tortugas Bank,

while relatively little fishing currently takes place on the Tortugas Bank.

Market Economic Values. Presently, there are 12 charter boats operating within the

TERSA, nine of which would be potentially affected by this alternative. Direct business

revenue would include potential losses of 26.6% for diving for lobsters, 20% for

spearfishing, and 3% for fishing. Across all three consumptive recreational activities,

9.5% of revenue would be potentially affected (Table 18).

Through the ripple or multiplier effects, 11-13% of output/sales, income and

employment associated with all the consumptive recreational activities in the TERSA

could potentially be lost (Table 22). Although these costs could have an affect on the nine

firms operating in the TERSA, the affect would not likely be noticed in the Monroe

County economy because the affect would amount to only a fraction of a percent of the

total economy supported by recreating visitors to the Florida Keys (Table 23).

Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative)

Non-Market Economic Values. Because the portion of this alternative that is within

the FKNMS boundary is exactly the same as Alternative II, the analysis for these two

activities will be exactly the same for the two alternatives. The alternative would displace

over 26% of the total person-days of diving for lobsters, about 26% of the spearfishing,

and just over 3% of the fishing. Across all three consumptive recreational activities over

7% of the person-days would be displaced (Table 18). For fishing, 40% of the displaced

activity would be from within the FKNMS boundary. Consumer’s surpluses generally

mirror patterns of displaced use. Again, minor differences would be due to the
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

104

distributions across activities by season. Only in the case of diving for lobsters are the

effects on person-days and profits equal. For spearfishing, the effects on profits is lower

than the affect on person-days (18.7% versus 25.9%), while for fishing the effect is

greater on profits than on person-days (10.2% versus 3.0%).

Table 18. Boundary Analysis Summary: Alternative III/ Regulatory Alternative D - Consumptive

Recreation yy y g y p

Charter/Party Boat Operators

Diving for Lobsters2 Fishing2 Spearfishing2 Total2

Within FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days 461 (31.97%) 200 (1.64%) 485 (30.91%) (7.53%) 1,146

Revenue $ (31.96%) 31,732 $ (4.26%) 24,691 $ (22.89%) 66,816 $ (12.70%) 123,239

Cost $ (31.98%) 21,862 $ (3.07%) 14,496 $ (24.52%) 36,656 $ (10.59%) 73,014

Profit $ (31.93%) 9,870 $ (9.48%) 10,195 $ (21.18%) 30,160 $ (17.89%) 50,225

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 8 (80.00%) 3 (100.00%) 9 (75.00%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (31.99%) 41,976 $ (1.59%) 15,859 $ (30.93%) 44,548 $ (8.05%) 102,383

Outside FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days - (0.00%) 297 (7.13%) - (0.00%) 297 (6.25%)

Revenue - $ (0.00%) $ (10.77%) - 28,815 $ (0.00%) $ (8.75%) 28,815

Cost - $ (0.00%) $ (10.68%) - 23,254 $ (0.00%) $ (9.14%) 23,254

Profit - $ (0.00%) $ (11.17%) - 5,561 $ (0.00%) $ (7.43%) 5,561

Number of Firms - (0.00%) 2 (50.00%) - (0.00%) 2 (40.00%) 1

Consumer Surplus - $ (0.00%) $ (6.94%) - 23,570 $ (0.00%) $ (5.99%) 23,570

Total

Person-Days 461 (26.65%) 497 (3.03%) 485 (25.91%) (7.22%) 1,443

Revenue $ (26.63%) 31,732 $ (6.32%) 53,506 $ (20.02%) 66,816 $ (11.70%) 152,054

Cost $ (26.64%) 21,862 $ (5.48%) 37,750 $ (21.26%) 36,656 $ (10.20%) 96,268

Profit $ (26.61%) 9,870 $ (10.02%) 15,756 $ (18.70%) 30,160 $ (15.69%) 55,786

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 8 (80.00%) 3 (100.00%) 9 (75.00%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (26.66%) 41,976 $ (2.95%) 39,429 $ (25.92%) 44,548 $ (7.56%) 125,953

Private Boats3

Person-Days - n/a 673 (100.00%) - n/a 673 (100.00%)

Consumer's surplus - $ n/a 53,392 $ (100.00%) - $ n/a 53,392 $ (100.00%)

1. Number of firms does not add up to the total because individual firms may engage in more than one activity.

2. Percent of TERSA (See Table 15) by activity and total in parentheses.

3. Private boat activity does not involve losses to commercial recreation operators, therefore the only impacts are in loss of person-days of activity and in consumer's surplus.

 Private boat activity does not involve losses to commercial recreation operators, therefore the only impacts are in loss of persondays of activity and in consumer's surplus. Lacking any information with regard to the distribution of the activity, the assumption

was made that all of the activity takes place within the boundary alternative.

4. Private boat usage does not impact commercial recreational fishing operations, therefore the only impacts are the loss of person

days and the non-market value (consumer's surplus) of the activity. During the public comment period it was brought to our

attention that there was 673 person days of activity taking place in the TERSA. This translates to a maximum potential loss of

$53,392 in consumer's surplus.

Market Economic Values. Nine of the twelve charter boats operating within the

TERSA would be potentially affected by this alternative. Direct business revenue would

include potential losses of 26.6% for diving for lobsters, 20.0% for spearfishing, and

6.3% for fishing. Across all three consumptive recreational activities, 11.7% of revenue

would be potentially affected (Table 18).

Through the ripple or multiplier effects, 16-17% of output/sales, income and

employment associated with all the consumptive recreational activities in the TERSA

could potentially be lost (Table 22). Although these costs could have an affect on the nine

firms operating in the TERSA, the affect would not likely be noticed in the Monroe

County economy because the it would amount to only a fraction of a percent of the total

economy supported by recreating visitors to the Florida Keys (Table 23).
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

105

Boundary Alternative IV

Non-Market Economic Values. This alternative would displace over 73% of the

total person-days of diving for lobsters, just under 72% of the spearfishing, and over 6%

of the fishing. Across all three consumptive recreational activities over 18% of the

person-days would be displaced (Table 19). All the diving for lobsters and spearfishing

activity displaced would be from within the FKNMS boundary. For fishing, 71% of the

displaced activity would be from within the FKNMS boundary. Similarly to the other

alternatives, consumer’s surpluses mirror the patterns in displaced use because of the way

in which they are calculated. Minor differences would be due to the distributions across

activities by season. Again, profits are only equal to the affect on person-days for diving

for lobsters. For spearfishing, the effects on profits is lower than the affect on persondays (56.2% versus 71.7%), while for fishing the affect is greater on profits than on

person-days (17.6% versus 6.3%).

Table 19. Boundary Analysis Summary: Alternative IV/ Regulatory Alternative D - Consumptive Recreation yy y g y p

Charter/Party Boat Operators

Diving for Lobsters2 Fishing2 Spearfishing2 Total2

Within FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days (88.00%) 736 1,269 (6.03%) (85.60%) 1,343 (21.99%) 3,348

Revenue $ (87.99%) 87,361 $ (10.41%) 60,261 $ (67.47%) 196,944 $ (35.51%) 344,566

Cost $ (88.00%) 60,165 $ (8.08%) 38,093 $ (71.14%) 106,360 $ (29.67%) 204,618

Profit $ (87.99%) 27,196 $ (20.62%) 22,168 $ (63.61%) 90,584 $ (49.84%) 139,948

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 8 (80.00%) 3 (100.00%) 10 (83.33%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (87.98%) 115,449 $ (5.87%) 58,501 $ (85.58%) 123,271 $ (23.37%) 297,221

Outside FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days - (0.00%) 297 (7.13%) - (0.00%) 297 (6.25%)

Revenue - $ (0.00%) $ (10.77%) - 28,815 $ (0.00%) $ (8.75%) 28,815

Cost - $ (0.00%) $ (10.68%) - 23,254 $ (0.00%) $ (9.14%) 23,254

Profit - $ (0.00%) $ (11.17%) - 5,561 $ (0.00%) $ (7.43%) 5,561

Number of Firms - (0.00%) 2 (50.00%) - (0.00%) 2 (40.00%) 1

Consumer Surplus - $ (0.00%) $ (6.94%) - 23,570 $ (0.00%) $ (5.99%) 23,570

Total

Person-Days (73.35%) 1,269 (6.31%) 1,033 (71.74%) 1,343 (18.24%) 3,645

Revenue $ (73.32%) 87,361 $ (10.52%) 89,076 $ (59.02%) 196,944 $ (28.73%) 373,381

Cost $ (73.33%) 60,165 $ (8.90%) 61,347 $ (61.68%) 106,360 $ (24.14%) 227,872

Profit $ (73.31%) 27,196 $ (17.63%) 27,729 $ (56.17%) 90,584 $ (40.91%) 145,509

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 8 (80.00%) 3 (100.00%) 10 (83.33%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (73.33%) 115,449 $ (6.14%) 82,071 $ (71.73%) 123,271 $ (19.26%) 320,791

Private Boats3

Person-Days - n/a 673 (100.00%) - n/a 673 (100.00%)

Consumer's surplus - $ n/a 53,392 $ (100.00%) - $ n/a 53,392 $ (100.00%)

1. Number of firms does not add up to the total because individual firms may engage in more than one activity.

2. Percent of TERSA (See Table 15) by activity and total in parentheses.

3. Private boat activity does not involve losses to commercial recreation operators, therefore the only impacts are in loss of person-days of activity and in consumer's surplus.

Private boat activity does not involve losses to commercial recreation operators, therefore the only impacts are in loss of person-days

of activity and in consumer's surplus. Lacking any information with regard to the distribution of the activity, the assumption was

made that all of the activity takes place within the boundary alternative.

Market Economic Values. Ten of the twelve charter boats operating within the

TERSA would be potentially affected by this alternative. Direct business revenue would

include potential losses of 73.4% for diving for lobsters, 59.0% for spearfishing, and

10.5% for fishing. Across all three consumptive recreational activities, 28.7% of revenue

would be potentially affected (Table 19).

Through the ripple or multiplier effects, 38-39% of output/sales, income and

employment associated with all the consumptive recreational activities in the TERSA
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

106

could potentially be lost (Table 22). Although these impacts could have significant affect

on the ten firms operating in the TERSA, the affect would not likely be noticed in the

Monroe County economy because the affect would amount to only a fraction of a percent

of the total economy supported by recreating visitors to the Florida Keys (Table 23).

Boundary Alternative V

Non-Market Economic Values. This alternative would displace over 86% of the

total person-days of diving for lobsters, over 84% of the spearfishing, and over 7% of the

fishing. Across all three consumptive recreational activities over 21% of the person-days

would be displaced (Table 20). For diving for lobsters 85% of the displaced activity

would be from within the FKNMS boundary, 59% of the fishing, and 85% of the

spearfishing. Because of the way in which consumer’s surpluses are calculated, they

generally mirror the patterns in displaced use. Minor differences would be due to the

distributions across activities by season. Profits are only equal to the affect on persondays for diving for lobsters. For spearfishing, the effects on profits are lower than the

affect on person-days (65.5% versus 84.7%), while for fishing the affect is greater on

profits than on person-days (21.9% versus 7.6%).

Table 20. Boundary Analysis Summary: Alternative V/ Regulatory Alternative D - Consumptive Recreation yy y g y p

Charter/Party Boat Operators

Diving for Lobsters2 Fishing2 Spearfishing2 Total2

Within FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days $ (88.00%) 736 1,269 (6.03%) (85.60%) 1,343 (21.99%) 3,348

Revenue $ (87.99%) 87,361 $ (10.41%) 60,261 $ (67.47%) 196,944 $ (35.51%) 344,566

Cost $ (88.00%) 60,165 $ (8.08%) 38,093 $ (71.14%) 106,360 $ (29.67%) 204,618

Profit $ (87.99%) 27,196 $ (20.62%) 22,168 $ (63.61%) 90,584 $ (49.84%) 139,948

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 10 (100.00%) 3 (100.00%) 10 (83.33%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (87.98%) 115,449 $ (5.87%) 58,501 $ (85.58%) 123,271 $ (23.37%) 297,221

Outside FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days 231 (80.21%) 511 (12.27%) 243 (80.20%) 985 (20.72%)

Revenue $ (80.00%) 15,894 $ (18.25%) 48,832 $ (80.00%) 33,436 $ (29.81%) 98,162

Cost $ (80.00%) 10,944 $ (16.76%) 36,495 $ (80.00%) 18,341 $ (25.86%) 65,780

Profit $ (79.99%) 4,950 $ (24.77%) 12,337 $ (80.00%) 15,095 $ (43.26%) 32,382

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 3 (75.00%) 2 (100.00%) 3 (60.00%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (80.10%) 20,992 $ (11.96%) 40,617 $ (80.09%) 22,277 $ (21.31%) 83,886

Total

Person-Days (86.71%) 1,500 (7.61%) 1,247 (84.72%) 1,586 (21.69%) 4,333

Revenue $ (86.66%) 103,255 $ (12.88%) 109,093 $ (69.04%) 230,380 $ (34.07%) 442,728

Cost $ (86.66%) 71,109 $ (10.82%) 74,588 $ (72.32%) 124,701 $ (28.65%) 270,398

Profit $ (86.65%) 32,146 $ (21.94%) 34,505 $ (65.53%) 105,679 $ (48.45%) 172,330

Number of Firms 2 (100.00%) 10 (100.00%) 3 (100.00%) 11 (91.67%) 1

Consumer Surplus $ (86.67%) 136,441 $ (7.42%) 99,118 $ (84.69%) 145,548 $ (22.88%) 381,108

Private Boats3

Person-Days - n/a 673 (100.00%) - n/a 673 (100.00%)

Consumer's surplus - $ n/a 53,392 $ (100.00%) - $ n/a 53,392 $ (100.00%)

1. Number of firms does not add up to the total because individual firms may engage in more than one activity.

2. Percent of TERSA (See Table 15) by activity and total in parentheses.

3. Private boat activity does not involve losses to commercial recreation operators, therefore the only impacts are in loss of person-days of activity and in consumer's surplus.

Private boat activity does not involve losses to commercial recreation operators, therefore the only impacts are in loss of person-days

of activity and in consumer's surplus. Lacking any information with regard to the distribution of the activity, the assumption was

made that all of the activity takes place within the boundary alternative.

Market Economic Values. Eleven of the twelve charter boats operating within the

TERSA would be potentially affected by this alternative. Direct business revenue would

include potential losses of 86.7% for diving for lobsters, 69.0% for spearfishing, and
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

107

12.9% for fishing. Across all three consumptive recreational activities, 34.1% of revenue

would be potentially affected (Table 19).

Through the ripple or multiplier effects, 45% of output/sales, income and

employment associated with all the consumptive recreational activities in the TERSA

could potentially be lost (Table 22). Although these effects could have significant affect

on the ten firms operating in the TERSA, the affect would not likely be noticed in the

Monroe County economy because the affect would amount to only a fraction of a percent

of the total economy supported by recreating visitors to the Florida Keys (Table 23).

Table 21. Calculation of Maximum Potential Market Economic Losses: Consumptive Recreation

Table 20. Calculation of Maximum Potential Market Economic Losses: Consumptive Recreation

III

Alternative Preferred Alternative Alternative

TERSA II Alternative IV V

Wi th in FKNM S Bo undary

Revenue1 $ 123,239 970,323 $ (12.70%) 123,239 $ (12.70%) 344,566 $ (35.51%) 344,566 $ (35.51%)

Output/Sales2,5 $ 138,028 1,086,762 $ (12.70%) $ 138,028 (12.70%) $ 385,914 (35.51%) $ 385,914 (35.51%)

Income3,5 $ 52,482 413,217 $ (12.70%) $ 52,482 (12.70%) $ 146,735 (35.51%) $ 146,735 (35.51%)

Employment4,5 18 2 (12.70%) 2 (12.70%) 6 (35.51%) 6 (35.51%)

Outs ide FKNMS B oundary

Revenue1 $ - 329,260 $ (0.00%) $ 28,815 (8.75%) $ 28,815 (8.75%) $ 98,162 (29.81%)

Output/Sales2,5 $ - 368,771 $ (0.00%) 32,273 $ (8.75%) 32,273 $ (8.75%) 109,941 $ (29.81%)

Income3,5 $ - 140,217 $ (0.00%) 12,271 $ (8.75%) 12,271 $ (8.75%) 41,803 $ (29.81%)

Employment4,5 6 0 (0.00%) 1 (8.75%) 1 (8.75%) 2 (29.81%)

To tal

Revenue1 $ 123 1,299,583 $ ,239 (9.48%) $ 152,054 (11.70%) $ 373,381 (28.73%) $ 442,728 (34.07%)

Output/Sales2,5 $ 138 1,455,533 $ ,028 (9.48%) $ 170,300 (11.70%) $ 418,187 (28.73%) $ 495,855 (34.07%)

Income3,5 $ 52 553,435 $ ,482 (9.48%) $ 64,753 (11.70%) $ 159,006 (28.73%) $ 188,538 (34.07%)

Employment4,5 24 2 (9.48%) 3 (11.70%) 7 (28.73%) 8 (34.07%)

1. Total Revenue from Tables 16-19.

2. Output is derived by multiplying Reven ue b y a multiplier of 1.12.

3. Income is calculated b y dividin g total output by the total o utput to total income ratio for Monroe County (2.63).

4. Employment is calculated b y dividing total income by the total income to jobs ratio for Mo nroe Cou nty (23,1 60).

5. The multiplier, total o utput to total income ratio, and total income to jobs ratio are taken from En glish, et. al. 1 996

Table 22. Summary of Maximum Total Potential Losses from Displacement: Consumptive Recreation

Table 21. Sum mary of Maximum Total Potential Loss from Displacement: Consumptive Recreation

III

Alternative Preferred Alternative Alternative

TERSA II Alternative1 IV V

Market Impacts

Output/Sales 1,086,762 $ 138,028 $ (12.70%) 170,300 $ (15.67%) 418,187 $ (38.48%) 495,855 $ (45.63%)

Income 413,217 $ 52,482 $ (12.70%) 64,753 $ (15.67%) 159,006 $ (38.48%) 188,538 $ (45.63%)

Employment 18 2 (11.21%) 3 (16.81%) 7 (39.23%) 8 (44.84%)

Non-market Impacts

Consumer's Surplus 1,665,643 $ 102,965 $ (6.18%) 127,029 $ (7.63%) 320,791 $ (19.26%) 381,108 $ (22.88%)

Producer's Surplus (profit) 355,662 $ 50,225 $ (14.12%) 55,786 $ (15.69%) 145,509 $ (40.91%) 172,330 $ (48.45%)

1. Percent of TERSA in parentheses.

Table 23. Comparison to the Economic Contribution of Various Visitors to the Florida Keys and Monroe

County

Table 22. Comparison to the Economic Contribution of Visitors to Florida Keys to Monroe County

III

Monroe Alternative Preferred Alternative Alternative

County II Alternative1 IV V

Output/Sales 1,548,762,097 $ 0.009% 0.011% 0.027% 0.032%

Income 573,566,049 $ 0.009% 0.011% 0.028% 0.033%

Employment 18,892 0.011% 0.016% 0.037% 0.042%

1. For year June 1997 - May 1998. Represents total impact of spending by recreating visitors (non-residents of

Monroe County) on economy of Monroe County. See Leeworthy and Vanasse, 1999.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

108

Addendum to Economic Impact Estimates based on One Commentor’s Revised Input

Economic Impact Estimates based on Commentor’s Revised Input. In the course of

the public comment period, several pieces of correspondence were received from a

charter spearfishing operator indicating information and data that differ from that which

he provided to us during our initial interview with him conducted on December 10, 1998.

We make no judgements about the accuracy of the commentor’s revised estimates but we

show the implications of incorporating the additional information that was submitted. The

following are impact estimates based on the revised information received. These

estimates are based on the assumption of a constant rate of profit, where no revised profit

is indicated and a constant relationship between revenue and person-days of activity. The

first column is the company’s revised estimates, the second is the revised estimates for

Spearfishing and the third is the revised estimates for Total Consumptive Recreational

Activities.

The revised estimates indicate maximum potential impact on spearfishing and total

consumptive recreational use based on the commentor's revised estimates (Tables 24-27).

It must be noted that these estimates were submitted after the analysis based upon the

alternative boundaries, including the Preferred Alternative, was complete.

Table 24. Data from original survey - Revised Assumption: all activity takes place within Preferred

Boundary Alternative (based on comments received in June 2000).

Spearfishing Total

DeMauro Total Consumptive

Revenue: $214,000 $245,142 $301,565

Profit: $124,000 $130,160 $150,225

Person-days of activity 1,860 1,650 3,194 

Total Output/Sales Impact: $239,680 $274,519 $337,713

Total Income Impact: $91,133 $104,395 $128,423

Total Employment Impact: 4 4 5 

Consumer’s Surplus $151,465 $170,743 $284,812

Table 25. Revised Assumption: Revenue $288,000, Profit $144,000 and all activity takes place within

Preferred Boundary Alternative (based on comments submitted in June 2000).

Spearfishing Total

DeMauro Total Consumptive

Revenue: $288,000 $319,142 $375,565

Profit: $144,000 $150,160 $170,225

Person-days of activity 2,431 2,221 3,765 

Total Output/Sales Impact: $322,560 $357,399 $420,593

Total Income Impact: $122,646 $135,908 $159,936

Total Employment Impact: 5 5 6 

Consumer’s Surplus $203,841 $223,119 $337,188
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

109

Table 26. Revised Assumption: Revenue $416,000 and all activity takes place within Preferred Boundary

Alternative (based on comments submitted in June 2000).

Spearfishing Total

DeMauro Total Consumptive

Revenue: $416,000 $447,142 $503,565

Profit: $241,047 $247,207 $267,272

Person-days of activity 3,417 3,207 4,751 

Total Output/Sales Impact: $465,920 $500,759 $563,953

Total Income Impact: $177,156 $190,418 $214,446

Total Employment Impact: 8 8 9 

Consumer’s Surplus $294,437 $313,715 $427,784

Table 27. Revised Assumption: Revenue $460,000 and all activity takes place within Preferred Boundary

Alternative (based on comments submitted in May 2000).

Spearfishing Total

DeMauro Total Consumptive

Revenue: $460,000 $491,142 $547,565

Profit: $266,542 $272,702 $292,767

Person-days of activity 3,757 3,547 5,091 

Total Output/Sales Impact: $515,200 $550,039 $613,233

Total Income Impact: $195,894 $209,156 $233,184

Total Employment Impact: 8 8 9 

Consumer’s Surplus $325,579 $344,857 $458,926

Mitigating Factors – Are the Potential Losses Likely?

In the above GIS-based analysis, effects are referred to as “potential losses.” The

reason is that there are several factors that could mitigate these potential losses and

further there is a possibility that there might not be any losses at all. It is quite possible

that there might be actual benefits to even the current displaced users. These factors are

referred to only in qualitative terms because it is not possible to quantify them. Below

two possible mitigating factors, how likely they might mitigate the potential losses from

displacement, and further how this might differ for each of the three alternatives are

discussed.

Substitution. If displaced users are simply able to relocate their activities, they may

be able to fully or partially mitigate their losses. This of course depends on the

availability of substitute sites and further depends on the substitute site qualities. Several

scenarios are possible. Even when total activity remains constant (i.e., person-days

remain the same as they simply go to other sites), if the quality of the site is lower there

could be some loss in consumer’s surplus. If it costs more to get to the substitute sites,

there could still be increases in costs and thus lower profits. If there is not a completely
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

110

adequate supply of substitute sites, then there could be losses in total activity and in all

the non-market and market economic measures referenced in our above analysis of

displaced use. The possibilities for substitution vary by alternative.

Long-term benefits from Replenishment Effects. Ecological reserves or marine

reserves may have beneficial effects beyond the direct ecological protection for the sites

themselves. That is, both the size and number of fish, lobster and other invertebrates both

inside and outside the reserves may increase. The following quote from Davis (1998)

summarizes what is currently known about the replenishment effect of reserves:

[W]e found 31 studies that tested whether protected areas had an effect on

the size, reproductive output, diversity, and recruitment of fish in adjacent

areas. Fisheries targeted species were two to 25 times more abundant in

no-take areas than in surrounding areas for fish, crustaceans, and

mollusks on coral and temperate reefs in Australia, New Zealand, the

Philippines, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, the Mediterranean Sea,

Venezuela, Chile, and the United States (California, Florida and Rhode

Island). Mean sizes of fished species protected in no-take zones were 12 to

200 percent larger than those in surrounding areas for all fishes studied

and in 75 to 78 percent of the invertebrates. Eighty-six percent of the

studies that tested fishery yields found that catches within three kilometers

of the marine protected areas were 46 to 50 percent higher than before

no-take zones were created. It is clear that fishers all over the world

believe no-take zones increase yields because they fish as close to the

boundaries as possible.

The long-term benefits from the reserve could offset any losses from displacement

and may also result in long-term benefits and no costs to recreational users that are

displaced by the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Again, this conclusion may still

vary by alternative.

Boundary Alternative II

Substitution. Complete mitigation by substituting to alternative sites has a high

probability for this alternative because over half of the Tortugas Bank would still be

available for all consumptive recreation activities. Given the equal distribution of use for

diving for lobsters and spearfishing on the Tortugas Bank, it is not likely that increased

costs of relocation would occur or that there would be losses from users forced to go to

sites of lower quality. Crowding effects, by pushing all the use currently spread over the
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whole Tortugas Bank onto half the bank, would also be unlikely given the small absolute

amounts of activity. For fishing, only 1% of the activity would be displaced, so for this

activity we would also expect there would be no crowding effects and recreational

fishermen would not likely suffer any losses.

Long-term Benefits from Replenishment Effects. From Schmidt et al. (1999) there

are five spawning areas identified in the western portion of the TERSA. On of these

spawning areas is in the Alternative II boundary area. As mentioned previously,

Alternative II is the portion of the Preferred Alternative that lies within the existing

boundary of the Sanctuary. Therefore the long-term benefits to stocks derived from the

portion of the Preferred Alternative that lies outside of the FKNMS boundary would not

be realized. This alternative is the smallest of the three analyzed here and so the potential

long-term benefits to stocks outside the protected area would be smaller than the other

alternatives. But by the same token, the displaced activity to be mitigated is also much

smaller and thus on net there is a high likelihood that there would be long-term benefits

to all the consumptive recreational users in the TERSA.

Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative)

Substitution. As with Alternative II, complete mitigation by substituting to

alternative sites has a high probability for this alternative because of the small proportion

of the Tortugas Bank included in the alternative. Given the equal distribution of use for

diving for lobsters and spearfishing on the Tortugas Bank, it is not likely that increased

costs of relocation would occur or that there would be losses from users forced to go to

sites of lower quality. Crowding effects, again, would be unlikely given the small

absolute amounts of activity. For fishing, only 3% of the activity would be displaced, so

recreational fishermen would not likely suffer any losses.

Long-term Benefits from Replenishment Effects. Again, from Schmidt et al. (1999)

three of the five spawning sites identified in the western portion of the TERSA are

located within the boundary of this alternative. Because this alternative includes areas

outside the Sanctuary, the potential long-term benefits to stocks outside the protected area

would be comparatively larger than it would be for Alternative II. The mitigating effort

required on the part of operators in the boundary alternative would be also be

comparatively larger, but as mentioned above, because of the small percentage of the

active recreational area included in the alternative, the effect is likely to be very small.

Therefore, there is a high likelihood that there would be long-term benefits to all the

consumptive recreational users in the TERSA.
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Boundary Alternative IV

Substitution. Under this alternative, about 73% of the diving for lobsters and 72% of

the spearfishing would be displaced. The potential for substituting to other sites is greatly

reduced as compared with alternatives II and III. The reason is that under this alternative

all of the Tortugas Bank falls within this boundary alternative. Some substitution is

possible, but the probability of crowding effects rises considerably for diving for lobsters

and spearfishing.

For fishing, substitution mitigating all the losses is still highly probable since only

about 6% of the fishing activity would be displaced. This represents a relatively low

amount of activity and given the wide distribution of this activity in the study area,

crowding effects are still a low probability under this alternative.

Long-term Benefits from Replenishment Effects. Again, from Schmidt et al. (1999)

four of the five spawning sites identified in the western portion of the TERSA are located

within the boundary of this alternative. For diving for lobsters and spearfishing, it is not

clear whether there would be significant benefits offsite given that most of this activity

currently takes place on the Tortugas Bank and none of the bank is available for the

activity. Not much is currently known about other areas which might benefit from the

stock effect and where they could relocate to reap these benefits. Whether those doing the

activities displaced could find alternative sites where both the quantity and quality of

activity could be maintained or enhanced seems less likely given the extent of

displacement.

For fishing, however, the small amount of displacement relative to the entire area

plus the wider distribution of fishing activity still makes it highly likely that the long-term

benefits of replenishment would more than offset the potential losses from displacement

resulting in net benefits to this group.

Boundary Alternative V

Substitution. This alternative displaces about 87% of the diving for lobsters and 85%

of the spearfishing. Substitution possibilities for these activities are reduced even more,

meaning that losses given in Table 21 are more likely to actually occur.

For fishing, mitigating all the losses through substitution is still highly probable since

only about 8% of the fishing activity would be displaced. This again, represents a
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relatively low amount of activity and given the wide distribution of this activity in the

study area, crowding effects are still a low probability under this alternative.

Long-term Benefits from Stock Effects. Again, from Schmidt et al. (1999) four of

the five spawning sites identified in the western portion of the TERSA are located within

the boundary of this alternative. However, because the entire Tortugas Bank would be

closed to diving for lobsters and spearfishing and the additionally large area encompassed

by the proposed reserve, it is highly unlikely that these two user groups would benefit

from the enhanced stocks of lobster and fish. Therefore, under this alternative, the

maximum potential losses listed in Table 21 are highly likely to occur.

For fishing, however, the stock effects for the reserve could be substantial. Whether

the benefits would be large enough to offset the displacement cannot immediately be

determined. But given the past experience with reserves, it is still somewhat likely that

the long-term benefits would offset the displacement costs yielding net benefits.

Benefits of the Proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve to Recreational Users

Recreational Users on Entire Florida Keys Reef Tract. Above we discussed the

possibility that consumptive recreational users could possibly benefit if there were longterm offsite impacts. But given the work by Ault et al. (1998), Bohnsack and Ault (1996),

Bohnsack and McClellan (1998), and Lee et al. (1994 and 1999), there is also the

possibility that a protected area in the Tortugas could yield beneficial stock effects to a

wide variety of species all along the entire Florida Keys reef tract and to species such as

sailfish that are primarily offshore species. Even small increases in recreational tourist

activities along the entire Florida Keys reef tract could more than offset the total

displacements from the most extreme alternative analyzed here. Table 22 shows the total

effects for each alternative relative to the total Florida Keys recreational visitor economic

contribution. They are only fractions of a percent of the total recreational visitor

economic contribution. One-tenth of one percent increase in the total recreational visitor

contribution along the entire Florida Keys reef tract would more than offset the maximum

potential losses from alternative V (Table 21).

Non-consumptive Users (Divers) in Tortugas. Currently there is one operator that

brings divers to the TERSA for non-consumptive diving. There were 1,048 person-days

of non-consumptive diving which account for 4.98% of the total recreational activity in

the TERSA (excluding the National Park). Of the total non-consumptive diving, 83.3% is

currently done within the FKNMS boundary. Table 29 summarizes the information for

non-consumptive divers. We expect that this group would be benefited by Tortugas
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North. As the site improves in quality, we would expect that the demand for this site

would increase and person-days, consumer’s surplus, business revenues and profits

would all increase. This would be expected to vary by alternative with the more

protective alternatives having greater benefits.

Table 28. Non-consumptive Diving

Tab e 23. Non consumptive Diving

III

Alternative Preferred Alternative Alternative

TERSA II Alternative IV V

Within FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days 873 279 (31.96%) 279 (31.96%) 768 (87.97%) 768 (87.97%)

Revenue 95,123 $ 30,439 $ (32.00%) 30,439 $ (32.00%) 83,708 $ (88.00%) 83,708 $ (88.00%)

Cost 58,157 $ 18,610 $ (32.00%) 18,610 $ (32.00%) 51,178 $ (88.00%) 51,178 $ (88.00%)

Profit 36,966 $ 11,829 $ (32.00%) 11,829 $ (32.00%) 32,530 $ (88.00%) 32,530 $ (88.00%)

Number of Firms 1 1 (100.00%) 1 (100.00%) 1 (100.00%) 1 (100.00%)

Consumer Surplus 77,198 $ 24,710 $ (32.01%) 24,710 $ (32.01%) 67,954 $ (88.03%) 67,954 $ (88.03%)

Outsi de FKNMS Boundary

Person-Days 175 - (0.00%) - (0.00%) - (0.00%) 140 (80.00%)

Revenue 19,025 $ - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) 15,220 $ (80.00%)

Cost 11,631 $ - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) 9,305 $ (80.00%)

Profit 7,393 $ - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) 5,915 $ (80.01%)

Number of Firms 1 - (0.00%) - (0.00%) - (0.00%) 1 (100.00%)

Consumer Surplus 15,475 $ - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) - $ (0.00%) 12,355 $ (79.84%)

T otal

Person-Days 1,048 279 (26.62%) 279 (26.62%) 768 (73.28%) 908 (86.64%)

Revenue 114,148 $ 30,439 $ (26.67%) 30,439 $ (26.67%) 83,708 $ (73.33%) 98,928 $ (86.67%)

Cost 69,788 $ 18,610 $ (26.67%) 18,610 $ (26.67%) 51,178 $ (73.33%) 60,483 $ (86.67%)

Profit 44,359 $ 11,829 $ (26.67%) 11,829 $ (26.67%) 32,530 $ (73.33%) 38,445 $ (86.67%)

Number of Firms 1 1 (100.00%) 1 (100.00%) 1 (100.00%) 1 (100.00%)

Consumer Surplus 92,673 $ 24,710 $ (26.66%) $ 24,710 (26.66%) $ 67,954 (73.33%) $ 80,309 (86.66%)

COMMERCIAL FISHERY

Boundary Analysis

Boundary Analysis Methodology. In performing the boundary analysis, for the each

alternative, the impact estimates are broken out by “within the FKNMS boundary” and

“outside the FKNMS boundary.”

Commercial fishing is prohibited in the DRTO so these grid cells are “true” zeroes in

the analysis. Before breaking out the impact, the status of each grid cell (i.e., inside or

outside of the boundary) had to be determined. Two methods were considered to carry

out this task: the “centroid method” and the “intersection method.” The centroid method

characterizes a grid cell as within a boundary if the center point of the cell is within the

boundary. The intersection method characterizes a grid cell as within a boundary if any

part of the cell is intersected by the boundary. The centroid method was selected because

it was more consistent with how the data were collected (i.e., 1 square nm grid cells was

the finest resolution).

The interpretation of the estimates provided in this analysis is critical to

understanding the “true” impact of the various alternatives proposed for the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve. The estimates from our geographic information system (GIS)
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115

analysis for the different boundary alternatives are simply the sum of each measurement

within the boundary for a given alternative. The estimates therefore represent the

maximum total potential loss from displacement of the commercial fishing activities.

This analysis ignores possible mitigating factors and the possibility of net benefits that

might be derived if the proposed ecological reserve has replenishment effect. Although

the extent of the mitigating factors or the potential benefits from replenishment cannot be

quantified, these as well as other potential benefits of the proposed ecological reserve are

discussed after presenting and discussing the maximum potential losses from

displacement of the current commercial fisheries.

The boundary analysis is driven by the catch summed across grid cells within each

boundary alternative. The set of relationships, measures and methods described in

Leeworthy and Wiley (1999) are then used to translate catch into estimates of market and

non-market economic values potentially affected. These estimates are broken-down by

area both inside and outside FKNMS boundary and are done by species. Table 30 shows

the results for catch for each alternative. Catch for the total TERSA is also presented to

allow assessment of the proportion of the TERSA fishery potentially affected by each

alternative.

Table 29. TERSA Catch Potentially Lost from Displacement, 1997

y p,

Species/Species Group (Pounds)/Percent1

Alternative/Area King Mackerel Lobster Reef Fish Shrimp

TERSA 96,346 9 3 7, 9 5 2 574,64 2 715,500 

Inside FKNMS 77,285 (80.22%) 568,399 (60.60%) 293,374 (51.05%) 183,262 (25.61%)

Outside FKNMS 19,061 (19.78%) 369,553 (39.40%) 281,268 (48.95%) 532,238 (74.39%)

A lternative II 5 6,625 4,057 7 4 , 49 4 7 , 9 40 

Inside FKNMS 4,057 (100.00%) 56,625 (100.00%) 74,494 (100.00%) 7,940 (100.00%)

Outside FKNMS - (0.00%) - (0.00%) - (0.00%) - (0.00%)

Preferred Alternative 1 1 0 8, 6 3 9 3,489 116,64 2 58,374 

Inside FKNMS 4,057 (30.08%) 56,802 (52.29%) 74,494 (63.87%) 7,940 (13.60%)

Outside FKNMS 9,432 (69.92%) 51,837 (47.71%) 42,148 (36.13%) 50,434 (86.40%)

A lternative IV 1 1 5 3, 7 7 8 4,999 161,99 7 58,374 

Inside FKNMS 5,568 (37.12%) 101,940 (66.29%) 119,849 (73.98%) 7,940 (13.60%)

Outside FKNMS 9,431 (62.88%) 51,838 (33.71%) 42,148 (26.02%) 50,434 (86.40%)

A lternative V 1 1 6 4, 9 0 8 4,999 169,90 7 73,427 

Inside FKNMS 5,568 (37.12%) 101,940 (61.82%) 119,849 (70.54%) 7,940 (10.81%)

Outside FKNMS 9,431 (62.88%) 62,968 (38.18%) 50,058 (29.46%) 65,487 (89.19%)

1. Percents of catch inside and outside FKNMS in parentheses.

The boundary alternatives are ordered according to size and potential impact.

Alternative I is the “No Action” alternative and is the least protective alternative.

Alternative III is the “Preferred Alternative”. Alternatives IV and V are the largest and

“most protective” alternatives. For catch, generally the higher the alternative number the

greater the potential affect on catch, except for King mackerel and shrimp. Potential

affect on King mackerel catch is the same for both alternatives IV and V and, the
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116

potential affect on shrimp catch is the same for the Preferred Alternative (III) and

alternative IV.

Both the market and non-market economic values potentially lost from displacement

for each alternative, except the “No-action” Alternative (Boundary Alternative I), are

summarized in Leeworthy and Wiley (2000), includes greater detail by species/species

groups, and for the market economic values, separate estimates for Monroe and

Collier/Lee counties. Although the impacts on only Monroe and Collier/Lee counties are

presented, the catch impacted that is landed in other counties is included in the analyses.

The result is that the impacts in Monroe and Collier/Lee Counties are slightly overstated.

However, in the boundary alternative analyses only a small amount of catch is landed in

other counties and the amounts are insignificant.

Table 30. Maximum Potential Losses to the Commercial Fisheries from Displacement

f p

Alternatives

Total Alternative Preferred Alternative Alternative

Area/Measure TERSA II Alternative IV V

Total TERSA

 Market1

 Harvest Revenue 6,884,992 $ 411,632 $ 843,583 $ 1,126,237 $ 1,224,849 $ 

 Total Output 14,957,717 $ 865,819 $ 1,817,843 $ 2,400,730 $ 2,621,627 $ 

 Total Income 9,273,785 $ 536,808 $ 1,127,063 $ 1,488,453 $ 1,625,409 $ 

 Total Employment 404 23 49 65 71 

 Non-market

 Consumer's Surplus2 $ 473,097 7,537,781 $ 879,973 $ 1,103,808 $ 1,239,587 $ 

 Producer's Surplus3 $ - - $ - $ - $ - $ 

 Return to Labor & Capital4 $ 106,789 1,926,162 $ 221,968 $ 300,599 $ 326,880 $ 

Inside FKNMS

 Market

 Harvest Revenue 3,476,456 $ 411,632 $ 411,632 $ 694,284 $ 694,284 $ 

 Total Output 7,292,387 $ 865,819 $ 865,819 $ 1,448,700 $ 1,448,700 $ 

 Total Income 4,521,280 $ 536,808 $ 536,808 $ 898,194 $ 898,194 $ 

 Total Employment 197 23 23 39 39 

 Non-market

 Consumer's Surplus 3 $ 473,097 ,890,933 $ 473,097 $ 696,932 $ 696,932 $ 

 Producer's Surplus - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 

 Return to Labor & Capital 1 $ 106,789 ,029,118 $ 106,789 $ 185,420 $ 185,420 $ 

Outside FKNMS

 Market

 Harvest Revenue 3,408,536 $ - $ 431,951 $ 431,953 $ 530,565 $ 

 Total Output 7,665,330 $ - $ 952,024 $ 952,030 $ 1,172,927 $ 

 Total Income 4,752,505 $ - $ 590,255 $ 590,259 $ 727,215 $ 

 Total Employment 207 - 26 26 32 

 Non-market

 Consumer's Surplus 3 $ - ,646,848 $ 406,876 $ 406,876 $ 542,655 $ 

 Producer's Surplus - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 

 Return to Labor & Capital 897,044 $ - $ 115,179 $ 115,179 $ 141,460 $ 

1. Market economic measures include impacts on Monroe County and Collier/Lee counties.

See Appendix A, Tables A.6 – A.11 in Leeworthy and Wiley (1999) for details by species and counties.

2. Maximum values from each species were used when range of estimates was generated from

multiple demand equations. See Appendix B in Leeworthy and Wiley (1999) for detailed calculations by species and 

alternatives.

3. Producer’s surplus or economic rents were assumed to be zero for two reasons. First, all

fisheries, except spiny lobsters, are open access fisheries and therefore economic rents

would be zero i.e., firms are earning only normal rates of return on investment. Second, 

even using total return to labor & capital, which overstates return on investment, does

not yield rates of return on investment above normal rates of return.

4. Return to Labor & Capital is not a non-market value but would include rent if it existed.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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117

Boundary Alternative I: No Action

The no action alternative simply means that the proposed Tortugas Ecological

Reserve would not be established and the corresponding no-take regulations would not be

implemented. The no action alternative has a simple interpretation in that any costs of

imposing the no-take regulations, for any given alternative with no-take regulations,

would be the benefits of the no action alternative. That is, by not adopting the no-take

regulations, the costs are avoided. Similarly, any benefits from imposing the no-take

regulations, for any given alternative with no-take regulations, would be the costs of the

no action alternative. That is, by not adopting the no-take regulations, the costs are the

benefits lost by not adopting the no-take regulations. Said another way, the opportunities

lost. The effects of the no action alternative can only be understood by comparing it to

one of the proposed alternatives. Thus the effects of the no action alternative can be

obtained by reading the effects from any of the proposed alternatives in reverse.

Boundary Alternative II

Market Economic Values. This alternative could potentially affect 4.2% of the catch

of King mackerel, 6% of the lobster catch, 12.96% of the Reef Fish catch, and 1% of the

shrimp catch in the TERSA. This would lead to a reduction in about $411 thousand in

harvest revenue or 6% of the TERSA harvest revenue. This reduction in revenue would

result in a reduction of 5.8% of total output, income and employment generated by the

TERSA fishery. Since this alternative was restricted to reside within FKNMS current

boundary, the effects are all inside FKNMS boundary. Although these effects might seem

significant to those firms that might potentially be affected, the overall affect on the local

economies would be so small they would not be noticed. Harvest revenue potentially

impacted was only 0.67% of all harvest revenue of catch landed in Monroe County. In

addition, this lost revenue would translate (accounting for the multiplier effects) into only

fractions of a percent of the total Monroe County economy; 0.035% of total output,

0.046% of total income and 0.045% of total employment.

Non-market Economic Values. For all species/species groups, this alternative could

result in a potential loss of over $473 thousand in consumer’s surplus. This was 6.28% of

the consumer’s surplus generated by the entire TERSA. Although producer’s surplus or

economic rents are estimated to be zero, about 5.54% of the return to labor and capital of

the TERSA fishery is potentially affected by this alternative.
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Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative)

Market Economic Values. This alternative could potentially affect 14% of the catch

of King mackerel, 11.58% of the lobster catch, 20.30% of the Reef Fish catch, and 8.16%

of the shrimp catch in the TERSA. This would lead to a reduction in about $844 thousand

in harvest revenue or 12.26% of the TERSA harvest revenue. This reduction in revenue

would result in a reduction of 12.16% of total output, income and employment generated

by the TERSA fishery. The impacts are split almost evenly between the areas inside and

outside the FKNMS boundary. Although these costs might seem significant to those

firms that might potentially be affected, the overall affect on the local economies would

be so small they would not be noticed. Harvest revenue potentially affected was only

1.16% of all harvest revenue of catch landed in Monroe County. In addition, this lost

revenue would translate (accounting for the multiplier effects) into only fractions of a

percent of the total Monroe County economy; 0.0596% of total output, 0.0779% of total

income and 0.0785% of total employment.

Non-market Economic Values. For all species/species groups, this alternative could

result in a potential loss of about $880 thousand in consumer’s surplus. This was 11.7%

of the consumer’s surplus generated by the entire TERSA. Whereas the market economic

values were almost evenly split inside and outside the FKNMS, 53.76% of the

consumer’s surplus potentially affected is from inside the FKNMS boundary. This is due

to the distributions of lobster and reef fish catch where a higher proportion of the

potentially affected catch come from inside the FKNMS boundary, whereas the

distributions of shrimp and King mackerel come largely from outside the FKNMS

boundary.

Although producer’s surplus or economic rents are estimated to be zero, about 11.5%

of the return to labor and capital of the TERSA fishery is potentially affected by this

alternative. The distribution inside versus outside the FKNMS boundary follows that of

the market economic values with 48% from catch inside the FKNMS boundary.

Boundary Alternative IV

Market Economic Values. This alternative could potentially affect 15.57% of the

catch of King mackerel, 16.4% of the lobster catch, 28.19% of the Reef Fish catch, and

8.16% of the shrimp catch in the TERSA. This would lead to a reduction in about $1.126

million in harvest revenue or 16.45% of the TERSA harvest revenue. This reduction in

revenue would result in a reduction of 16.05% of total output, income and employment

generated by the TERSA fishery. About 61.65% of the harvest revenue and 60.34% of
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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the output, income and employment impacts would come from catch displaced from

within FKNMS boundary. Although the costs might seem significant to those firms that

might potentially be affected, the overall impact on the local economies would be so

small they would not be noticed. Harvest revenue potentially affected was only 1.82% of

all harvest revenue of catch landed in Monroe County. In addition, this lost revenue

would translate (accounting for the multiplier effects) into only fractions of a percent of

the total Monroe County economy; 0.0968% of total output, 0.127% of total income and

0.1281% of total employment.

Non-market Economic Values. For all species/species groups, this alternative could

result in a potential loss of about $1.1 million in consumer’s surplus. This was 14.64% of

the consumer’s surplus generated by the entire TERSA. Approximately 63.14% of the

consumer’s surplus potentially affected is from catch from inside the FKNMS boundary.

This is due to the distributions of lobster and reef fish catch where a higher proportion of

the potentially affected catch come from inside the FKNMS boundary, whereas the

distributions of shrimp and King mackerel come largely from outside the FKNMS

boundary.

Although producer’s surplus or economic rents are estimated to be zero, about 15.6%

of the return to labor and capital of the TERSA fishery is potentially affected by this

alternative. The distribution inside versus outside the FKNMS boundary follows that of

the market economic values with 61.68% from catch inside the FKNMS.

Boundary Alternative V

Market Economic Values. This alternative could potentially affect 15.57% of the

catch of King mackerel, 17.58% of the lobster catch, 29.57% of the Reef Fish catch, and

10.26% of the shrimp catch in the TERSA. This would lead to a reduction in about

$1.224 million in harvest revenue or 17.89% of the TERSA harvest revenue. This

reduction in revenue would result in a reduction of 17.5% of total output, income and

employment generated by the TERSA fishery. About 56.68% of the harvest revenue and

55.26% of the output, income and employment impacts would come from catch displaced

from within the FKNMS boundary. Although the costs might seem significant to those

firms that might potentially be affected, the overall impact on the local economies would

be so small they would not be noticed. Harvest revenue potentially affected was only

1.98% of all harvest revenue of catch landed in Monroe County. In addition, this lost

revenue would translate (accounting for the multiplier effects) into only fractions of a
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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120

percent of the total Monroe County economy; 0.106% of total output, 0.138% of total

income and 0.1399% of total employment.

Non-market Economic Values. For all species/species groups, this alternative could

result in a potential loss of about $1.24 million in consumer’s surplus. This was 16.4% of

the consumer’s surplus generated by the entire TERSA. 56.2% of the consumer’s surplus

potentially affected is from catch from inside the FKNMS boundary. This is due to the

distributions of lobster and reef fish catch where a higher proportion of the potentially

affected catch come from inside the FKNMS boundary, whereas the distributions of

shrimp and King mackerel come largely from outside the FKNMS boundary.

Although producer’s surplus or economic rents are estimated to be zero, about

16.97% of the return to labor and capital of the TERSA fishery is potentially affected by

this alternative. The distribution inside versus outside the FKNMS boundary follows that

of the market economic values with 56.7% from catch inside the FKNMS boundary.

Profiles of Fishermen Potentially Affected

A profile of the approximately 110 fishermen using TERSA based on a sample of 90

was completed with a comparison with other commercial fishermen in Monroe County.

The profiles of those potentially affected by each alternative were compared. The profiles

are summarized in Table 31. Statistical tests were performed comparing the sample

distributions for the groups that fished within each boundary alternative as compared with

TERSA fishermen as a whole. Except for the number of fishing operations potentially

affected, the only significant differences for all alternatives were in membership in

organizations and in fish house usage.

Fishermen potentially affected by Boundary Alternative II were the only group that

was significantly different for any other characteristics listed in Table 31. These

fishermen had less experience fishing in Monroe County than the general TERSA

fishermen, however they were not significantly different with respect to years fishing in

the TERSA. Fishermen potentially affected by Boundary Alternative II also earned a

significantly lower proportion of their income from fishing than the general TERSA

fishermen; however, they earned a significantly higher proportion of their income from

fishing within the TERSA than the general TERSA fishermen.

Fishermen potentially affected by Boundary Alternative II were also significantly

different from the general TERSA fishermen in the distribution of their primary hauling

port. A significantly higher proportion of those potentially affected by this alternative
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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121

used Key West/Stock Island and Tavenier than the general TERSA fishermen, and they

used Big Pine Key, Marathon and Naples/Ft. Myers significantly less than the general

TERSA fishermen.

Fifty-one (51) or 57% of the sampled fishing operations could be potentially affected

by Boundary Alternative II followed by 64 operations or 71% for Alternative III, and 65

operations or 72% for both Alternatives IV and V. Twenty-four (24) of the 28 or 86% of

all the lobster operations could be potentially affected by Boundary Alternative II, while

27 of the 28 lobster operations or 96% are potentially affected by Boundary Alternatives

III, IV, and V. Six (6) of the 18 or 33.3% of the shrimp operations are potentially affected

by Alternative II, while Alternative III could potentially affect 15 of 18 or 83% of the

shrimp operations. Boundary Alternatives IV and V could potentially affect 14 of the 18

or 78% of the shrimp operations. Fifteen (15) of the 16 King mackerel operations could

be potentially affected by Boundary Alternative II, while Boundary Alternatives III, IV

and V could potentially affect all 16 of the King mackerel operations. Thirty-seven (37)

of the 42 or 88% of the reef fish operations could be potentially affected by Alternative

II, while 40 or 95% of the reef fish fishing operations could be potentially affected by

Alternative III. Boundary Alternatives IV and V could potentially affect all 42 reef fish

operations.
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Table 31. Profile of TERSA Fishermen Compared to Other Keys Fishermen

Table 26. Profile of TERSA Fishermen Compared to Other Keys Fishermen

Alternative Preferred Alternative Alternative

TERSA (%) II Alternative IV V

Age

18-30 13.3 19.6 15.6 15.4 15.4

31-40 18.9 19.6 18.8 20.0 20.0

41-50 36.7 29.4 34.4 33.8 33.8

51-60 20.0 21.6 21.9 21.5 21.5

Over 60 11.1 9.8 9.4 9.2 9.2

Years o f F is hi n g in Monro e

Less than one year 1.1 2 .0 1.6 1.5 1.5

1-5 years 6.7 9 .8 7.8 7.7 7.7

6-10 years 12.4 1 3 .7 12.5 12.3 12.3

11-20 years 16.9 1 9 .6 17.2 18.5 18.5

21 or more years 62.9 5 4 .9 60.9 60.0 60.0

Years o f F is hi n g in TERS A

1-5 years 10.1 9.8 10.9 10.8 10.8

6-10 years 25.8 25.5 20.3 21.5 21.5

11-20 years 16.9 17.6 17.2 18.5 18.5

21 or more years 47.2 47.1 51.6 49.2 49.2

Race/ Ethni ci ty

Anglo-American 76.7 74.5 78.1 78.5 78.5

Hispanic 21.1 25.5 20.3 20.0 20.0

African-American 2.2 0.0 1.6 1.5 1.5

Membership in Organ izati o ns

Conch Coalition 7.0 3 .9 3 .1 3 .1 3. 1

OFF 12.0 9 .8 7 .8 7 .7 7. 7

MCCF 38.0 2 3 .5 2 1 .9 2 1 .5 2 1. 5

Environmental 2.0 3 .9 4 .7 4 .6 4. 6

Chambers of Commerce 303.0 2 .0 4 .7 4 .6 4. 6
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Table 31. Continued

Table 26. (Continued)

Alternative Preferred Alternative Alternative

TERSA (%) II Alternative IV V

Occupati o n

Full-time Commercial Fishing 87.8 84.3 85.9 86.2 86.2

Part-time Commercial Fishing 1.1 2.0 1.6 1.5 1.5

Charter Boat (sell some catch) 11.1 13.7 12.5 12.3 12.3

Income

Percent Income from Fishing 89.1 8 4 .3 87.3 87.5 87.5

Percent Income from Fishing in TERSA 44.7 5 1 .2 46.8 45.9 45.9

Fam il y Members Supported

1 (Myself) 19.3 17.0 15.5 16.9 16.9

2 28.9 27.7 29.3 27.1 27.1

3 22.9 29.8 27.6 28.8 28.8

4 or more 28.9 25.5 27.6 27.2 27.2

Pri mary Hau l ing Port

Key West/Stock Island 74.4 8 2 .4 75.0 72.3 72.3

Big Pine Key 4.4 3 .9 4.7 4.6 4.6

Marathon 3.3 0 .0 0.0 1.5 1.5

Tavernier 2.2 3 .9 3.1 3.1 3.1

Naples/Ft. Myers 15.6 9 .8 17.2 18.5 18.5

F ish Ho u se U sag e (% Ye s) 41.1 3 5 .3 3 5 .9 3 6 .9 3 6. 9

Number in Sample 90 51 64 65 65

Lobster Operations 28 24 27 27 27

Shrimp Operations 18 6 15 14 14

King Mackerel Operations 16 15 16 16 16

Reef Fish Operations 42 37 40 42 42

1. Numbers in bold identify statistically significant differences compared to total TERSA.

 Kolgromov-Smirnoff two-sample test at 5 percent level of significance.

Other Potential Costs and Mitigating Factors – Are the Potential Losses Likely?

In the above GIS-based analysis, the effects are referred to as “potential losses” or

“maximum potential losses”. There is the possibility that there could be an additional cost

not discussed but which cannot be quantified, that is, crowding and the resulting conflicts

among users forced to compete in a smaller area. There are also several factors that could

mitigate all the potential losses and further there is a possibility that there might not be

any losses at all. It is quite possible that there might be actual net benefits to even the

current displaced users. Below the issue of crowding costs and the mitigating factors and

potential for beneficial outcomes are discussed in qualitative terms because it is not

possible for us to quantify them. Two mitigating factors, how likely they might mitigate

the potential losses from displacement, and how this might differ for each of the

alternatives are discussed.

Crowding. As shown above, each of the alternatives would result in a certain amount

of displacement. Displacement of commercial fishing activity is a certainty under all

boundary alternatives, except Alternative I, the No-action Alternative. If this

displacement results in the activity being transferred to other sites, there is a potential for
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crowding effects. Crowding effects could raise the costs of fishing, both private costs to

each fishing operation and social costs in resolving conflicts.

Crowding conflicts were one of the issues mentioned when the State of Florida

created the lobster trap certificate program which was designed to reduce the number of

lobster traps. If fishing stocks outside the protected area are already fished to their limits

(i.e., limits of sustainable harvests), then displacement could also lead to adverse stock

effects and a lower level of catch from all commercial fisheries. Crowding effects would

represent a potential costs not accounted for in our above GIS-based analysis and the

potential for the existence of crowding effects would vary by alternative. Whether

crowding effects are experienced would depend on the status of the fisheries outside the

proposed protected area, the extent of displacement, the current knowledge and fishing

patterns of the displaced fishermen, and other potential regulations. The trap reduction

program is an example where crowding effects could be mitigated by making room for

the displaced traps.

Relocation. If displaced commercial fishermen are simply able to relocate their

fishing effort and they are able to partially or completely replace their lost catch by

fishing elsewhere, then there might be less or no affect. However, the possibility exists

that displacement, even if it does not result in lower overall catch, may result in higher

costs. This would result in lower profits to fishing operations. Whether fishermen are able

to relocate to other fishing sites and replace lost catch or avoid cost increases would

depend, like with the issue of crowding, on the status of the fisheries outside the proposed

protected area, the extent of the displacement, the current knowledge and fishing patterns

of the displaced fishermen, and other potential regulations.

Long-term benefits from Replenishment Effects. Ecological reserves or marine

reserves may have beneficial effects beyond the direct ecological protection from the

sites themselves. That is, both the size and number of fish, lobster, and other invertebrates

both inside and outside the reserves may increase i.e., the replenishment effect. The

following quote from Davis 1998 summarizes what is currently known about the

replenishment effect of reserves:

[W]e found 31 studies that tested whether protected areas had an effect on

the size, reproductive output, diversity, and recruitment of fish in adjacent

areas. Fisheries targeted species were two to 25 times more abundant in

no-take areas than in surrounding areas for fish, crustaceans, and

mollusks on coral and temperate reefs in Australia, New Zealand, the

Philippines, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, the Mediterranean Sea,
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Venezuela, Chile, and the United States (California, Florida and Rhode

Island). Mean sizes of fished species protected in no-take zones were 12 to

200 percent larger than those in surrounding areas for all fishes studied

and in 75 to 78 percent of the invertebrates. Eighty-six percent of the

studies that tested fishery yields found that catches within three kilometers

of the marine protected areas were 46 to 50% higher than before no-take

zones were created. It is clear that fishers all over the world believe notake zones increase yields because they fish as close to the boundary as

possible.

The long-term benefits from the reserve could offset any losses from displacement

and may also result in long-term benefits and no costs (net benefits) to commercial

fishermen that would be displaced by a proposed reserve. Again, this conclusion may

vary by alternative.

Boundary Alternative II

Crowding and Relocation. For the lobster fishery, it appears that the lobster trap

reduction program could fully mitigate the potential for crowding costs. This boundary

alternative would displace 2,228 traps. A ten percent reduction in traps in the TERSA

would provide space for 3,690 traps. Further, lobster fishermen in the TERSA only catch

68% of their lobsters from the TERSA. Thus, lobster fishermen are knowledgeable about

fishing in other areas of the Keys where they might move their displaced traps. Thus,

under this boundary alternative their would be no crowding costs for lobsters and they

would be able to replace catch from other areas. Thus, for lobsters, the potential

economic losses identified in Table 29 are not likely to occur under alternative II.

Crowding is not an issue for King mackerel because they are a pelagic species and

thus move around and catching them elsewhere is highly likely without interfering with

other fishermen. Shrimp fishermen currently only catch ten percent of their total shrimp

catch from the TERSA. Displacement of shrimp catch under Boundary Alternative II

would only be about one percent of their TERSA catch and less than one percent of their

total shrimp catch. It would seem highly likely that there would be no crowding costs

from displacement and given the small amounts of catch affected, it is highly likely that

shrimp fishermen would be able to replace lost catch from other sites. However, some

shrimp fishermen have said that they cannot replace lost catch from other sites. Thus, for

King mackerel, the potential economic losses identified in Table 29 are not likely to

occur under Boundary Alternative II, but for shrimp the economic losses could range

from zero to the maximum potential losses reported in Table 29.
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Reef Fish fishermen comprise the largest group of TERSA fishermen. Under

Boundary Alternative II, 37 of the sampled 42 fishermen would be affected. Reef

fishermen are knowledgeable of other fishing locations outside the TERSA. In 1997, they

caught 52% of their reef fish from areas in the Keys outside the TERSA. However, stocks

of reef fish in the TERSA and throughout the Keys appear to be overfished. Alternative

II displaces about 13% of the reef fish catch in the TERSA. Given the status of reef fish

stocks, the losses identified in Table 29 are likely to occur in the short-term until the

benefits of replenishment could off-set these losses in the longer-term.

Replenishment. No replenishment benefits to King mackerel or shrimp are expected.

For lobsters and reef fish, replenishment benefits are expected. Davis (1998) provided an

estimate that invertebrates and reef fish at other marine reserves had shown increases in

yields of 46-50% within three kilometers of the protected areas. Also, from Schmidt et al.

(1999) they identified 5 spawning areas in the western portion of the TERSA. Only one

of the five spawning areas are located within the Alternative II boundary and would be

protected, and to thus support the replenishment effect. For lobsters, we expect their to be

long-term net benefits under Boundary Alternative II to the commercial fishery of the

TERSA. For reef fish, it is not clear whether the full 13% lost catch from displacement

would be replaced from replenishment, but the costs of displacement would be mitigated

and the losses expected to be less than the 13% reductions that are the basis for the losses

calculated and presented in Table 29.

Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative)

Crowding and Relocation. For the lobster fishery, there is some potential for

crowding costs. This boundary alternative would displace 4,346 traps. A ten percent

reduction in traps in the TERSA would provide space for 3,690 traps. However, if the

remaining 656 traps are relocated to zones 1-3 in the Keys, there would be more than

adequate space given the 10% reduction in traps that took place in Monroe County

between 1997-98 and 1998-99 (475,094 to 428, 411). See FMRI, 1998. Lobster

fishermen in the TERSA only catch 68% of their lobsters from the TERSA. Thus, lobster

fishermen are knowledgeable about fishing in other areas of the Keys where they might

move their displaced traps. Thus, under this alternative their would be no crowding costs

for lobsters and we expect they would be able to replace catch from other areas. Thus,

for lobsters, the potential economic losses identified in Table 29 are not likely to occur

under this alternative.

Crowding is not an issue for King mackerel because they are a pelagic species and

thus move around and catching them elsewhere is highly likely without interfering with
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other fishermen. Shrimp fishermen currently only catch ten percent of their total shrimp

catch from the TERSA. Displacement of shrimp catch under Boundary Alternative III

(Preferred Boundary Alternative) would only be about eight percent of their TERSA

catch and less than one percent of their total shrimp catch. It would seem highly likely

that there would be no crowding costs from displacement and given the small amounts of

catch affected, it is highly likely that shrimp fishermen would be able to replace lost catch

from other sites. However, some shrimp fishermen have said that they cannot replace lost

catch from other sites. Thus, for King mackerel, the potential economic losses identified

in Table 29 are not likely to occur under Boundary Alternative III, but for shrimp the

economic losses could range from zero to the maximum potential losses reported in Table

29.

Reef Fish fishermen comprise the largest group of TERSA fishermen. Under

Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative), 40 of the sampled 42

fishermen would be affected. Reef fishermen are knowledgeable of other fishing

locations outside the TERSA. In 1997, they caught 52% of their reef fish from areas in

the Keys outside the TERSA. However, stocks of reef fish in the TERSA and throughout

the Keys appear to be overfished. Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary

Alternative) displaces 20% of the reef fish catch in the TERSA. Given the status of reef

fish stocks, the losses identified in Table 29 are likely to occur in the short-term until the

benefits of replenishment could off-set these losses in the longer-term.

Replenishment. No replenishment benefits to King mackerel or shrimp are expected.

For lobsters and reef fish, replenishment benefits are expected. Davis (1998) reports

increases in yields of invertebrates and reef fish of 46-50% within three kilometers of the

protected areas at other marine reserves. Also, Schmidt et al. (1999) identified 5

spawning areas in the western portion of the TERSA. Three of the five spawning areas

are located within the alternative III boundary and would be protected, thus bolstering the

replenishment effect. For lobsters, long-term net benefits would be expected under

Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative). For reef fish, it is not clear

whether the full 20% lost catch from displacement would be replaced from

replenishment, but the costs of displacement would be mitigated and the losses expected

to be less than the 20% reductions that are the basis for the losses calculated and

presented in Table 29.
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Boundary Alternative IV

Crowding and Relocation. For the lobster fishery, there is some potential for

crowding costs. We estimate that this boundary alternative would displace 6,050 traps. A

ten percent reduction in traps in the TERSA would provide space for 3,690 traps.

However, if the remaining 2,360 traps are relocated to zones 1-3 in the Keys, there would

be more than adequate space given the 10% reduction in traps that took place in Monroe

County between 1997-98 and 1998-99 (475,094 to 428, 411). See FMRI, 1998. Lobster

fishermen in the TERSA only catch 68% of their lobsters from the TERSA. Thus, lobster

fishermen are knowledgeable about fishing in other areas of the Keys where they might

move their displaced traps. Thus, under this alternative there would be no crowding costs

for lobsters and fishermen would be able to replace catch from other areas. Thus, for

lobsters, the potential economic losses identified in Table 29 are not likely to occur under

Boundary Alternative IV.

Crowding is not an issue for King mackerel because they are a pelagic species and

thus move around and catching them elsewhere is highly likely without interfering with

other fishermen. Shrimp fishermen currently only catch ten percent of their total shrimp

catch from the TERSA. Displacement of shrimp catch under Boundary Alternative IV

would only be about eight percent of their TERSA catch and less than one percent of

their total shrimp catch. It would seem highly likely that there would be no crowding

costs from displacement and given the small amounts of catch affected, it is highly likely

that shrimp fishermen would be able to replace lost catch from other sites. However,

some shrimp fishermen have said that they cannot replace lost catch from other sites.

Thus, for King mackerel, the potential economic losses identified in Table 29 are not

likely to occur under Boundary Alternative IV, but for shrimp the economic losses could

range from zero to the maximum potential losses reported in Table 29.

Reef fish fishermen comprise the largest group of TERSA fishermen. Under

Boundary Alternative IV, all 42 of the sampled fishermen would be affected. Reef

fishermen are knowledgeable of other fishing locations outside the TERSA. In 1997, they

caught 52% of their reef fish from areas in the Keys outside the TERSA. However, stocks

of reef fish in the TERSA and throughout the Keys appear to be overfished. Boundary

Alternative IV displaces 28% of the reef fish catch in the TERSA. Given the status of

reef fish stocks, the losses identified in Table 29 are likely to occur in the short-term until

the benefits of replenishment could off-set these losses in the longer-term.

Replenishment. No replenishment benefits to King mackerel or shrimp are expected.

For lobsters and reef fish, replenishment benefits are expected. Davis (1998) reports
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increases in yields of invertebrates and reef fish of 46-50% within three kilometers of the

protected areas at other marine reserves. Also, Schmidt et al. (1999) identified 5

spawning areas in the western portion of the TERSA. Four of the five spawning areas are

located within the Alternative IV boundary and would be protected, thus bolstering the

replenishment effect. For lobsters, we expect their to be long-term net benefits under

alternative IV to the commercial fishery of the TERSA. For reef fish, it is not clear

whether the full 28% lost catch from displacement would be replaced from

replenishment, but the costs of displacement would be mitigated and the losses expected

to be less than the 28% reductions that are the basis for the losses calculated and

presented in Table 29.

Boundary Alternative V

Crowding and Relocation. For the lobster fishery, there is some potential for

crowding costs. This boundary alternative would displace 6,487 traps. A ten percent

reduction in traps in the TERSA would provide space for 3,690 traps. However, if the

remaining 2,797 traps are relocated to zones 1-3 in the Keys, there would be more than

adequate space given the 10% reduction in traps that took place in Monroe County

between 1997-98 and 1998-99 (475,094 to 428, 411). See FMRI, 1998. Lobster

fishermen in the TERSA only catch 68% of their lobsters from the TERSA and they are

knowledgeable about fishing in other areas of the Keys where they might move their

displaced traps. Thus, under this boundary alternative there would be no crowding costs

for lobsters and fishermen would be able to replace catch from other areas. Therefore,

for lobsters, the potential economic losses identified in Table 29 are not likely to occur

under Boundary Alternative V.

Crowding is not an issue for King mackerel because they are a pelagic species and

thus move around and catching them elsewhere is highly likely without interfering with

other fishermen. Shrimp fishermen currently only catch ten percent of their total shrimp

catch from the TERSA. Displacement of shrimp catch under Boundary Alternative V

would only be about ten percent of their TERSA catch and about one percent of their

total shrimp catch. It would seem highly likely that there would be no crowding costs

from displacement and given the small amounts of catch affected, it is highly likely that

shrimp fishermen would be able to replace lost catch from other sites. However, some

shrimp fishermen have said that they cannot replace lost catch from other sites. Thus, for

King mackerel, the potential economic losses identified in Table 29 are not likely to

occur under Boundary Alternative V, but for shrimp the economic losses could range

from zero to the maximum potential losses reported in Table 29.
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Reef fish fishermen comprise the largest group of TERSA fishermen. Of the 90

TERSA fishermen sampled, 42 were reef fish fishermen. Under Boundary Alternative V,

all 42 would be affected. Reef fishermen are knowledgeable of other fishing locations

outside the TERSA. In 1997, they caught 52% of their reef fish from areas in the Keys

outside the TERSA. However, stocks of reef fish in the TERSA and throughout the Keys

appear to be overfished. Boundary Alternative V displaces 29% of the reef fish catch in

the TERSA. Given the status of reef fish stocks, the losses identified in Table 29 are

likely to occur in the short-term until the benefits of replenishment could off-set these

losses in the longer-term.

Replenishment. No replenishment benefits to King mackerel or shrimp are expected.

For lobsters and reef fish, replenishment benefits are expected. Davis (1998) reports

increases in yields of invertebrates and reef fish of 46-50% within three kilometers of the

protected areas at other marine reserves. Also, Schmidt et al. (1999) identified 8

spawning areas in the western portion of the TERSA. Severn of the eight spawning areas

are located within the Alternative V boundary and would be protected, thus bolstering the

replenishment effect. For lobsters, long-term net benefits under Alternative V are

expected. For reef fish, it is not clear whether the full 29% lost catch from displacement

would be replaced from replenishment, but the costs of displacement would be mitigated

and the losses expected to be less than the 29% reductions that are the basis for the losses

calculated and presented in Table 29.

COMMERCIAL SHIPPING

No effect for any of the alternatives.

TREASURE SALVORS

No expected effect for any of the alternatives. One permit for inventorying

submerged cultural resources in Sanctuary waters was issued for the Tortugas area of the

Sanctuary. There were no submerged cultural resources found on the Tortugas Bank.

Currently, it is unknown whether there are any submerged cultural resources on Riley’s

Hump, located in Tortugas South.

OTHER POTENTIAL BENEFITS

In both the recreation industry (fishing and diving) and the commercial fishery

sections above, the potential benefits to recreational and commercial fisheries from the

replenishment effect of an ecological reserve were discussed. Also discussed in the
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131

recreation industry section were the potential benefits to non-consumptive recreational

users (divers). Below, several of the most important benefits of an ecological reservenon-use economic values, scientific values, and education values-are discussed.

Non-use Economic Values. Non-use or passive use economic values encompass

what economists refer to as option value, existence value and other non-use values. See

Kopp and Smith (1993) for a detailed discussion. All non-use economic values are based

on the fact that people are willing to pay some dollar amount for a good or service they

want but do not currently use or consume directly. In the case of an ecological reserve,

they are not current visitors (users), but derive some benefit from the knowledge that the

reserve exists in a certain condition and are willing to pay some dollar amount to ensure

that actions are taken to keep the reserve in that condition.

Option value is a bit different from other non-use economic values in that option

value is a willingness to pay for the possibility of some future use. The concept of option

value was first introduced by Weisbrod (1964). As argued by Weisbrod, an individual

uncertain as to whether he will visit some unique site at some future point in time would

be willing to pay a sum in excess of his consumer’s surplus to assure that the site would

be available in the future should he wish to visit it. Option value then is characterized by

uncertainty of both future supply and future demand. Some have questioned whether

option value is a legitimate economic value, Freeman (1993). But, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) still lists option value as a legitimate value to be

included in intrinsic benefits when conducting benefit-cost analysis required for proposed

regulations by Executive Order 12886.

Other non-use values have traditionally been labeled according to motive (e.g.,

existence value, bequeath value). The key distinctions between option value and other

non-use values are that the other non-use values do not relate to any future use and

uncertainty is not a factor. Existence value is an individual’s willingness to pay a dollar

amount to simply know that a resource will be protected in a given state. Bequeath value

is an individual’s willingness to pay a dollar amount to ensure the resource will be

protected in a given state so one’s heirs may have the opportunity to enjoy it. The motive

themselves are unimportant as to the value’s legitimacy, since, in economics, people’s

motives for their willingness to pay for any good or service are not questioned. Motives

with respect to non-use values are used simply to differentiate them from use values.

Randall and Stoll (1983) argued that when estimating non-use economic values, non-use

economic values cannot be separated from use values for users of the resource. Methods

available for estimating non-use economic values are only capable of revealing “total
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value” which cannot be broken down into separate components of use and non-use. Pure

non-use economic values can only be estimated for non-users.

The terminology of “passive use” economic values has become more accepted when

referring to non-use economic values. This change in terminology grew out of the debate

over whether non-use economic values could actually be measured. People must have

some knowledge of the resource they are being asked to place a dollar value on whether it

is through a newspaper, magazine, television show, etc. People must first learn about the

resource and it’s current state and then must make a decision about what they would be

willing to pay to ensure that the resource will be protected in that state. It is of key

importance that the individuals are making this decision under their budget constraints.

That is, willingness to pay is constrained by a person’s income and wealth and the person

is forced to make a budget allocation between spending for protection of the resource or

for something else.

To date there are no known studies that have estimated non-use or passive use

economic values for coral reefs or marine ecological reserves. However, Spurgeon (1992)

has offered two sets of identifiable factors that will dictate the magnitude of non-use or

passive use economic values. First, non-use economic values will be positively related to

the quality, condition, and uniqueness of the ecosystem on a national or global scale.

Second, the size of population, standard of education, and environmental perception of

people in the country owning or having jurisdiction over the ecosystem will be positively

related to non-use or passive use economic values. Thus, non-use or passive use

economic values are determined by both supply and demand conditions. The existence of

many similar sites would reduce the value. Although Spurgeon limits his scope to the

people in the country owning or having jurisdiction over the ecosystem, people from all

over the world may have non-use or passive use economic values for ecosystem

protection in other countries. Debt-for-nature-protection swaps being conducted by The

Nature Conservancy in South America are just one example. The legitimacy of including

the values of people from other countries is more a judicial concern than an economic

one. In some judicial proceedings, people from other countries might not have legal

standing over issues of resource protection and their economic values may be eliminated

from inclusion in the proceedings.

A literature search revealed 19 studies in which non-use economic values for natural

resource protection efforts were estimated. Desvouges et al. (1992) summarizes 18 of the

19 studies. The remaining study was by Carson et al. (1992) on the Exxon Valdez Oil

Spill. Sixteen (16) of the 18 studies summarized in Desvouges et al. (1992) reported
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values (not adjusted for inflation) of $10 or more per household per year for a broad

variety of natural resource protection efforts. Of the two (2) studies that reported values

of less than $10 per household per year, one reported a value of $3.80 per household per

year for adding one park in Australia and $5.20 per household per year for a second park

(these estimates were from a national sample of Australians). The other study that

estimated non-use economic values of less than $10 per household per year was a study

of Wisconsin resident’s willingness to pay for protecting bald eagles and striped shiners

in that state. For the bald eagle, non-use economic values had an estimated range of $4.92

to $28.38 per household per year, while for striped shiners the values ranged from $1.00

to $5.66 per household per year. Total value ranged from $6.50 to $75.31 per household

per year.

Only two (2) of the 18 studies summarized in Desvouges et al (1992) used national

samples of U.S. households, the others were limited to state or regional populations. The

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Study (Carson et al, 1992) used a national sample of U.S.

households. An important caveat is that the sample included only English speaking

households and excluded Alaskan residents. Alaskan residents were excluded to limit the

sample to primarily non-users of Prince William Sound (site of the oil spill) and non

English speaking households were eliminated because the researchers were not able to

convert their questionnaires to other languages. This limited the sample to representing

only 90% of U.S. households.

Carson et al. (1992) reported a median willingness to pay $31 per household. The

payment was a lump sum payment through income taxes and covered a ten-year period.

The funds would go into a trust fund to pay for equipment and other costs necessary to

prevent a future accident like the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound. After 10 years,

double hull tankers would be fully implemented and the need for the protection program

would expire. Mean willingness to pay was higher and more variable to model

specification than the median willingness to pay, so the authors argued that the median

value was a conservative estimate. A non-use economic value of $31 per household based

on a sample that was representative of only 90% of the U.S. population of households

was also considered conservative since non English speaking people probably have

positive non-use economic values as do Alaskans.

Estimate of Non-use Economic Values. Given what is known about non-use

economic values, a range of “conservative” (i.e., lower bound) estimates of non-use or

passive use economic values for an ecological reserve in the Tortugas can be developed.

To do this requires the following assumptions and facts:
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

134

Assumptions:

• One (1) percent of U.S. households would have some positive non-use

or passive economic use values for an ecological reserve in the

Tortugas.

• The one (1) percent of U.S. households, on average, would be willing

to pay either $3 per household per year, $5 per household per year, or

$10 per household per year for an ecological reserve in the Tortugas.

Fact:

• As of July 1, 1997, there were 113 million households in the U.S.

Using the above assumptions and the number of U.S. households in 1997, a probable

lower bound set of estimates for the non-use or passive use economic values for the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve is estimated.

1997 Annual

Amount

$3/household/year $5/household/year $10/household/year

1997 Asset Value of $3.39 million $5.65 million $11.3 million

Ecological

Reserve:@ 3%

discount rate

$113 million $188.3 million $376.7 million

The 1997 annual willingness to pay for the ecological reserve would range between

$3.39 million and $11.3 million, depending on the assumed willingness to pay per

household. Since the ecological reserve would exist into the indefinite future (into

perpetuity), an estimated range of the asset values of the ecological reserve based simply

on non-use economic value can be calculated. This latter estimate requires the

assumption of a constant annual willingness to pay (value per household does not change

and/or the number of households does not change) and a real discount rate of 3% to

convert future dollar amounts to their present value. Since the population will increase in

the future, this is again a conservative estimate. The asset value of an ecological reserve

in the Tortugas for just non-use economic value is estimated to be between $113 million

to $376.7 million. The asset value represents what someone would be willing to pay

today for an ecological reserve in the Tortugas to ensure the future annual flow of nonuse economic values.

If the estimated annual non-use economic values with the maximum potential losses

are compared to the displaced recreational users and commercial fisheries (losses in
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

135

consumer’s surplus and economic rents), the non-use economic values would exceed the

maximum potential losses to all current consumptive users under all the alternatives

analyzed (Table 32). Thus, there would be net national benefits to adopting any of the

alternatives for the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

Table 32. A Comparison of Nonuse Economic Values with Consumer’s Surplus and Economic Rents from

the Recreation Industry and Commercial Fisheries: Assuming Maximum Potential Losses and Without

Considering Mitigating Factors

g gg

Alternatives

III

Industry/Range of Values II Preferred IV V

Recreation Industry 1 $ 127,029 02,965 $ 320,791 $ 381,108 $ 

Commercial Fisheries 473,097 $ 879,973 $ 1,103,808 $ 1,239,587 $ 

Total 5 $ 1,007,002 76,062 $ 1,424,599 $ 1,620,695 $ 

Nonuse Value

 Lowest + + + +

 Mid-range + + + +

 Highest + + + +

+ Means Nonuse Value exceeds the sum of recreational industry and commercial fishery maximum potential losses.

The non-use economic values would be expected to be greater the larger the area

protected. But as described earlier, the willingness to pay would be expected to be

positively related to both the characteristics of those valuing the reserve and the

characteristics of what they are asked to value. Since the estimates of non-use economic

values are based on an assumed range of values (at the lowest end of the distribution of

values estimated in other studies), the values of the different alternatives cannot be

compared in dollar terms. However, following the suggestions of Spurgeon, the

characteristics of the U.S. population that would support the statement that the above

estimates would likely be lower bound estimates can be demonstrated.

Factors Supporting Positive Non-use Economic Value. Three studies based on

national surveys of U.S. households that evaluated adult perceptions and concerns about

the environment were reviewed. Each of the surveys demonstrated that U.S. citizens have

a high level of concern about the environment and believe the environment is threatened

and requires action. In addition, one of the studies focused specifically on ocean-related

issues (SeaWeb, 1996) and found strong support for marine protected areas. Also, the

assumption that only one (1) percent of U.S. households would be willing to pay for an

ecological reserve would appear to be a conservative lower bound estimate since the

Roper survey (Roper 1990) indicated that in 1990 eight (8) percent of U.S. households

made financial contributions to environmental organizations. Selected results from the

three studies are summarized below. (See tables 33-35).
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

136

Table 33. Environmental Option Study, Inc. (National Sample of 804 Households Conducted 18-26 May,

1991

Environmental Opinion Study, Inc. (National sample of 804 households conducted 18-26 May 1991)

Identification with Environmental Label: %

Strong Environmentalist 31

Weak Environmentalist 29

Lean Towards Environmentalism 30

Neutral 6

Anti-Environmentalist 4

Table 34. Roper 1989 and 1990 National Surveys

Roper 1989 and 1990 National Surveys

1. Things the Nation Should Make a Major Effort on Now

1989 (%) 1990 (%)

a. Trying to solve the problem of crime and drugs 78 88

b. Taking steps to contain the cost of health care 70 80

c. Trying to improve the quality of the environment 56 78

d. Trying to improve the quality of public school education N/A 77

2. Contribute money to environmental groups 7 8

Table 35. SeaWeb 1996. (National Sample of 900 U.S. Households 10-15 May, 1996)

1. Condition of the ocean 49% very 

important

38% somewhat 

important

2. Destruction of the ocean on quality of life

a. Today 52% very serious 35% somewhat 

serious

b. 10 years from now 63% very serious 23% somewhat 

serious

3. Oceans threatened by human activity 82% agree

4. The federal government needs to do more to help protect the oceans 85% agree to 

strongly agree

5. Destruction of ocean plants/ animals 56% very serious 

problem

6. Overfishing by commercial fishermen 45% very serious 

problem

7. Deterioration of coral reefs 43% very serious 

problem

8. Protect sanctuaries where fishing, boating, etc, prohibited 62% strongly 

agree

9. Support efforts to set up Marine Sanctuaries 24% say they are 

almost certain to 

take this action

10. Marine Sanctuaries where no human activity is permitted 19% say they are 

almost certain to 

take this action

SeaWeb 1996. (National Sample of 900 U.S. Households 10-15 May, 1996)

The U.S. population is certainly a high income and highly educated population and,

as the results above predictably show, the U.S. population has a high environmental

concern. However, since the characteristics of the people valuing the reserve would be
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

137

constant (U.S. households) across different proposed ecological reserve boundary

alternatives, to differentiate among alternatives would require that some measurements

that would serve as indicators of the relative quality, condition and uniqueness of the

proposed reserve across alternatives be compared. Unfortunately, the information has not

been compiled in a manner that would enable this to be done at this time.

Ecological reserves provide a multitude of environmental benefits. Sobel (1996)

provides a long list of these benefits. Most of those benefits have been covered above.

Scientific and education values were categorized by Sobel into those things a reserve

provides that increase knowledge and understanding of marine systems. Sobel provides

the following lists of benefits:

Scientific and Education Values

• Provides long-term monitoring sites

• Provides focus for study

• Provides continuity of knowledge in undisturbed site

• Provides opportunity to restore or maintain natural behaviors

• Reduces risks to long-term experiments

• Provides controlled natural areas for assessing anthropogenic impacts,

including fishing and other impacts

Education

• Provides sites for enhanced primary and adult education

• Provides sites for high-level graduate education

OTHER REGULATIONS

Boundary Alternative I

This is the No-Action Alternative and would not result in the expansion of the

Sanctuary boundary and would not establish a Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

Boundary Alternative II

This alternative limits the reserve to the existing Sanctuary boundary for a total area

of approximately 55 square nm (Fig. 28). This alternative includes a portion of Sherwood
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

138

Forest and the coral pinnacles north of Tortugas Bank; it does not include Riley's Hump.

It includes some coral and hardbottom habitat north of the DRTO.

Regulatory Alternative A: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South. The provisions of this alternative

applicable to Tortugas South are not relevant under this boundary alternative. The

Sanctuary-wide regulations already apply to Tortugas North and the effects of the

ecological reserve regulations have been analyzed under the no-take discussion above.

The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and

Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

Regulatory Alternative B: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Regulatory

Alternative A); and prohibit anchoring in and control access to Tortugas South, other

than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, via permit, require call-in for

entering and leaving, and prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a

mooring buoy. The provisions of this alternative applicable to Tortugas South are not

relevant under this boundary alternative. The Sanctuary-wide regulations already apply

to Tortugas North and the effects of the ecological reserve regulations have been

analyzed under the no-take discussion above. The existing ecological reserve regulations

would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR

922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

Regulatory Alternative C: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Regulatory

Alternative A); and prohibit anchoring in and control access to Tortugas North and

South, other than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, via permit,

require call-in for entering and leaving, and prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA

from using a mooring buoy (as described in Regulatory Alternative B). The provisions

of this alternative applicable to Tortugas South are not relevant under this boundary

alternative. The Sanctuary-wide regulations already apply to Tortugas North and the

effects of the ecological reserve regulations have been analyzed under the no-take

discussion above. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves

and Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

This regulatory alternative has no incremental impact on commercial fishing or

recreational consumptive users since they are displaced by the "no-take" regulation. The
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

139

dive operator servicing non-consumptive diving and currently operating in Tortugas

North would be prohibited from anchoring. His vessel is less than 100 ft LOA and thus

he would be unaffected by the prohibition on mooring. The location and availability of

mooring buoys would constrain the number and choice of available dive sites. It is

unknown whether this would have any impact on the future business volume of dive

operators or the quality of the experience to non-consumptive divers. The extent of

impact would be dependent on the number and locations of mooring buoys (to be

determined).

This regulatory alternative would have little impact on commercial shipping because

continuous transit would be allowed. Vessels 50m or greater in registered length are

already prohibited from anchoring in 19.3% of Tortugas North. The main effect would be

to ban such vessels from anchoring on the remainder of Tortugas North. There would be

no incremental impact to treasure salvors since they would be displaced by the "no-take"

regulation. The one dive operator servicing non-consumptive diving and currently

operating in Tortugas North would be required to obtain Tortugas access permits. Any

new dive operators would also be required to obtain a permit. There would be minor time

costs associated with obtaining a permit and getting permission to access the reserve. It

is expected that fulfilling all the permit requirements and obtaining permission to access

the reserve will not exceed 10 minutes of each permittee's time for each visit to the

reserve. No special professional skills would be necessary to apply for a permit.

Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative): Apply existing

Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological reserve regulations to Tortugas North and

South (as described in Regulatory Alternative A); prohibit anchoring in and control

access to Tortugas North via permit, require call-in for entering and leaving, and

prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a mooring buoy (as described in

Regulatory Alternative B); and prohibit anchoring and restrict access to Tortugas

South, other than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, to research or

education activities only pursuant to a sanctuary permit. Because the provisions of this

alternative applicable to Tortugas South are not relevant under this boundary alternative,

the impacts of this alternative are the same as described for Regulatory Alternative C,

above. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and

Sanctuary Preservation Areas.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

140

Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative)

This alternative involves a Sanctuary boundary expansion and represents the WG's

recommendation adopted by the SAC and recommended to NOAA and the State of

Florida for a reserve with a total area of approximately 151 square nm (Fig. 29). It is

NOAA's Preferred Boundary Alternative.

Regulatory Alternative A: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South. Boundary Alternative III includes

areas currently outside the Sanctuary boundary. A small portion of Tortugas North and all

of Tortugas South would be outside the existing Sanctuary boundary. The

Sanctuary-wide regulations would become effective in the expansion areas of Tortugas

North and South. The existing and proposed Sanctuary regulations and their impacts are

presented in Table 36 of the FSEIS/FSMP. More detailed descriptions of the regulations

are included in Appendix C to the FSEIS/FSMP. The effects of the ecological reserve

regulations have been analyzed under the no-take discussion above. The existing

ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and Sanctuary Preservation

Areas.

Regulatory Alternative B: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Regulatory

Alternative A); and prohibit anchoring in and control access to Tortugas South, other

than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, via permit, require call-in for

entering and leaving, and prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a

mooring buoy. Boundary Alternative III includes areas currently outside the Sanctuary

boundary. A small portion of Tortugas North and all of Tortugas South would be outside

the existing Sanctuary boundary. The Sanctuary-wide regulations would become

effective in the expansion areas of Tortugas North and South. The existing and proposed

Sanctuary regulations and their impacts are presented in Table 36 of the FSEIS/FSMP.

More detailed descriptions of the regulations are included in Appendix C to the

FSEIS/FSMP. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and

Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

The effects of the ecological reserve regulations have been analyzed under the

no-take discussion above. The prohibition on anchoring would have no incremental

impact on commercial fishing or recreational consumptive users since they are displaced

by the "no-take" regulation. The one dive operator servicing non-consumptive diving and
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

141

currently operating in Tortugas North would be prohibited from anchoring. There are no

known recreational dive operators servicing Tortugas South. The location and availability

of mooring buoys would constrain the number and choice of available dive sites. It is

unknown whether this would have any impact on the future business volume of dive

operators or the quality of the experience to non-consumptive divers. The extent of

impact would be dependent on the number and locations of mooring buoys (to be

determined). The prohibition on anchoring would impact commercial shipping in the

boundary expansion areas, especially in Tortugas South. The prohibition on anchoring in

Tortugas North is discussed under Boundary/Regulatory Alternative II.C above.

Anchoring by large commercial vessels is known to occur on Riley's Hump, which would

be included in the Sanctuary as part of Tortugas South under Boundary Alternative III

and thus would be subject to the anchoring prohibition. The impact of this regulation on

commercial vessel operators is expected to be small since other anchorages are available

a short distance outside the Sanctuary boundary.

There would be no incremental impact on treasure salvors from the no-anchoring

prohibition since they would be displaced by the "no-take" regulation. The permit

requirements would have no incremental impact on fishermen or salvors because they

would be displaced by the "no-take" regulations. There are no known non-consumptive

dive operators currently operating in Tortugas South. Any non-consumptive dive

operators operating in Tortugas South in the future would be required to obtain Tortugas

access permits. It is not possible to gauge the extent of any such future activity. There

would be minor time costs associated with obtaining a permit and getting permission to

access the reserve. It is expected that fulfilling all the permit requirements and obtaining

permission to access the reserve would not exceed 10 minutes of each permittee's time

for each visit to the reserve. No special professional skills would be necessary to apply

for a permit.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

142

Regulatory Alternative C: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Regulatory

Alternative A); and prohibit anchoring in and control access to Tortugas North and

South, other than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, via permit,

require call-in for entering and leaving, and prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA

from using a mooring buoy (as described in Regulatory Alternative B). The only

difference between the impacts of this regulatory alternative from those discussed under

Regulatory Alternative B would be those associated with the requirement to obtain a

permit for other than continuous transit access to Tortugas North. The permit

requirements would have no incremental impact on fishermen or salvors because they

would be displaced by the "no-take" regulations. There is only one known nonconsumptive dive operator currently operating in Tortugas North. He and any new nonconsumptive dive operators operating in Tortugas North would be required to obtain

Tortugas access permits. There would be minor time costs associated with obtaining a

permit and getting permission to access the reserve. It is expected that fulfilling all the

permit requirements and obtaining permission to access the reserve would not exceed 10

minutes of each permittee's time for each visit to the reserve. No special professional

skills would be necessary to apply for a permit. The existing ecological reserve

regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve consistent with 15

CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative): Apply existing

Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological reserve regulations to Tortugas North and

South (as described in Regulatory Alternative A); prohibit anchoring in and control

access to Tortugas North via permit, require call-in for entering and leaving, and

prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a mooring buoy (as described in

Regulatory Alternative B); and prohibit anchoring and restrict access to Tortugas

South, other than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, to research or

education activities only pursuant to a sanctuary permit. The only difference between

the impacts of this regulatory alternative from those discussed under Regulatory

Alternative C would be those associated with limiting noncontinuous transit access to

Tortugas South to research/educational purposes. For the commercial fisheries, salvors,

and recreational consumptive users, there would be no incremental impacts since the

"no-take" regulation would displace these user groups. There are no known nonconsumptive dive operators currently operating in Tortugas South and no recreational

diving is known to occur there. Under this alternative, none would be allowed in the

future. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

143

Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and

Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

Boundary Alternative IV

This alternative involves an expansion to the south by 23 square nm of Tortugas

North to make it conterminous with the NPS's proposed Research/Natural Area within

the DRTO for a total area of approximately 175 square nm not including the Park area

(Fig. 30). It also involves the same boundary expansion as Boundary Alternative III.

Regulatory Alternative A: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South. A small portion of Tortugas North

and all of Tortugas South would be outside the existing Sanctuary boundary. The

Sanctuary-wide regulations would become effective in the expansion areas of Tortugas

North and South. The existing and proposed Sanctuary regulations and their impacts are

presented in Table 36 of the FSEIS/FSMP. More detailed descriptions of the regulations

are included in Appendix C to the FSEIS/FSMP. The effects of the ecological reserve

regulations which, under Boundary Alternative IV would apply to a larger area because

of the southern expansion of Tortugas North, have been analyzed under the no-take

discussion above. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves

and Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

Regulatory Alternative B: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Regulatory

Alternative A); and prohibit anchoring in and control access to Tortugas South, other

than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, via permit, require call-in for

entering and leaving, and prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a

mooring buoy. A small portion of Tortugas North and all of Tortugas South would be

outside the existing Sanctuary boundary. The Sanctuary-wide regulations would become

effective in the expansion areas of Tortugas North and South. The existing and proposed

Sanctuary regulations and their impacts are presented in Table 36 of the FSEIS/FMP.

More detailed descriptions of the regulations are included in Appendix C to the

FSEIS/FMP. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and

Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

The effects of the ecological reserve regulations which under Boundary Alternative

IV would apply to a larger area because of the southern expansion of Tortugas North
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

144

have been analyzed under the no-take discussion above. The prohibition on anchoring

would have no incremental impact on commercial fishing or recreational consumptive

users since they are displaced by the "no-take" regulation. There are no known

recreational dive operators servicing Tortugas South. The location and availability of

mooring buoys would constrain the number and choice of available dive sites. It is

unknown whether this would have any impact on the future business volume of dive

operators or the quality of the experience to non-consumptive divers. The extent of

impact would be dependent on the number and locations of mooring buoys (to be

determined).

The prohibition on anchoring would impact commercial shipping in the boundary

expansion areas, especially in Tortugas South. The prohibition on anchoring in Tortugas

North is discussed under Boundary/Regulatory Alternative II.C. above. Anchoring by

large commercial vessels is known to occur on Riley's Hump, which would be included

in the Sanctuary as part of Tortugas South under Boundary Alternative IV and thus would

be subject to the anchoring prohibition. The impact of this regulation on commercial

vessel operators is expected to be small since other non-coral reef anchorages outside the

Sanctuary boundary are available a short distance away.

There would be no incremental impact on treasure salvors from the no-anchoring

prohibition since they would be displaced by the "no-take" regulation.

The permit requirements would have no incremental impact on fishermen or salvors

because they would be displaced by the "no-take" regulations. There are no known nonconsumptive dive operators currently operating in Tortugas South. Any non-consumptive

dive operators operating in Tortugas South in the future would be required to obtain

Tortugas access permits. It is not possible to gauge the extent of any such future activity.

There would be minor time costs associated with obtaining a permit and getting

permission to access the reserve. It is expected that fulfilling all the permit requirements

and obtaining permission to access the reserve would not exceed 10 minutes of each

permittee's time for each visit to the reserve. No special professional skills would be

necessary to apply for a permit.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

145

Regulatory Alternative C: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Regulatory

Alternative A); and prohibit anchoring in and control access to Tortugas North and

South, other than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, via permit,

require call-in for entering and leaving, and prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA

from using a mooring buoy (as described in Regulatory Alternative B). The only

difference between the impacts of this regulatory alternative from those discussed under

Alternative B would be those associated with the requirement to obtain a permit for other

than continuous transit access to Tortugas North. Under this boundary alternative there

are 2.75 more person-days of recreational non-consumptive use than under Boundary

Alternatives II and III. While the area of Tortugas North would be increased by the

expansion to the south, the permit requirements would have no incremental impact on

fishermen or salvors because they would be displaced by the "no-take" regulations. There

is only one known non-consumptive dive operator currently operating in Tortugas North.

He and any new non-consumptive dive operators operating in Tortugas North would be

required to obtain Tortugas access permits. There would be minor time costs associated

with obtaining a permit and getting permission to access the reserve. It is expected that

fulfilling all the permit requirements and obtaining permission to access the reserve

would not exceed ten minutes of each permittee's time for each visit to the reserve. No

special professional skills would be necessary to apply for a permit. The existing

ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and Sanctuary Preservation

Areas.

Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative): Apply existing

Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological reserve regulations to Tortugas North and

South (as described in Regulatory Alternative A); prohibit anchoring in and control

access to Tortugas North via permit, require call-in for entering and leaving, and

prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a mooring buoy (as described in

Regulatory Alternative B); and prohibit anchoring and restrict access to Tortugas

South, other than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, to research or

education activities only pursuant to a sanctuary permit. The only difference between

the impacts of this regulatory alternative from those discussed under regulatory

Alternative C would be those associated with limiting non-continuous transit access to

Tortugas South to research/educational purposes. For the commercial fisheries, salvors,

and recreational consumptive users, there would be no incremental impacts since the

"no-take" regulation would displace these user groups. There are no known non-
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

146

consumptive dive operators currently operating in Tortugas South and no recreational

diving is known to occur there. Under this alternative, none would be allowed in the

future. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and

Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

Boundary Alternative V

This alternative involves a Sanctuary boundary expansion to the west by three

minutes ending at longitude 83'09" instead of 83'06" and would increase the reserve area

to 190 square nm (Fig. 31). Tortugas North would be expanded to the west and Tortugas

South would be shortened to the north. Sanctuary-wide regulations would be applied to

the expansion area.

Regulatory Alternative A: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South. The Sanctuary-wide regulations

would become effective in the expansion area. The existing and proposed Sanctuary

regulations and their impacts are presented in Table 36 of the FSEIS/FSMP. More

detailed descriptions of the regulations are included in Appendix C to the FSEIS/FSMP.

The effects of the ecological reserve regulations which, under Boundary Alternative V

apply to a larger area because of the Sanctuary expansion, have been analyzed under the

no-take discussion above. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit

fishing in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological

Reserves and Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

Regulatory Alternative B: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Regulatory

Alternative A); and prohibit anchoring in and control access to Tortugas South, other

than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, via permit, require call-in for

entering and leaving, and prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a

mooring buoy. A small portion of Tortugas North and all of Tortugas South would be

outside the existing Sanctuary boundary. The Sanctuary-wide regulations would become

effective in the expansion area. The existing and proposed Sanctuary regulations and

their impacts are summarized in Table 36 of the FSEIS/FSMP. More detailed

descriptions of the regulations are included in Appendix C to the FSEIS/FSMP. The

existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and Sanctuary

Preservation Areas.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

147

The effects of the ecological reserve regulations which, under Boundary Alternative

V apply to a larger area because of the Sanctuary expansion, have been analyzed under

the no-take discussion above. The prohibition on anchoring would have no incremental

impact on commercial fishing or recreational consumptive users since they are displaced

by the "no-take" regulation. There are no known recreational dive operators servicing

Tortugas South. The location and availability of mooring buoys would constrain the

number and choice of available dive sites. It is unknown whether this would have any

impact on the future business volume of dive operators or the quality of the experience to

non-consumptive divers. The extent of impact would be dependent on the number and

locations of mooring buoys (to be determined).

The prohibition on anchoring would impact commercial shipping in the boundary

expansion area, especially in Tortugas South. Anchoring by large commercial vessels is

known to occur on Riley's Hump, which would be included in the Sanctuary as part of

Tortugas South under Boundary Alternative V and thus would be subject to the anchoring

prohibition. While the Sanctuary area has been expanded, the impact of this regulation on

commercial vessel operators is still expected to be small since other non-coral reef

anchorages are available a short distance away outside the Sanctuary boundary.

There would be no incremental impact on treasure salvors from the no-anchoring

prohibition since they would be displaced by the "no-take" regulation.

The permit requirements would have no incremental impact on fishermen or salvors

because they would be displaced by the "no-take" regulations.

There are no known non-consumptive dive operators currently operating in Tortugas

South. Any non-consumptive dive operators operating in Tortugas South in the future

would be required to obtain Tortugas access permits. It is not possible to gauge the extent

of any such future activity. There would be minor time costs associated with obtaining a

permit and getting permission to access the reserve. It is expected that fulfilling all the

permit requirements and obtaining permission to access the reserve would not exceed 10

minutes of each permittee's time for each visit to the reserve. No special professional

skills would be necessary to apply for a permit.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

148

Regulatory Alternative C: Apply existing Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological

reserve regulations to Tortugas North and South (as described in Regulatory

Alternative A); and prohibit anchoring in and control access to Tortugas North and

South, other than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, via permit,

require call-in for entering and leaving, and prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA

from using a mooring buoy (as described in Regulatory Alternative B). The only

difference between the impacts of this regulatory alternative from those discussed under

Regulatory Alternative B would be those associated with the requirement to obtain a

permit for other than continuous transit access to Tortugas North. Under this boundary

alternative there are 3.25 more person-days of recreational non-consumptive use than

under Boundary Alternatives IV. While the area of Tortugas North would be increased by

the expansion to the west, the permit requirements would have no incremental impact on

fishermen or salvors because they would be displaced by the "no-take" regulations. There

is one known non-consumptive dive operator currently operating in Tortugas North. He

and any new non-consumptive dive operators operating in Tortugas North would be

required to obtain Tortugas access permits. There would be minor time costs associated

with obtaining a permit and getting permission to access the reserve. It is expected that

fulfilling all the permit requirements and obtaining permission to access the reserve

would not exceed 10 minutes of each permittee's time for each visit to the reserve. No

special professional skills would be necessary to apply for a permit. The existing

ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and Sanctuary Preservation

Areas.

Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative): Apply existing

Sanctuary-wide and existing ecological reserve regulations to Tortugas North and

South (as described in Regulatory Alternative A); prohibit anchoring in and control

access to Tortugas North via permit, require call-in for entering and leaving, and

prohibit vessels longer than 100 ft LOA from using a mooring buoy (as described in

Regulatory Alternative B); and prohibit anchoring and restrict access to Tortugas

South, other than for continuous transit or law enforcement purposes, to research or

education activities only pursuant to a sanctuary permit. The only difference between

the impacts of this regulatory alternative from those discussed under Regulatory

Alternative C would be those associated with limiting noncontinuous transit access to

Tortugas South to research/educational purposes. For the commercial fisheries, salvors,

and recreational consumptive users, there would be no incremental impacts since the

"no-take" regulation would displace these user groups. There are no known non-
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

149

consumptive dive operators currently operating in Tortugas South and no recreational

diving is known to occur there. Under this alternative, none would be allowed in the

future. The existing ecological reserve regulations would prohibit fishing in the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve consistent with 15 CFR 922.164(d) Ecological Reserves and

Sanctuary Preservation Areas.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative II

1. No Take(a) Possessing, moving,harvesting, removing,taking, damaging,disturbing, breaking,cutting, spearing, orotherwise injuring anycoral, marineinvertebrate, fish,bottom formation,algae, seagrass or otherliving or dead organism,including shells, orattempting any of theseactivities. However,fish, invertebrates, andmarine plants may bepossessed aboard avessel in the ecologicalreserve provided suchresources can be shownnot to have beenharvested within,removed from, or takenwithin, the ecologicalreserve, as applicable,by being stowed in acabin, locker, orsimilar storage areaprior to entering andduring transit through

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

51 of the 105 to 110commercial fishingoperations arepotentially impacted.Some operations aremulti-species fisheries.24 lobster, 6 shrimp, 15king mackerel, and 37reef fish operationspotentially impacteddirectly. About $411thousand in harvestrevenue potentially lostor 6 % of the harvestrevenue from theTERSA. On average,about $8,000 per fishingoperation. Additionally,potential losses to 10fish houses and othersmall businessesthrough the multiplierimpact.

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

9 of 12 charter boatoperations operatingwithin the TERSAwould be potentiallyimpacted. Directbusiness revenue wouldinclude 26.6% fordiving for lobsters, 20%for spear fishing, and2.9% for fishing.Across all threerecreation consumptiveactivities, 9.48% ofrevenue would bepotentially impacted andabout 14% of profits.On average, maximumpotential losses areestimated to be about$13,700 of lost revenueand $5,580 of lostprofits per operation.Additional potentiallosses to an unknownnumber of small firmsthrough the multiplier

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

No losses. Potentialgains to one charter boatdive operation providingservices to nonconsumptive divers.Indirect gains to severalsmall businesses due tothe multiplier impacts.Gains fromimprovements in qualityof sites in terms ofdiversity, number andsize of various sea life.Improvements in qualityof experience leading toincrease in demand forcharter boat services andcorresponding multiplierimpacts on other smallbusinesses.

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

No impact.B. Mitigating

Factors, Offsetting Factorsand Net Impact

No impact.

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

No expected impact.One permit forinventorying submergedcultural resources inSanctuary waters wasissued for the Tortugasarea of the Sanctuary.There were nosubmerged culturalresources found.B. Mitigating

Factors, Offsetting Factorsand Net Impact

No mitigating factors oroffsetting factors.Sanctuary will not issuepermits for treasuresalvaging in theecological reserve.Since no submergedcultural resources werelocated on TortugasBank, no expectedimpact.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative II (continued)

1. No Take (continued)such reserve, providedfurther that such vesselis in continuous transitthrough the ecologicalreserve.(b) Fishing by anymeans.(c) Touching living ordead coral, includingbut not limited to,standing on a living ordead coral formation.

B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

Relocation. For lobsterfishing operations, thepotential losses are notlikely to occur becausethe State of Florida’strap reduction programand fishermen areknowledgeable of otherfishing locationsthroughout theSanctuary. For kingmackerel operations,potential losses are notlikely to occur becauseking mackerel is apelagic species that ishighly mobile and couldbe caught in otherlocations. For shrimpoperations, losses arenot likely to occurbecause shrimp caughtin the proposed reserveare such a smallpercentage of totalcatch. Highly likelythat lost catch could bemade up from other

impacts. Only afraction of a percent ofthe totaltourist/recreationbusiness in MonroeCounty.

B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

Substitution. Completemitigation with nolosses is a highprobability because onlya small portion of theTortugas Bank isincluded in theecological reserve. Allusers can substitute toother sites on thesouthern half ofTortugas Bank. Longterm Benefits fromReplenishment Effect.Net result is no shortterm losses and longterm gains to smallbusinesses that aredirectly and indirectlydependent onrecreational
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative II (continued)

1. No Take (continued)

locations. For reef fish,the potential losses arelikely to occur in theshort term because reeffish stocks areoverfished throughoutthe Sanctuary.Long-term Benefitsfrom Replenishment.No expected benefits toking mackerel or shrimpoperations. For lobsteroperations, expected netbenefits fromreplenishment effect ofecological reserve. Forreef fish operations, it isnot clear whether thefull 13 percent lost catchfrom displacementwould be replaced fromreplenishment, but thecosts of displacementwould be mitigated andthe losses to be less thanthe 13 percent reductionin the maximum losscase.

Consumptive use in theTERSA.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative II (continued)

2. NoAnchoring/RequiredMooring Buoy Use/NoDischarges or Deposits(a) Anchoring on coral.(b) Anchoring when

mooring buoys ordesignatedanchoring areas areavailable

(c) Discharges or

deposits exceptcooling water orengine exhaust.

No incremental impactsince “no take”regulations alreadydisplace all commercialfishing.

No incremental impactsince recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

One charter operationthat currently operatesin Tortugas Northpotentially impacted.Mooring buoy use willconstrain number andchoice of available divesites. It is unknownwhether this will impacton future business ofdive operators. Impactis dependent on thenumber and distribution(locations) of mooringbuoys (to bedetermined). Prohibitionagainst discharges ordeposits will result in noincremental impact.

No impact. No incremental impact

since treasure salvagingdisplaced by “no take”regulations.

3. No AccessAlternative A: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above. Tortugas Southnot in this boundaryalternative.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above. Tortugas Southnot in this boundaryalternative.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above. Tortugas Southnot in this boundaryalternative.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above. Tortugas Southnot in this boundaryalternative.

No incremental impactsince “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative II (continued)

3. No Access(continued)Alternative B: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth (as described inAlternative A). Prohibitanchoring in and controlaccess to TortugasSouth via permit andrequire call-in, call-out.Use of mooring buoysby vessels 100’ or lessin length.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above. Tortugas Southnot in this boundaryalternative.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above. Tortugas Southnot in this boundaryalternative.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above. Tortugas Southnot in this boundaryalternative.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacestreasure salvaging.

Alternative C: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth (as described inAlternative A). Prohibitanchoring in and controlaccess to TortugasNorth and South viapermit and require callin, call-out (as describedin Alternative B). Useof mooring buoys byvessels 100’ or less inlength.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Currently one charterdive operator operatesin Tortugas North, whilenone operate in theSouth. Minor amountof time cost to charteroperations in reportingto Sanctuary staffer toobtain permit and tonotify when entering aleaving ecologicalreserve. None of thecurrent operators havevessels over 100 feet inlength. Time costsexpected to be limited toless than 15 minutes toobtain permit and accesspermission peroperation per visit to thereserve.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative II (continued)

3. No Access(continued)Alternative D(Preferred): Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andTortugas South (asdescribed in AlternativeA). Prohibit anchoringin Tortugas North andSouth and controlaccesss to TortugasNorth via permit andrequire call-in, call-out(as described inAlternative B). Restrictaccess to TortugasSouth to research oreducational activitiesonly. Use of mooringbuoys by vessels 100’or less in length.

No incremental impactsince commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactsince recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Currently one diveoperator operates inTortugas North, none inTortugas South. Minortime costs to divecharter operators inreporting to Sanctuarystaffer to obtain permitand to notify whenentering and leavingecological reserve.Time cost is expected tobe less than 15 minutesper operation per visit tothe reserve.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred

1. No Take(a) Possessing, moving,harvesting, removing,taking, damaging,disturbing, breaking,cutting, spearing, orotherwise injuring anycoral, marineinvertebrate, fish,bottom formation,algae, seagrass or otherliving or dead organism,including shells, orattempting any of theseactivities. However,fish, invertebrates, andmarine plants may bepossessed aboard avessel in the ecologicalreserve provided suchresources can be shownnot to have beenharvested within,removed from, or takenwithin, the ecologicalreserve, as applicable,by being stowed in acabin, locker, or similarstorage area prior toentering and duringtransit through

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

64 of the 105 to 110commercial fishingoperations arepotentially impacted.Some operations aremulti-species fisheries.27 lobster, 15 shrimp,16 king mackerel, and40 reef fish operationspotentially impacteddirectly. About $844thousand in harvestrevenue potentially lostor 12 % of the harvestrevenue from theTERSA. On average,about $13,000 perfishing operation.Additionally, potentiallosses to 10 fish housesand other smallbusinesses through themultiplier impact.

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

9 of 12 charter boatoperations operatingwithin the TERSAwould be potentiallyimpacted. Directbusiness revenue wouldinclude 26.6% fordiving for lobsters, 20%for spear fishing, and6.3% for fishing.Across all threerecreation consumptiveactivities, 11.7% ofrevenue would bepotentially impacted andalmost 16% of profits.On average, maximumpotential losses areestimated to be about$13,700 of lost revenueand $5,580 of lostprofits per operation.Additional potentiallosses to an unknownnumber of small firmsthrough the multiplierimpacts. Only a fraction

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

No losses. Potentialgains to one charter boatdive operation providingservices to nonconsumptive divers.Indirect gains to severalsmall businesses due tothe multiplier impacts.Gains fromimprovements in qualityof sites in terms ofdiversity, number andsize of various sea life.Improvements in qualityof experience leading toincrease in demand forcharter boat services andcorresponding multiplierimpacts on other smallbusinesses.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No mitigating or offsetting factors. Netgains (see A above).

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

No impact.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No impact.

A. Maximum

Potential Loss

No expected impact.One permit forinventorying submergedcultural resources inSanctuary waters wasissued for the Tortugasarea of the Sanctuary.There were nosubmerged culturalresources found.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No mitigating factors oroffsetting factors.Sanctuary will not issuepermits for treasuresalvaging in theecological reserve.Since no submergedcultural resources werelocated on TortugasBank, no expectedimpact.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

1. No Take (continued)such reserve, providedfurther that such vesselis in continuous transitthrough the ecologicalreserve.(b) Fishing by anymeans.(c) Touching living ordead coral, includingbut not limited to,standing on a living ordead coral formation.

B. Mitigating

Factors, Offsetting Factorsand Net Impact

Relocation. For lobsterfishing operations, thepotential losses are notlikely to occur becausethe State of Florida’strap reduction programand fishermen areknowledgeable of otherfishing locationsthroughout theSanctuary. For kingmackerel operations,potential losses are notlikely to occur becauseking mackerel is apelagic species that ishighly mobile and couldbe caught in otherlocations. For shrimpoperations, losses arenot likely to occurbecause shrimp caughtin the proposed reserveare such a smallpercentage of totalcatch. Highly likely thatlost catch could be made

of a percent of the totaltourist/recreationbusiness in MonroeCounty.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

Substitution. Completemitigation with nolosses is a highprobability because onlya small portion of theTortugas Bank isincluded in theecological reserve. Allusers can substitute toother sites on thesouthern half ofTortugas Bank.Long-term Benefitsfrom ReplenishmentEffect. Net result is noshort term losses andlong-term gains to smallbusinesses that aredirectly and indirectlydependent on
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

1. No Take (continued)

up from other locations.For reef fish, thepotential losses arelikely to occur in theshort term because reeffish stocks areoverfished throughoutthe Sanctuary.Long-term Benefitsfrom Replenishment.No expected benefits toking mackerel or shrimpoperations. For lobsteroperations, expected netbenefits fromreplenishment effect ofecological reserve. Forreef fish operations, it isnot clear whether thefull 20 percent lost catchfrom displacementwould be replaced fromreplenishment, but thecosts of displacementwould be mitigated andthe losses to be less thanthe 20 percent reductionin the maximum losscase.

recreationalconsumptive use in theTERSA.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

2. NoAnchoring/RequiredMooring Buoy Use/NoDischarges orDeposits.(a) Anchoring on coral.(b) Anchoring whenmooring buoys ordesignated anchoringareas are available(c) Discharges ordeposits except coolingwater or engine exhaust.

No incremental impactsince “no take”regulations alreadydisplace all commercialfishing.

No incremental impactsince recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulations.

One charter operationthat currently operatesin Tortugas Northpotentially impacted.Mooring buoy use willconstrain number andchoice of available divesites. It is unknownwhether this will impacton future business ofdive operators. Impactis dependent on thenumber and distribution(locations) of mooringbuoys (to bedetermined). Prohibitionagainst discharges ordeposits results in noincremental impact.

No impact. No incremental impact

since treasure salvagingdisplaced by “no take”regulations.

3. No AccessAlternative A: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impactsince “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

3. No Access(continued)Alternative B: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth (as described inAlternative A). Prohibitanchoring in and controlaccess to TortugasSouth via permit andrequire call-in, call-out.Use of mooring buoysby vessels 100’ or lessin length.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

Alternative C: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth (as described inAlternative A). Prohibitanchoring in and controlaccess to TortugasNorth and South viapermit and require callin, call-out (as describedin Alternative B). Useof mooring buoys byvessels 100’ or less inlength.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Currently one charterdive operator operate inTortugas North, whilenone operate in theSouth. Minor amountof time cost to charteroperations in reportingto Sanctuary staffer toobtain permit and tonotify when enteringand leaving ecologicalreserve. permission.None of the currentoperators have vesselsover 100 feet in length.Time costs expected tobe limited to less than15 minutes to obtainpermit and accesspermission peroperation per visit to thereserve.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

3. No Access(continued)Alternative D(Preferred): Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andTortugas South (asdescribed in AlternativeA). Prohibit anchoringin Tortugas North andSouth and controlaccesss to TortugasNorth via permit andrequire call-in, call-out(as described inAlternative B). Restrictaccess to TortugasSouth to research oreducational activitiesonly. Use of mooringbuoys by vessels 100’or less in length.

No incremental impactsince commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactsince recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Currently one diveoperator operates inTortugas North, none inTortugas South. Minortime costs to divecharter operators inreporting to Sanctuarystaffer to obtain permitand to notify whenentering and leavingecological reserve.Time cost is expected tobe less than 15 minutesper operation per visit tothe reserve.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide RegulationsProhibited Activities

a. Mineral andhydrocarbonexploration,development andproduction.

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

b. Removal of,injury to, orpossession of coralor live rock.

No impact because thecommercial andpersonal taking of coraland live rock iscurrently illegal. Liverock aquaculturepermits will not beissued and none arecurrently in existence.

No impact because thecommercial andpersonal taking of coraland live rock iscurrently illegal.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

c. Alteration of,or construction onthe seabed(exemptions aremade forinstallation of navaids & mooringbuoys).

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

d. Discharge ordeposit ofmaterials or othermatter exceptcooling water orengine exhaust.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

e. Operation ofvessels that strikeor injure coral orseagrass;anchoring on livecoral in depthsless than 40’;exceeding 4 knotsor creating wakesin designatedareas; injuring ortaking birds ormarine mammals.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactsbecause recreationalconsumptive usersalready displaced by “notake” regulations.

No impact expectedbecause dive operatorsalready operate in thismanner. No firmscurrently operate inthese areas.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “ no take”regulation displacestreasure salvaging.

f. Conduct ofdiving/ snorkelingwithout a diveflag.

Not applicable. No incremental impact

because recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulation.

No impact expectedbecause use of flags isalready required byother Federal and Stateregulations. No firmscurrently operate inthese areas.

Not applicable. Not applicable.

g. Release ofexotic species.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws and there areno known aquacultureoperations in the areas.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulation displacestreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

h. Damage orremoval ofmarkers.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No Incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulations.

No incremental impactexpected because suchprohibitions alreadyexist for markers placedby other governmentalentities and theregulation only appliesto Sanctuary markers.No firms currentlyoperate in these areas.

No incremental impactexpected because suchprohibitions alreadyexist for markers placedby other governmentalentities and theregulation only appliesto Sanctuary markers.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulation displacestreasure salvaging.

i. Movement of,removal of, injuryto, or possession ofSanctuaryhistoricalresources.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. No incremental impact

since “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

j. Take orpossession ofprotected wildlife.

No impact becausewildlife is alreadyprotected by otherapplicable law.

No impact becausewildlife is alreadyprotected by otherapplicable law.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

k. Possession oruse of explosivesor electricaldischarges (intentis to apply to takeof marine species).

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative III: Preferred (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

l. Harvest orpossession ofmarine life species(effect is to extendcurrent State lawinto Federalwaters).

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations. Currentlythere are no marine lifecollectors operating inthese areas.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

m. Interferencewith lawenforcement.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

No impact expectedbecause this provision isconsistent with existinglaws providing forpenalties for interferingwith law enforcement.No firms currentlyoperate in these areas.

No impact expectedbecause this provision isconsistent with existinglaws providing forpenalties for interferingwith law enforcement.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV

1. No Take(a) Possessing, moving,harvesting, removing,taking, damaging,disturbing, breaking,cutting, spearing, orotherwise injuring anycoral, marineinvertebrate, fish,bottom formation,algae, seagrass or otherliving or dead organism,including shells, orattempting any of theseactivities. However,fish, invertebrates, andmarine plants may bepossessed aboard avessel in the ecologicalreserve provided suchresources can be shownnot to have beenharvested within,removed from, or takenwithin, the ecologicalreserve, as applicable,by being stowed in acabin, locker, or similarstorage area prior toentering and duringtransit through

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

65 of the 105 to 110commercial fishingoperations arepotentially impacted.Some operations aremulti-species fisheries.27 lobster, 14 shrimp,16 king mackerel, and42 reef fish operationspotentially impacteddirectly. About $1.12million in harvestrevenue potentially lostor 16.45 % of theharvest revenue fromthe TERSA. Onaverage, about $17,300per fishing operation.Additionally, potentiallosses to 10 fish housesand other smallbusinesses through themultiplier impact.

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

10 of 12 charter boatoperations operatingwithin the TERSAwould be potentiallyimpacted. Directbusiness revenue wouldinclude 73.3% fordiving for lobsters, 59%for spear fishing, and10.5% for fishing.Across all threerecreation consumptiveactivities, 28.7% ofrevenue would bepotentially impacted andalmost 41% of profits.On average, maximumpotential losses areestimated to be about$37,380 of lost revenueand $14,500 of lostprofits per operation.Additional potentiallosses to an unknownnumber of small firmsthrough the multiplierimpacts. Only a fraction

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

No losses. Potentialgains to one charter boatdive operation providingservices to nonconsumptive divers.Indirect gains to severalsmall businesses due tothe multiplier impacts.Gains fromimprovements in qualityof sites in terms ofdiversity, number andsize of various sea life.Improvements in qualityof experience leading toincrease in demand forcharter boat services andcorresponding multiplierimpacts on other smallbusinesses.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No mitigating oroffsetting factors. Netgains (see A above).

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

No impact.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No impact.

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

No expected impact.One permit forinventorying submergedcultural resources inSanctuary waters wasissued for the Tortugasarea of the Sanctuary.There were nosubmerged culturalresources found.Currently, it is unknownwhether there are anysubmerged culturalresources on Riley’sHump, located inTortugas South.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No mitigating factors oroffsetting factors.Sanctuary will not issuepermits for treasuresalvaging in theecological reserve.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

1. No Take (continued)such reserve, providedfurther that such vesselis in continuous transitthrough the ecologicalreserve.(b) Fishing by anymeans.(c) Touching living ordead coral, includingbut not limited to,standing on a living ordead coral formation.

B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

Relocation. For lobsterfishing operations, thepotential losses are notlikely to occur becausethe State of Florida’strap reduction programand fishermen areknowledgeable of otherfishing locationsthroughout theSanctuary. For kingmackerel operations,potential losses are notlikely to occur becauseking mackerel is apelagic species that ishighly mobile and couldbe caught in otherlocations. For shrimpoperations, losses arenot likely to occurbecause shrimp caughtin the proposed reserveare such a smallpercentage of total

of a percent of the totaltourist/recreationbusiness in MonroeCounty.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

Substitution. Under thisalternative, about 73% ofdiving for lobsters and72% of spearfishing wouldbe displaced. Thepotential for substituting toalternative sites is greatlyreduced compared withAlternatives II and III.The reason is that underthis alternative all of theTortugas Bank falls withinthis boundary alternative.Some substitution ispossible, but theprobability of crowdingeffects rises considerablyfor diving for lobsters andspearfishing. For fishing,substitution mitigating allthe losses is still highly

Since no submergedcultural resources werelocated on TortugasBank, no expectedimpact.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

1. No Take (continued)

catch. Highly likely thatlost catch could be madeup from other locations.For reef fish, thepotential losses arelikely to occur in theshort term because reeffish stocks areoverfished throughoutthe Sanctuary.Long-term Benefitsfrom Replenishment.No expected benefits toking mackerel or shrimpoperations. For lobsteroperations, expected netbenefits fromreplenishment effect ofecological reserve. Forreef fish operations, it isnot clear whether thefull 28 percent lost catchfrom displacementwould be replaced fromreplenishment, but the

probable since only6percent of fishing activitywould be displaced. Thisrepresents a relatively lowamount of activity andgiven the wide distributionof this activity in the studyarea, crowding effects arestill a low probability.Long-term Benefits fromReplenishment Effect. Fordiving for lobsters andspearfishing, it is not clearwhether there would besignificant benefits offsitegiven that most of thisactivity currently takesplace on the Tortugas Bankand none of the Bank isavailable for theseactivities. Not much isknown about other areasthat might benefit from thereplenishment effect andwhere users could relocateto reap these benefits.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

1. No Take (continued)

costs of displacementwould be mitigated andthe losses to be less thanthe 28 percent reductionin the maximum losscase.

Whether the activitiesdisplaced could findalternative sites where bothquantity and quality ofactivity could bemaintained or enhancedseems less likely given theextent of displacement.For fishing, the smallamount of displacementrelative to the entire areaplus the wide distributionof fishing activity stillmakes it highly likely thatlong-term benefits ofreplenishment will morethan offset the potentiallosses from displacementwith net benefits to thisgroup. Net result is shortterm losses and lowlikelihood of long-termgains to small businessesthat are directly andindirectly dependent onrecreational consumptiveuse in the TERSA. Forfishing, small amount ofdisplacement not likely toresult in short term lossesand likely long-term gains.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

2. NoAnchoring/RequiredMooring Buoy Use/NoDischarges or Deposits(a) Anchoring on coral.(b) Anchoring whenmooring buoys ordesignated anchoringareas are available(c) Discharges ordeposits except coolingwater or engine exhaust.

No incremental impactsince “no take”regulations alreadydisplaces all commercialfishing.

No incremental impactsince recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulations.

One charter operationthat currently operatesin Tortugas Northpotentially impacted.Mooring buoy use willconstrain number andchoice of available divesites. It is unknownwhether this will impacton future business ofdive operators. Impactis dependent on thenumber and distribution(locations) of mooringbuoys (to bedetermined). Prohibitionon discharges ordeposits results in noincremental impact.

No impact. No incremental impact

since treasure salvagingdisplaced by “no take”regulations.

3. No AccessAlternative A: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impactsince “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

3. No Access(continued)Alternative B: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth (as described inAlternative A). Prohibitanchoring in and controlaccess to TortugasSouth via permit andrequire call-in, call-out.Use of mooring buoysby vessels 100’ or lessin length.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacestreasure salvaging.

Alternative C: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth (as described inAlternative A). Prohibitanchoring in and controlaccess to TortugasNorth and South viapermit and require callin, call-out (as describedin Alternative B). Useof mooring buoys byvessels 100’ or less inlength.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Currently one charterdive operator operatesin Tortugas North, whilenone operate in theSouth. Minor amountof time cost to charteroperations in reportingto Sanctuary staffer toobtain permit and tonotify when enteringand leaving ecologicalreserve.. The currentoperator does not havevessels over 100 feet inlength. Time costsexpected to be limited toless than 15 minutes toobtain permit and accesspermission peroperation per visit to thereserve.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

3. No Access(continued)Alternative D(Preferred): Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andTortugas South (asdescribed in AlternativeA). Prohibit anchoringin Tortugas North andSouth and controlaccesss to TortugasNorth via permit andrequire call-in, call-out(as described inAlternative B). Restrictaccess to TortugasSouth to research oreducational activitiesonly. Use of mooringbuoys by vessels 100’or less in length.

No incremental impactsince commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactsince recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Currently one diveoperator operates inTortugas North, none inTortugas South. Minortime costs to the divecharter operator inreporting to Sanctuarystaffer to obtain permitand to notify whenentering and leavingecoligcal reserve.. Timecost is expected to beless than 15 minutes peroperation per visit to thereserve.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide RegulationsProhibited Activities

a. Mineral andhydrocarbonexploration,development andproduction.

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

b. Removal of,injury to, orpossession of coralor live rock.

No impact because thecommercial andpersonal taking of coraland live rock iscurrently illegal. Liverock aquaculturepermits will not beissued and none arecurrently in existence.

No impact because thecommercial andpersonal taking of coraland live rock iscurrently illegal.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

c. Alteration of,or construction onthe seabed(exemptions aremade forinstallation of navaids & mooringbuoys).

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

d. Discharge ordeposit ofmaterials or othermatter exceptcooling water orengine exhaust.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

e. Operation ofvessels that strikeor injure coral orseagrass;anchoring on livecoral in depthsless than 40’;exceeding 4 knotsor creating wakesin designatedareas; injuring ortaking birds ormarine mammals.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactsbecause recreationalconsumptive usersalready displaced by “notake” regulations.

No impact expectedbecause dive operatorsalready operate in thismanner. No firmscurrently operate inthese areas.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

f. Conduct ofdiving/ snorkelingwithout a diveflag.

Not applicable. No incremental impact

because recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulations.

No impact expectedbecause use of flags isalready required byother Federal and Stateregulations. No firmscurrently operate inthese areas.

Not applicable. Not applicable.

g. Release ofexotic species.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws and there areno known aquacultureoperations in the areas.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

h. Damage orremoval ofmarkers.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No Incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulations.

No incremental impactexpected because suchprohibitions alreadyexist for markers placedby other governmentalentities and theregulation only appliesto Sanctuary markers.No firms currentlyoperate in these areas.

No incremental impactexpected because suchprohibitions alreadyexist for markers placedby other governmentalentities and theregulation only appliesto Sanctuary markers.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

i. Movement of,removal of, injuryto, or possession ofSanctuaryhistoricalresources.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. No incremental impact

since “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

j. Take ofpossession ofprotected wildlife.

No impact becausewildlife is alreadyprotected by otherapplicable law.

No impact becausewildlife is alreadyprotected by otherapplicable law.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

k. Possession oruse of explosivesor electricaldischarges (intentis to apply to takeof marine species).

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative IV (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

l. Harvest orpossession ofmarine life species(effect is to extendcurrent State lawinto Federalwaters).

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations. Currentlythere are no marine lifecollectors operating inthese areas.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

m. Interferencewith lawenforcement.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

No impact expectedbecause this provision isconsistent with existinglaws providing forpenalties for interferingwith law enforcement.No firms currentlyoperate in these areas.

No impact expectedbecause this provision isconsistent with existinglaws providing forpenalties for interferingwith law enforcement.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V

1. No Take(a) Possessing, moving,harvesting, removing,taking, damaging,disturbing, breaking,cutting, spearing, orotherwise injuring anycoral, marineinvertebrate, fish,bottom formation,algae, seagrass or otherliving or dead organism,including shells, orattempting any of theseactivities. However,fish, invertebrates, andmarine plants may bepossessed aboard avessel in the ecologicalreserve provided suchresources can be shownnot to have beenharvested within,removed from, or takenwithin, the ecologicalreserve, as applicable,by being stowed in acabin, locker, or similarstorage area prior toentering and duringtransit through

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

65 of the 105 to110commercial fishingoperations arepotentially impacted.Some operations aremulti-species fisheries.27 lobster, 14 shrimp,16 king mackerel, and42 reef fish operationspotentially impacteddirectly. About $1.22million in harvestrevenue potentially lostor 17.9 % of the harvestrevenue from theTERSA. On average,about $18,843 perfishing operation.Additionally, potentiallosses to 10 fish housesand other smallbusinesses through themultiplier impact.

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

11 of 12 charter boatoperations operatingwithin the TERSAwould be potentiallyimpacted. Directbusiness revenue wouldinclude 86.66% fordiving for lobsters, 69%for spear fishing, and12.88% for fishing.Across all threerecreation consumptiveactivities, 34% ofrevenue would bepotentially impacted andabout 48% of profits.On average, maximumpotential losses areestimated to be about$40,248 of lost revenueand $15,668 of lostprofits per operation.Additional potentiallosses to an unknownnumber of small firmsthrough the multiplierimpacts. Only a fraction

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

No losses. Potentialgains to one charter boatdive operation providingservices to nonconsumptive divers.Indirect gains to severalsmall businesses due tothe multiplier impacts.Gains fromimprovements in qualityof sites in terms ofdiversity, number andsize of various sea life.Improvements in qualityof experience leading toincrease in demand forcharter boat services andcorresponding multiplierimpacts on other smallbusinesses.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No mitigating oroffsetting factors. Netgains (see A above).

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

No impact.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No impact.

A. Maximum Potential

Loss

No expected impact.One permit forinventorying submergedcultural resources inSanctuary waters wasissued for the Tortugasarea of the Sanctuary.There were nosubmerged culturalresources found.Currently, it is unknownwhether there are anysubmerged culturalresources on Riley’sHump, located inTortugas South.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

No mitigating factors oroffsetting factors.Sanctuary will not issuepermits for treasuresalvaging in theecological reserve.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

1. No Take (continued)such reserve, providedfurther that such vesselis in continuous transitthrough the ecologicalreserve.(b) Fishing by anymeans.(c) Touching living ordead coral, includingbut not limited to,standing on a living ordead coral formation.

B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

Crowding andRelocation. For lobsterfishing operations, thereis some potential forcrowding costs.However, the potentiallosses are not likely ltooccur because the Stateof Florida’s trapreduction program andfishermen areknowledgeable of otherfishing locationsthroughout theSanctuary. For kingmackerel operations,potential losses are notlikely to occur becauseking mackerel is apelagic species that ishighly mobile and couldbe caught in otherlocations. For shrimpoperations, losses are

of a percent of the totaltourist/recreationbusiness in MonroeCounty.B. Mitigating Factors,

Off-setting Factorsand Net Impact

Substitution. Thisalternative displaces 87%of the diving for lobstersand 85% of thespearfishing. Substitutionpossibilities for theseactivities are extremelylow given that thisalternative eliminatesaccess to the TortugasBank. Losses close to themaximum potential aremore likely for these twoactivities. For fishing,mitigating all the lossesthrough substitution is stillhighly probable since only8% of the fishing activitywould be displaced. Thisrepresents a low amount ofactivity and given the widedistribution of fishingactivity throughout thestudy area, crowdingeffects are still a lowprobability.

Since no submergedcultural resources werelocated on TortugasBank, no expectedimpact.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

1. No Take (continued)

not likely to occurbecause shrimp caughtin the proposed reserveare such a smallpercentage of totalcatch. Highly likely thatlost catch could be madeup from other locations.For reef fish, thepotential losses arelikely to occur in theshort term because reeffish stocks areoverfished throughoutthe Sanctuary.Long-term Benefitsfrom Replenishment.No expected benefits toking mackerel or shrimpoperations. For lobsteroperations, expected netbenefits fromreplenishment effect of

Long-term Benefits fromReplenishment Effect.Although four of the fivespawning sites identified inthe western portion of theTERSA are within thisboundary alternative, thedisplacement from theentire Tortugas Bankmakes it highly unlikelythat those diving forlobsters or spearfishingwill benefit and will mostlikely suffer losses close tothe maximum potential.For fishing, the stockeffects or replenishmenteffect could be substantial.Whether the benefitswould be large enough tooffset displacement cannotbe determined. But giventhe past experience withreserves, it is stillsomewhat likely that longterm benefits would offset
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

1. No Take (continued)

ecological reserve. Forreef fish operations, it isnot clear whether thefull 29 percent lost catchfrom displacementwould be replaced fromreplenishment, but thecosts of displacementwould be mitigated andthe losses to be less thanthe 29 percent reductionin the maximum losscase.

displacement costsyielding net benefits tofishing. Net result is shortterm losses and long-termlosses to small businessesthat are directly andindirectly dependent onrecreational diving forlobsters and spearfishing inthe TERSA. Possibility ofsmall short term losses tofishing, but long-termgains from replenishmenteffect.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

2. NoAnchoring/RequiredMooring Buoy Use/NoDischarges or Deposits(a) Anchoring on coral.(b) Anchoring whenmooring buoys ordesignated anchoringareas are available(c) Discharges ordeposits except coolingwater or engine exhaust.

No incremental impactsince “no take”regulations alreadydisplace all commercialfishing.

No incremental impactsince recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulations.

One charter operationcurrently operating inTortugas Northpotentially impacted.Mooring buoy use willconstrain number andchoice of available divesites. It is unknownwhether this will impacton future business ofdive operators. Impactis dependent on thenumber and distribution(locations) of mooringbuoys (to bedetermined). Prohibitionagainst discharges ordeposits results in noincremental impact.

No impact. No incremental impact

since treasure salvagingdisplaced by “no take”regulations.

3. No AccessAlternative A: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impactsince “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

3. No Access(continued)Alternative B: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth (as described inAlternative A). Prohibitanchoring in and controlaccess to TortugasSouth via permit andrequire call-in, call-out.Use of mooring buoysby vessels 100’ or lessin length.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No incremental impact.See regulations 1 and 2above.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

Alternative C: Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andSouth (as described inAlternative A). Prohibitanchoring in and controlaccess to TortugasNorth and South viapermit and require callin, call-out (as describedin Alternative B). Useof mooring buoys byvessels 100’ or less inlength.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Currently one charterdive operator operatesin Tortugas North, whilenone operate in theSouth. Minor amountof time cost to charteroperations in reportingto Sanctuary staffer toobtain permit and tonotify when enteringand leaving ecologicalreserve. The currentoperator does not havevessels over 100 feet inlength. Time costsexpected to be limited toless than 15 minutes toobtain permit and accesspermission peroperation per visit to thereserve.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

3. No Access(continued)Alternative D(Preferred): Applyexisting ecologicalreserve regulations toTortugas North andTortugas South (asdescribed in AlternativeA). Prohibit anchoringin Tortugas North andSouth and controlaccesss to TortugasNorth via permit andrequire call-in, call-out(as described inAlternative B). Restrictaccess to TortugasSouth to research oreducational activitiesonly. Use of mooringbuoys by vessels 100’or less in length.

No incremental impactsince commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactsince recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Currently one diveoperator operates inTortugas North, none inTortugas South. Minortime costs to the divecharter operator inreporting to Sanctuarystaffer to obtain permitand to notify whenentering and leavingecological reserve.Time cost is expected tobe less than 15 minutesper operation per visit tothe reserve.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “no take”regulation displacestreasure salvaging.

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide RegulationsProhibited Activities

a. Mineral andhydrocarbonexploration,development andproduction.

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).

No impact because theregulations only affectmineral andhydrocarbon firms (theyare not smallbusinesses).
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

b. Removal of,injury to, orpossession of coralor live rock.

No impact because thecommercial andpersonal taking of coraland live rock iscurrently illegal. Liverock aquaculturepermits will not beissued and none arecurrently in existence.

No impact because thecommercial andpersonal taking of coraland live rock iscurrently illegal.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

c. Alteration of,or construction onthe seabed(exemptions aremade forinstallation of navaids & mooringbuoys).

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

d. Discharge ordeposit ofmaterials or othermatter exceptcooling water orengine exhaust.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No impact. Otherexisting regulationsalready prohibit suchdischarges.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

e. Operation ofvessels that strikeor injure coral orseagrass;anchoring on livecoral in depthsless than 40’;exceeding 4 knotsor creating wakesin designatedareas; injuring ortaking birds ormarine mammals.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactsbecause recreationalconsumptive usersalready displaced by “notake” regulations.

No impact expectedbecause dive operatorsalready operate in thismanner. No firmscurrently operate inthese areas.

No impact. No incremental impact

since “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

f. Conduct ofdiving/ snorkelingwithout a diveflag.

Not applicable. No incremental impact

because recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulations.

No impact expectedbecause use of flags isalready required byother Federal and Stateregulations. No firmscurrently operate inthese areas.

Not applicable. Not applicable.

g. Release ofexotic species.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws and there areno known aquacultureoperations in the areas.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No impact becauserelease of exotic speciesis already prohibited byother laws.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

h. Damage orremoval ofmarkers.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No Incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by “notake” regulations.

No incremental impactexpected because suchprohibitions alreadyexist for markers placedby other governmentalentities and theregulation only appliesto Sanctuary markers.One firm currentlyoperates in these areas.

No incremental impactexpected because suchprohibitions alreadyexist for markers placedby other governmentalentities and theregulation only appliesto Sanctuary markers.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

i. Movement of,removal of, injuryto, or possession ofSanctuaryhistoricalresources.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. No incremental impact

since “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.

j. Take orpossession ofprotected wildlife.

No impact becausewildlife is alreadyprotected by otherapplicable law.

No impact becausewildlife is alreadyprotected by otherapplicable law.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

k. Possession oruse of explosivesor electricaldischarges (intentis to apply to takeof marine species).

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.
Table 36. Impacts on Small Businesses (continued)

Industries Impacted

Regulation Commercial Fishing

Recreation

Consumptive

Recreation

Non-consumptive Commercial Shipping Treasure Salvors

Boundary Alternative V (continued)

4. Boundary Expansion Areas: Additional Sanctuary-wide Regulations (continued)Prohibited Activities(continued)

l. Harvest orpossession ofmarine life species(effect is to extendcurrent State lawinto Federalwaters).

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations. Currentlythere are no marine lifecollectors operating inthese areas.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable.

m. Interferencewith lawenforcement.

No incremental impactbecause commercialfishing is alreadydisplaced by “no take”regulations.

No incremental impactbecause recreationalconsumptive users arealready displaced by“no take” regulations.

No impact expectedbecause this provision isconsistent with existinglaws providing forpenalties for interferingwith law enforcement.One firm currentlyoperates in these areas.

No impact expectedbecause this provision isconsistent with existinglaws providing forpenalties for interferingwith law enforcement.

No incremental impactsince “ no take”regulations displacetreasure salvaging.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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Table 37. Statement of Estimated Cost of Establishing the Tortugas Ecological Reserve - As of October

1999

Labor

It is estimated that the Science Coordinator devoted fifty percent (50%) of his time to support the

working group and to develop the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement during the

period 1998 to 1999. Other staff contributed lesser portions of their time for which an estimate is given.

Salary for 1998 $50,881.00

Salary for January - Oct, 1999 $45,231.00

Total $96,112.00

Estimated Cost - $96,112 x 50% $48,056.00

Other staff (for the period 1998-Oct. 99) $50,000.00

Subtotal $98,056.00

Meetings Cost

4 Working Meetings where room rental fee was charged

Note: Working Group members were not compensated

for their time or travel

$2,089.00

One scoping meeting where room rental fee was charged $789.00

Staff travel costs $3,348.00

Security $100.00

Sub-total $6,326.00

 

Contractors Cost

National Park Service for characterization of fish

communities

$10,000.00

Language translation services $1,028.00

Data entry of scoping comments $375.00

Sub-total 11,403.00

NOS Administrative Costs Cost

Staff: Two economists at 25% and one Sea Grant Intern

at 5 %

$34,087.00

Travel: Travel to public meetings and data collection $4,280.00
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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Contract: Thomas Murray & Associates for data on

collection from commercial

 

Fishermen $20,000.00

Sub-total $58,367.00

TOTAL PLANNING COSTS $174,152.00

Table 38. Costs of implementation of the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve: Management Costs

First Year Startup Costs Cost

Boundary Buoys 

Tortugas North: 12 buoys (lighted, 3 mi. vis) @

$5000/each

$60,000.00

Tortugas South: No buoys due to depth. 0

Mooring Buoys 

6 buoys (1 each @ 6 sites) for $450/each $2,700.00

Buoy Installation 

Salaries $5,000.00

Housing 

Modular unit installed in Fort Jefferson $60,000.00

Furnishings $10,000.00

Personnel 

Law Enforcement Officer (1) $50,000.00

General support staff (1) $50,000.00

Vessels 

82’ vessel (2) $80,000.00

Research support 

Sanctuary research vessel ($1000/day) x40 days $40,000.00

Nitrox membrane system $27,000.00
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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Supplies 

Fuel tank at Fort, etc. $10,000.00

Total $394,700.00

Annual Costs (approximate) 

Salaries (FTE) $120,000.00

Boat maintenance $3,000.00

Research and monitoring support $100,000.00

Mooring buoy maintenance (salaries) $12,000.00

Mooring buoy maintenance (supplies) $7,000.00

Total $242,000.00
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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PART VI: SELECTION OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

Introduction

This section sets forth the Preferred Alternative and why it was selected.

Preferred Alternative

The Preferred Alternative is Boundary Alternative III (Figure 35) combined with

Regulatory Alternative D.

General Rationale

Boundary Alternative III combined with Regulatory Alternative D has been

selected as the Preferred Alternative because this combination achieves the objectives of

all of the criteria listed below.

This Preferred Alternative is of sufficient size and imposes adequate protective

measures to satisfy the selection criteria and to fulfill the goals and objectives of the

FKNMSPA and the NMSA. Boundary Alternative III is consistent with the

recommendations of the WG and SAC to NOAA and the State of Florida. While the WG

and SAC recommended Regulatory Alternative A (application of the existing Sanctuarywide and existing ecological reserve regulations), the more protective approach of

Regulatory Alternative D is warranted because of the threat to coral reef resources posed

by the anchoring of vessels, the threat to the sensitive resources of Tortugas South from

non-consumptive activities, and the difficulty of enforcement in this remote area,

particularly in Tortugas South. Extremely high coral cover and deep water in the

Tortugas preclude anchoring without damaging coral.

The Preferred Regulatory Alternative in the DSEIS was Alternative C. The

Preferred Regulatory Alternative in the FSEIS is Alternative D. Under Alternative D,

Tortugas South will be accessible only for continuous transit and law enforcement or,

pursuant to a sanctuary permit, for scientific research and educational purposes. This

change was made because of comments received regarding the potential effects of nonconsumptive activities, particularly non-consumptive diving. Alternative D will better

protect resources in Tortugas South, such as the spawning aggregation areas, which are

more sensitive to this activity than those in Tortugas North, and will enhance

enforcement surveillance in this remote part of the Reserve. Leaving Tortugas North
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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accessible to non-consumptive activities, including diving, will not only provide

significant opportunities for resource appreciation and public education but will also

allow the comparison of Tortugas North to Tortugas South over time to better understand

and document the possible effects of non-consumptive diving in Tortugas North. The

permit system for access to Tortugas North will provide information that will allow

NOAA to determine the number of vessels and divers using the area and will assist in

monitoring impacts.

The draft final regulations implementing the Preferred Alternative have been

revised to make them consistent with Regulatory Alternative D. Also, the prohibition on

fishing has been revised to prohibit all fishing in the Reserve without exception. This

change was in response to comments that the prohibition should be issued under the

NMSA and that the exception clause that would have authorized fishing to the extent

allowed under regulations issued pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act should be eliminated. Regulations under the

Magnuson-Stevens Act must satisfy the requirements of that Act including the National

Standards set forth in that Act. Sanctuary regulations including those governing fishing

are issued under the NMSA. While some of the goals and objectives of the two Acts are

similar, many of the goals and objectives of the two statutes are quite different.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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Figure 35. Preferred Alternative.

Comparison of Alternatives

This section compares Boundary Alternatives II-V and Regulatory Alternatives

A-D based on the selection criteria. Boundary Alternative I, the No-Action Alternative, is

not compared because it would not be consistent with the goals of the FKNMSPA, the

NMSPA, the FMP for the Sanctuary, and Executive Order 13089. Among other things,

Part V of this FSEIS sets forth the environmental and socio-economic consequences of

the No-Action Alternative. The selection criteria are: 1) protect ecosystem integrity; 2)

protect biodiversity, including the maintenance or restoration of viable populations of

native species; 3) enhance scientific understanding of marine ecosystems; 4) facilitate

human uses to the extent consistent with meeting the other criteria; 5) minimize adverse

socio-economic impacts to the extent consistent with meeting the other criteria; and 6)

facilitate enforcement and compliance. Subcriteria for and the goals and sources of each

of the criteria are set forth in the table below. The criteria are consistent with the goals of

the FKNMSPA, the NMSA, the Final Management Plan for the Sanctuary, public

scoping comments, design criteria developed by the Tortugas 2000 Working Group,
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194

Executive Order 13089 regarding Coral Reef Protection, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force

(CRTF) recommendations, and scientific literature on marine reserves. The criteria have

been revised from those contained in the DSEIS based on comments received (Table 38).

Table 38. Criteria, Objectives, and Rational Developed by the Tortugas 2000 Working Group

Criteria Objective Rationale/Source

Protect ecosystem integrity.

This includes the following sub-criteria:

• Protect a wide range of contiguous habitats

through deep water,

• Maximize connectivity among habitats,

• Protect unique coral formations and areas of

high coral cover, including Sherwood Forest,

• Provide adequate buffer areas,

• Sustain ecological & evolutionary processes,

• Protect against short and long-term

environmental perturbations, and,

• Encompass an area that is large enough and

sufficiently protected that, when combined

with existing protections, maintains the

Tortugas region's contribution to the Florida

Keys’ ecosystem.

Choose an area and

protection measures

that protect a wide

range of contiguous

habitats, establish

connectivity between

those habitats, and

protect unique

structural formations.

FKNMSPA, NMSA,

public comment,

Working Group, CRTF,

and literature.

Protect biodiversity, including the maintenance or

restoration of viable populations of native species.

This includes the following sub-criteria:

• Protect the full range of species,

• Protect natural spawning, nursery, and

permanent residence areas, including Riley's

Hump,

• Protect and enhance commercially and

recreationally important fish species,

• Protect species with specific habitat

requirements,

• Protect endangered, threatened, rare, or

Choose an area and

protection measures

that will protect areas

of high biodiversity,

known or reported

spawning areas and

habitats that supports

resident fish and other

marine life.

Final Management

Plan, public comment,

Working Group, and

literature.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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imperiled species,

• Protect areas with physical oceanographic

characteristics that will enhance larval

dispersal,

• Protect areas of high coral and fish diversity,

• Protect areas of high productivity,

• Protect foraging areas for seabird and

endangered sea turtle populations, and,

• Protect areas of high endemism.

Enhance scientific understanding of marine

ecosystems.

This includes the following sub-criteria:

• Provide a reference area to monitor the effects

of both consumptive and non-consumptive

activities on ecosystem structure and

processes, and,

• Provide a reference area to discriminate

between human-caused and natural changes in

the Florida Keys’ marine ecosystem.

Choose an area and

protection measures

that will facilitate the

monitoring of

anthropogenic impacts

and the evaluation of

the efficacy of the

ecological reserve for

protecting coral reef

health and biodiversity.

FKNMSPA, NMSA,

public comment,

Working Group, CRTF,

and literature.

Facilitate human uses to the extent consistent with

the other criteria.

Choose an area and

protection measures

that will allow uses and

provide a range of

habitats to observe and

study, consistent with

the attainment of the

other objectives.

FKNMSPA, NMSA,

Final Management

Plan, public comment,

Working Group, and

literature.

Minimize adverse socio-economic impacts to the

extent consistent with the other criteria.

Choose an area and

protection measures

that meets the

objectives of the other

criteria but that does

not unduly impact

users.

FKNMSPA, NMSA,

public comment, and

Working Group.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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Facilitate enforcement and compliance. Choose an area and

protection measures

that facilitate

enforcement of the

ecological reserve and

encourage compliance

by users.

Working Group and

literature.

• Protect ecosystem integrity. Boundary Alternative II does not encompass enough

range of habitat or area to adequately protect the integrity of the ecosystem (Table

14). Boundary Alternative II does not adequately protect the full range of habitats and

species found in the Tortugas area. The unique and ancient coral formations of

Sherwood Forest are not part of this alternative. Boundary Alternative II does not

include contiguous habitats nor is connectivity between habitats maximized.

Boundary Alternative II does not provide a reasonable buffer area for coral reef

features. Alternative II includes no deep water habitats greater than approximately

200 feet. By not having two reserve components, Alternative II offers no insurance

against the effects of a catastrophic event (e.g., cold weather, low salinity) that could

potentially damage resources of the area. Alternative II is not large enough to sustain

local or regional ecological or evolutionary processes. Boundary Alternatives III, IV

and V, when combined with existing protections in the region, are sufficient to

protect ecosystem integrity in the Tortugas and that region's contribution to the

Florida Keys ecosystem. Boundary Alternatives III-V include two replicate

components that help to ensure against the effects of catastrophic events. Boundary

Alternative III includes a sufficient range of essential habitats for many species life

stages and includes adequate buffers. The increased area of Boundary Alternatives IV

and V has negligible increased benefit to protecting ecosystem integrity compared to

Alternative III. Boundary Alternative V does not capture additional significant habitat

to the west of the Tortugas Bank and does not preserve the critical deep water habitat

south of Riley's Hump. Regulatory Alternative A would not adequately protect

ecosystem integrity because of the threat to coral reef resources by anchoring.

Regulatory Alternative B would not adequately protect ecosystem integrity in

Tortugas North and the Sherwood Forest area because of the threat to coral reef

resources by anchoring. Regulatory Alternative C adequately protects ecosystem

integrity by prohibiting anchoring and controlling access to Tortugas North and South

via an access permit. Regulatory Alternative D increases protection of ecosystem

integrity over Alternative C by prohibiting access to Tortugas South except by permit
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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for research or educational reasons. This will virtually eliminate human degradation

and protect the ecological integrity of the Tortugas region.

• Protect biodiversity, including the maintenance or restoration of viable populations

of native species. Boundary Alternative II does not protect the high coral species

diversity of Sherwood Forest or the unique fish species richness of Tortugas South.

Boundary Alternative II protects only one of eight known fish spawning aggregations

and does not include Riley's Hump, which is an area of high endemism and a critical

source area for larvae. Sherwood Forest, an important permanent residence area for a

variety of species and area of high productivity, is not part of Alternative II.

Boundary Alternative III protects 5 of the 8 known fish spawning areas as well as

approximately 87% of the known coral reef habitat and 76% of the known

hardbottom habitat. Boundary Alternative III also protects the habitat of several

commercially important fish species and several uncommon species found in the deep

water regions of Tortugas South. Boundary Alternatives III, IV, and V protect the

high coral diversity of Sherwood Forest and they protect Riley’s Hump and the deep

habitat around it which are a critical source of larvae for downstream areas of the

Florida Keys. In addition, they help protect important foraging areas for seabirds and

sea turtles. Boundary Alternative IV encompasses 6 out of 8 known fish spawning

sites as well as 100% of the known coral and hardbottom habitat. Boundary

Alternative V encompasses 7 out of the 8 known fish spawning sites and would

protect all of the known coral and hardbottom habitat. Alternative V's expansion of

Tortugas North to the west would provide increased protection for some additional

habitats and associated species. However, its reduction in size of Tortugas South

would provide less protection for critical deep water habitats and thereby has the least

protection for associated species such as golden crab and snowy grouper. Regulatory

Alternative A would not adequately preserve biodiversity and maintain viable

populations because of the threat to associated habitats of many species by anchoring

and the lack of protection for high diversity areas such as Sherwood Forest and

Riley’s Hump. Regulatory Alternative B would not adequately preserve biodiversity

and maintain viable populations in Tortugas North because of the threat to associated

habitats of many species by anchoring. Regulatory Alternative C would preserve

biodiversity by prohibiting habitat destruction from anchoring. However, Regulatory

Alternatives A, B, and C would not protect the several natural fish spawning

aggregations in Tortugas South from disturbance. Regulatory Alternative D would

adequately preserve biodiversity and maintain viable populations by protecting

critical habitat in Tortugas North and Tortugas South from anchor damage and by

minimizing disturbance to natural spawning aggregations in Tortugas South.
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• Enhance scientific understanding of marine ecosystems. Given the absence of

unexploited areas in the Tortugas region, Boundary Alternatives II-V would all serve

to increase our scientific understanding of marine ecosystems and their response to

management of consumptive and non-consumptive activities, including their recovery

from fishing impacts. Boundary Alternatives II-V would also facilitate scientific

understanding by providing a reference area to gauge the broader changes occurring

in the Florida Keys marine ecosystem. Boundary Alternatives III-V offer the added

scientific benefit of protecting Riley's Hump, which would add to our knowledge of

effective reserve design regarding networks and energy flow between marine

reserves. The inclusion of Tortugas South will also significantly add to our

knowledge of the importance of the Tortugas region in sustaining the Florida Keys

ecosystem. Boundary Alternatives IV and V encompass all of Tortugas Bank and

would compromise the study of fishing effects because there would be no comparable

habitat for use as a reference site. Regulatory Alternatives A, B, and C would provide

for essentially the same level of scientific understanding. Regulatory Alternative D

will facilitate the most scientific understanding of human effects on ecosystem

processes because it would create a research/education-only area in the Tortugas

which could serve as a reference site from which to gauge the impacts of nonconsumptive activities.

• Facilitate human uses to the extent consistent with the other criteria. All of the

alternatives would serve well in enhancing opportunities for non-consumptive

activities such as education, photography, underwater wilderness exploration, and

ecotourism. Boundary Alternatives III-V provide enhanced opportunities over

Boundary Alternative II because of the addition of Tortugas South and the expansion

of Tortugas North to include the unique coral reef region known as Sherwood Forest.

Regulatory Alternatives A, B, and C would provide the same non-consumptive

opportunities. Though Regulatory Alternative D will prohibit all consumptive and

non-consumptive activities in Tortugas South other than research and education, the

disallowance of these activities will establish Tortugas South as a critical reference

area by which any impacts of the non-consumptive activities occurring in Tortugas

North may be assessed.

• Minimize adverse socio-economic impacts to the extent consistent with the other

criteria. As stated in Part V of the FSEIS, all users are considered to be small entities

within the meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Boundary Alternatives I and II

and Regulatory Alternatives A, B, and C would have less of an adverse impact on

users than the Preferred Alternative (Boundary Alternative III coupled with
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Regulatory Alternative D). Boundary Alternatives IV and V would have a greater

adverse impact on users than the Preferred Boundary Alternative. Boundary

Alternative III has moderate impacts on users, mostly lobster fishermen and handline

fishermen. Alternatives IV and V have significantly greater impacts because they

include the southern half of Tortugas Bank, which is heavily utilized by both

recreational and commercial users. Alternative III offers a compromise because it

allows for continued consumptive use of the southern half of Tortugas Bank including

trolling for pelagic fish species. Ignoring the potential of such effects as

replenishment that would result in a net economic benefit, Regulatory Alternative A

has significant adverse socio-economic effects on users. There are 12 recreational

charter operations that would be affected by this alternative and approximately 110

commercial fishing operations. Regulatory Alternative A would not provide a

sufficient degree of protection to Tortugas resources. It would not protect coral reef

resources from anchoring and from the possible effects of non-consumptive uses and

would not provide the FKNMS with adequate notice to facilitate enforcement.

Regulatory Alternative B would provide adequate protection from anchoring damage

in Tortugas South and would provide adequate notification to FKNMS to facilitate

enforcement there, but would not provide adequate protection to Tortugas North. It

would also not protect the resources of Tortugas South from non-consumptive uses.

Regulatory Alternative C would provide adequate protection from anchoring damage

in Tortugas North and South and would provide adequate notification to FKNMS to

facilitate enforcement with insignificant incremental costs to users. However, it

would not protect the sensitive coral reef resources from the possible effects of nonconsumptive uses. The Preferred Alternative (Boundary Alternative III/Regulatory

Alternative D) could potentially impact, if one assumes no mitigating factors, 9

recreational charter users with total annual revenue losses of approximately $152,054,

64 commercial fishermen with total annual revenue losses of approximately

$843,583, and 673 person days of recreational fishermen using private boats with a

maximum potential loss of $53,392 in consumer's surplus. Though Regulatory

Alternative D would prohibit use of Tortugas South except for continuous transit, for

law enforcement purposes, or for research or education activities pursuant to a

sanctuary permit, this alternative would provide an important reference area to

facilitate the study of non-consumptive impacts in Tortugas North. Additionally,

unlike in Tortugas North where a moderate amount of non-consumptive diving

activities has been identified, little diving has been identified in Tortugas South and

as such the socio-economic impacts of the more restrictive Regulatory Alternative D

are not expected to be significant or substantial to this user group in Tortugas South.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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• Facilitate enforcement and compliance. Boundary Alternative II would be less likely

to facilitate enforcement of and compliance by users of the ecological reserve due to

its irregular boundary shape. Boundary Alternative III is the most likely to facilitate

enforcement and compliance by users because the boundaries of Tortugas North and

Tortugas South follow lines of latitude/longitude and share several of the existing

boundaries and marked corners of the Dry Tortugas National Park. Boundary

Alternatives IV and V would be less likely than Boundary Alternative III to facilitate

compliance by users because the southern boundary of Tortugas North does not

terminate at a marked corner of the Dry Tortugas National Park. Regulatory

Alternative B would not adequately facilitate enforcement because it would not

provide notice to FKNMS of the presence of users in the ecological reserve.

Regulatory Alternative C adequately facilitates enforcement and compliance of

Tortugas North but does not provide significant solutions for enforcing Tortugas

South, the more remote portion of the ecological reserve. Regulatory Alternative D

best facilitates enforcement and encourages compliance by limiting access to

Tortugas South to continuous transit through the area with fishing gear stowed.

Regulatory Alternative D will ease enforcement and provide additional environmental

benefits by helping to control illegal spearfishing and lobster diving, as well as other

illegal fishing and anchoring.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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PART VII: SUPPLEMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

The supplemental management plan complements the existing Sanctuary

Management Plan in several respects. Many of the strategies described in the MP that are

now being implemented in the majority of the Sanctuary will be applied to the proposed

Tortugas Ecological Reserve. However, due to the unique characteristics of the Tortugas

region (remoteness, deep water) some new strategies must be developed and

implemented. Some of these strategies are described below. Specifically, this action

further implements the Zoning Action Plan in the Sanctuary Management Plan, and adds

strategies to the Education and Outreach Action Plan, Enforcement Action Plan, Mooring

Buoy Action Plan, and Research and Monitoring Action Plan.

Administrative Action Plan

A supplement to the Administrative Action Plan targets the development of a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of

the various agencies responsible for resource management in the Tortugas region. The

MOU would cover, at a minimum, the following activities: cooperative enforcement,

research, and sharing of facilities. Management of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

would necessitate a high degree of coordination and cooperation between the affected

agencies, particularly the FKNMS and the NPS. Both agencies have similar missions and

responsibilities. Consequently, cooperation would not only save money but would also

improve resource protection. The NPS has a variety of assets such as land, housing, and

dockage that, under a workable agreement, could potentially be used to support

management of the ecological reserve. An agreement on the use of these lands and

facilities would be pursued by the FKNMS and NPS.

The State of Florida is the co-trustee for a significant portion of the waters and

marine resources within the proposed reserve and would co-manage these resources with

the FKNMS.

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service has a responsibility for managing the

fisheries in federal waters of the reserve. NMFS has considerable expertise and some

assets that could be utilized in managing the reserve, particularly in the areas of research

and monitoring. The Office of Law Enforcement has responsibility for enforcing fishing

regulations and has assets and technology that could potentially be used for enforcement.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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The U.S. Coast Guard has responsibility for enforcing fishing regulations in

federal waters. They have several large offshore patrol vessels based in Key West that

could be used, in conjunction with Sanctuary patrol vessels, for enforcement of the

reserve areas.

Strategy 1: Memorandum of Understanding

 Develop and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that clearly

defines the roles and responsibilities of the various agencies responsible for resource

management in the Tortugas region. The MOU should cover, at a minimum, the

following activities: cooperative enforcement, research, and sharing of facilities and

assets.

Education and Outreach Action Plan

This action plan identifies and describes specific education and outreach strategies

that will be implemented in association with the designation of the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve. These strategies are expected to have a significant effect on protecting and

preserving the natural resources found in the Tortugas by enhancing the general public’s

understanding of this unique region and new regulations associated with reserve

designation. These strategies were developed according to the Sanctuary Education and

Outreach goals and outcomes identified in the Final Management Plan.

Strategy E.13: Tortugas Site Brochure

To a large degree, marine reserves rely on visitor compliance and understanding

in order for regulations to be effective. This is even more critical when reserves are

remotely located or large in size, each of which would apply to the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve. The Sanctuary has learned from experience that an important tactic for

increasing compliance is to provide appropriate educational products and information to

visitors of reserve areas. This strategy will produce a site brochure which details the

regulations and boundaries for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, how to obtain a permit

to enter and visit the Tortugas North Reserve, the locations and numbers of mooring

buoys, and the unique ecological features of the area. This product will complement the

series of existing Sanctuary regional site brochures, and will interpret an area of the

Sanctuary that is not currently covered in any existing products.
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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• Activity 1 – Design layout and content of brochure;

• Activity 2 – Identify partners to assist with brochure costs;

• Activity 3 – Print and distribute brochure.

Strategy E.14: Tortugas Ecological Reserve Exhibit, Garden Key

Most visitors to the Tortugas Ecological Reserve will stop at Ft. Jefferson on

Garden Key in Dry Tortugas National Park at some point during their visit. Garden Key

provides a convenient anchorage for private pleasure boats, commercial fishing vessels,

live-aboard dive vessels, recreational fishing guides, and ferries and seaplanes that bring

campers and day visitors from Key West. This strategy involves the development and

construction of an information kiosk at Ft. Jefferson that will take advantage of this

contact point to educate visitors about the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. The exhibit will

include practical information on reserve boundaries and regulations, as well as

information on the habitats and marine life found in the reserve and the reasons for

designating the Reserve. The exhibit will be visually appealing, educational and

interesting for the general public, while still conveying necessary regulatory information

for those visitors who may be entering the reserve.

• Activity 1 – Consult with National Park Service staff to determine size

and location of kiosk. Review construction designs and materials of

similar kiosks;

• Activity 2 – Design content and layout for kiosk;

• Activity 3 – Produce and install kiosk.

Strategy E.15: Interagency Visitor Center, Key West

Due to the geographical remoteness of the Tortugas area and considerable depths

at which unique coral reef resources are located, it is important to provide educational

opportunities for the over 2.5 million visitors to the Keys that will not see these special

features first-hand. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, working in conjunction

with the National Park Service and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, is

establishing an interagency visitor center in Key West. This strategy will develop an

exhibit for the visitor center in which the natural characteristics and habitats of the

Tortugas region are featured. This exhibit will educate the visitor about natural resources

while interpreting the multi-agency jurisdiction of the region. The development and
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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designation of the Sanctuary’s Tortugas Ecological Reserve and the Dry Tortugas

National Park’s Research Natural Area will also be explained.

• Activity 1 – Consult with National Park Service staff to determine

content, design, and layout of exhibit;

• Activity 2 – Identify other possible agency or private partners for

exhibit production;

• Activity 3 – Produce and install exhibit.

Strategy E.16: Tortugas Site Characterization

Several years ago a comprehensive site characterization for the Florida Keys

National Marine Sanctuary was produced. This 10 volume series is rich in biological,

oceanographic, chemical, geological, and other scientific information. A similar, though

less voluminous, site characterization was produced for the Tortugas region as a

component of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve planning process. In order to heighten the

new Reserve users' awareness of the oceanographic and biological uniqueness of the

Tortugas resources, a layperson's summary of the site characterization will be developed

under this strategy. The Sanctuary will seek to create a product in cooperation with the

National Park Service that takes an ecosystem approach to interpretation, starting at the

islands of the Park, and progressing through the deep-water environments of the new

Tortugas Ecological Reserve. This product will be produced in both electronic and

printed format to increase accessibility and reduce printing costs. The web site document

will contain hyperlinks to the full site characterization document and to research data

from the region, including GIS maps.

• Activity 1 – Obtain electronic versions of Tortugas Site

Characterization document and upload to Sanctuary web site;

• Activity 2 – Write summary of Site Characterization and conduct

review of summary by original authors;

• Activity 3 – Produce printed version of summary and post electronic

version to web site;

• Activity 4 – Improve web site page by identifying and creating

relevant links to data, photos, and GIS maps.
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Strategy E.17: Tortugas Ecological Reserve Documentary

This strategy will produce a documentary on the Tortugas Ecological Reserve to

interpret the unique ecological resources of the reserve, explain the necessity of

protection, summarize the Sanctuary's use of marine zoning as an effective management

tool, and explain the process by which the reserve was created. The Sanctuary has

received and continues to receive multiple requests from national and international

sources on the process used to create the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. This film

documentary will convey the breadth of information associated with the reserve and its

creation. The documentary will also be duplicated for use by the many agencies that

have undertaken action within the Tortugas area relative to reserve designation (e.g.,

National Park Service, regional fishery management councils, and the State of Florida).

• Activity 1 – Contract with videographer to produce documentary;

• Activity 2 – Produce duplicate copies of documentary and distribute as

needed.

Strategy E. 18: Traveling Exhibit on Marine Zoning

Sanctuary Education and Outreach staff participate in more than twenty-five

community fairs, trade shows, scientific and management conferences, and related events

annually. A variety of traveling exhibits and display materials are used to interpret

Sanctuary resources, regulations, and special projects. This strategy involves the

development and production of a traveling exhibit on marine zoning in the Sanctuary,

including the new Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Components of the exhibit will be

interchangeable, focusing on a variety of topics such as zone designation, resources

protected by various zone types, regulations, research and monitoring of zone

performance, and the use of marine zoning in other national and international arenas.

• Activity 1 – Design content and layout for traveling exhibit;

• Activity 2 – Produce exhibit components.

Strategy E. 19: Interpretive Wayside Exhibits on the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve

Of the 2.5 million visitors to the Florida Keys annually, 14.4% participate in

boating activities using private vessels. In recent years, visitation to Dry Tortugas

National Park has increased from 18,000 visitors in 1984 to 72,000 in 1998. This

strategy aims to educate private boaters traveling to the Tortugas by developing and
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installing interpretive wayside exhibits such as information signs at boat ramps, chambers

of commerce, and other strategic locations. Exhibits will provide important information

about the Tortugas waters, natural resources, and regulations for the new reserve. The

signs will also display information on minimal impact usage and safety considerations for

traveling to this remote area.

• Activity 1 – Identify number of exhibits needed and appropriate

locations for exhibits. Prioritize exhibit placement;

• Activity 2 – Investigate production costs and possible partners for

funding exhibits;

• Activity 3 – Design content and layout for wayside exhibits;

• Activity 4 – Produce and install exhibits by priority area as funding

permits.

Enforcement Action Plan

One of the goals of Sanctuary Managers is to gain the highest level of compliance

by the public who enter and visit the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. This compliance can

be achieved through several management actions including education and outreach and

on the water presence of Sanctuary staff in programs such as Team OCEAN, where

Sanctuary information is distributed along the waterfront or boat to boat by Sanctuary

staff and volunteers.

The most effective management action used to achieve compliance to Sanctuary

regulations is an effective law enforcement program. Currently, the primary enforcement

of Sanctuary regulations is accomplished through an enforcement contract between

NOAA/NMSP and the State of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The

enforcement efforts are consistent with the goals and objectives for enforcement

described in the Final Management Plan for the FKNMS (July 1997). The Final

Management Plan for the Sanctuary also calls for cross-deputization of other agency law

enforcement personnel (e.g. National Park Service Rangers) to accomplish law

enforcement responsibilities within the Sanctuary. This approach to enforcement has not

been implemented to date and continues to remain as an option to fulfilling some

enforcement obligations within the Sanctuary.

The FKNMS is committed to effective law enforcement in the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve. A successful and effective Ecological Reserve will depend on the

level of enforcement resources dedicated to the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Several
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207

enforcement options are presently available for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Some

of those options are:

• Installation and monitoring of a long-range radar unit at the Dry

Tortugas National Park. This would allow remote monitoring of

vessels entering and leaving the Reserve.

• Place two 82’ vessels into service for patrolling the Ecological

Reserve.

• Cross-deputize and fund National Park Service Rangers to assist in

enforcement in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

Any or all of these enforcement options are possible for enforcement of Sanctuary

regulations.

Law Enforcement Budget

Personnel

• Law Enforcement Officers (4-6) $50,000 per position

• General Support $50,000

Vessels

• 82’ Patrol Vessels (2) No Cost - Agency Property Transfer

Other Enforcement Factors

The Preferred Regulatory Alternative “D” for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

will serve to facilitate enforcement within the Ecological Reserve. This alternative

prohibits vessels from stopping within the Tortugas South portion of the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve. Only permitted scientists and educators will be allowed in the

reserve. This will make it possible to monitor vessel traffic remotely by radar and

response will only be necessary when vessels without a permit stop within the reserve.

Additionally, access to Tortugas North will be allowed only by permit. This will

help Sanctuary managers monitor the level of visitor use in the reserve and will facilitate

enforcement efforts.
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Mooring and Boundary Buoy Action Plan

Tortugas Ecological Reserve supplement

• Strategy 1. Install and maintain boundary buoys for Tortugas North.

• Strategy 2. Install and maintain an adequate number of mooring buoys

in Tortugas North in appropriate locations.

• Strategy 3. Determine whether buoys are appropriate for Tortugas

South and, if so, determine the number, type, and locations of buoys.

Regulatory Action Plan

A supplement to the Regulatory Action Plan would be the issuance of final

regulations to implement the boundary expansion and the establishment of the reserve.

The supplement would call for extensive coordination with other governmental entities,

particularly the State of Florida, to ensure that all approvals and required regulations are

obtained and in place. A complementary strategy to the issuance of regulations would be

publication on NOAA nautical charts of the new boundaries for the Sanctuary and the

reserve.

Research and Monitoring Action Plan

This action plan identifies and describes research and monitoring strategies that

will be implemented in association with the designation of the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve. These strategies are expected to have significant effects on Sanctuary resources

by providing the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about protecting the

biological diversity and natural ecosystem processes of the Tortugas region. These

strategies were developed according to the Sanctuary Research and Monitoring goals and

objectives identified in the Final Management Plan.

Strategy T.1: Ecological Reserve Support Staff

This strategy involves hiring support staff to assist with regulatory

implementation and interpretation of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. This staff

member will establish a permit issuance and tracking system for entrance into the reserve,

answer inquiries from the general public while on-site at the reserve, and assist with

research and other reserve issues as needed.

• Activity 1 – Review support staff logistics (office space,
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communications, lodging) with National Park Service personnel.

• Activity 2 – Advertise for and hire support staff.

Strategy T.2: Design and Implement Long-term Ecological Monitoring to

Test the Efficacy and Ecological Integrity of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

Ecological reserves are designated within the Sanctuary to protect and enhance

biodiversity and to provide natural spawning, nursery, and permanent residence areas for

marine life. This strategy establishes monitoring activities that compare reserve areas

before and after designation, as well as monitoring which captures changes occurring

inside and outside the protected area, which is critical to gauge the effectiveness of

Ecological Reserves as a management tool. This monitoring will also assist Sanctuary

management in determining if the area's biodiversity, productivity, and ecological

integrity are being adequately protected by the regulations in place. Consistent with the

existing Zone Monitoring Program, indicators for assessing ecosystem function and

ecological integrity (such as changes in coral and fish diversity, trophic structure, and

water quality) will be monitoring. An important element will be monitoring diving

impacts by comparing changes in gross habitat morphology in Tortugas South and

Tortugas North, particularly around mooring buoys.

• Activity 1 – Assess existing Tortugas monitoring activities. Prioritize

baseline monitoring data needs and provide support to existing

monitoring programs to gather necessary data. Contract with

additional researchers as needed to fill baseline data gaps.

• Activity 2 – Develop post-implementation monitoring plan for the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve and adjacent areas of varying protection

levels.

• Activity 3 – Convene annual or biannual meeting of Tortugas

researchers to share monitoring data with Sanctuary management and

review monitoring schedule.

Strategy T.3: Dry Tortugas Marine Laboratory and Research Support

Feasibility Study

Historically, the Dry Tortugas have been a place of marine research, supporting

early pioneers in the fields of coral reef biology, ecology, oceanography, and underwater

photography. A remote marine research station supported by the Carnegie Institution

existed in the late 1800's and early 1900's on Loggerhead Key. The Carnegie facility was
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210

closed and dismantled decades ago, and since that time research efforts in the region have

been sporadic. This strategy undertakes a feasibility study for the re-establishment of this

laboratory or a similar facility. Such a facility would address the growing interest in

Tortugas research and support the collection of much-needed data to assist National Park

Service and Sanctuary managers in future decisions about Tortugas resources.

Additionally, the feasibility study will consider other logistical needs to support

researchers working in the Dry Tortugas area, such as shore-based lodging.

• Activity 1 – Meet with National Park Service personnel to plan

feasibility study and desired conditions of research station. Discuss

funding options for feasibility study.

• Activity 2 – Conduct feasibility study and discuss results with

National Park Service. Implement next steps as appropriate.

Strategy T.4: Wireless Data Transfer

This strategy will establish wireless data transfer capabilities using the existing

Motorola two-way radio network.

• Activity 1 – Contact Motorola to determine wireless data transfer

capabilities using the existing two way radio network.

• Activity 2 – If the existing network can be used to transfer data,

procure needed software and hardware.

• Activity 3 – Train staff on wireless data transfer.

• Activity 4 – Maintain and upgrade system as needed.

• Activity 5 – If existing two way radio network will not permit data

transfer, research additional options.

Strategy T.5: Automated Oceanographic Data Collection

Throughout the Sanctuary a series of automated, continuously functioning sensors

mounted on remote platforms or structures (C-MAN Stations) collect physical

oceanographic data and report this information real-time to the Internet. This strategy

will expand the C- MAN network to include similar data collection at a remote location

in the Tortugas. Additionally, instruments that continuously collect data on biological

parameters will also be installed.

• Activity 1 – Assess existing remote data collection activities in the Dry
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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211

Tortugas.

• Activity 2 – Contract with current C-MAN Station research team to

install a new station in the Tortugas area. Develop maintenance plan

• Activity 3 – Investigate instrument capabilities and costs to expand

data collection to include biological parameters. Purchase and install

necessary instrumentation.

Strategy T.6: Tortugas Region Non-Use Valuation Study

During the official public comment period for the Draft Supplemental

Environmental Impact Statement for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, over 4000

comments were received from around the world. Nearly 95% of those commenting

supported designating an ecological reserve in the Tortugas, which strongly indicates the

value that American citizens place in protecting this area of ocean wilderness. In the

development of the Sanctuary Final Management Plan, user attitude and economic values

of the Sanctuary were established through a comprehensive socio-economic study. This

strategy will complement the existing socio-economic studies of the Sanctuary by

specifically identifying the non-use values that exist within the Tortugas region.

Establishing these non-use values is critical for managers to accurately estimate the

economic benefits and costs of newly designated reserve areas.

• Activity 1 – Discuss non-use valuation study requirements with

Sanctuary economist.

• Activity 2 – Contract with economist to conduct study and publish

results.
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GLOSSARY

abiotic- not relating to life or living things

accretion- growth or increase in size by gradual external addition

ahermatypic- non reef-building

algorithm- process or rules for calculation

anaerobic- capable of living or growing in an environment lacking free oxygen

annelids- any of various worms with cylindrical segmented bodies

anthropogenic- relating to humans; humans as a source of impact

arboreal- relating to, or like, a tree; in referring to species, those that inhabit or frequent

trees

ascidians- “sack-like” tunicates; animals in which the larval stage resembles a tadpole

but the adult is sedentary and sack-like (e.g. sea squirts)

atoll- a ring shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon.

backcountry- primarily referring to the Florida Bay area of the Keys' islands and

waterways

bathymetry- water depth measurement information used to produce depth-contoured

charts

benthic communities- bottom-dwelling flora and fauna

Bermuda/Azores high- the subtropical anticyclone positioned over the southern Atlantic

Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere; it is most pronounced in spring and summer

bioherm- a mound, dome, or reef-like structure built up by, and composed almost

exclusively of, the remains of sedentary organisms, such as corals, algae, or mollusks

biomass- the total mass of living matter within a given volume of environment

biota- animal or plant life of a region considered as a total ecological entity
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biotic- relating to life or living things

block-faulted- a type of normal faulting in which the Earth's crust is divided into

structural or fault blocks of different elevations and orientations

calcareous- having characteristics of calcium carbonate, calcium, or limestone

Carolinian- refers to organisms and physical characteristics of the southeastern U.S.

coastline

common property resources- resources that are not exclusively controlled by a single

agent or source. Access to such resources is not restricted, and therefore the resources can

be exploited on a first-come, first-served basis

consumer's surplus- the amount an individual is willing to pay for a good or service

over and above what he or she is required to pay. It represents a net value or surplus

value. In the context of natural resources and environmental services, consumer’s surplus

associated with uses of coastal and ocean resources are often referred to as net user

values. When related to willingness to pay to protect natural resources in a given

condition, independent of use, it is referred to as non-use value or passive use value. For

commercial fishing products, it is the net value for the fishery resources.

convective storm- storm characterized by vertically rising air

corallimorphs- false corals; related to corals and anemones

coralline- any animal related to or resembling corals; includes both branching and

encrusting calcareous alga

crenulated (corals)- corals having tiny notches or scallops

crinoids- “sea lilies”; echinoderms that are suspension feeders with jointed arms and

appendages that give a feathery appearance resembling a plant

cyclonic storms/systems- a windstorm with a violent whirling movement; a system of

rotating winds over a vast area, spinning inward to a low pressure center

(counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere) generally causing stormy weather

defaunated- all indigenous animals having been removed from a particular area
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demersal- fishes and other aquatic organisms that live near the bottom of the water

column

demosponges- a class of sponges containing 90% of the sponge species, including most

of the common and familiar forms.

desiccation- removal of moisture; drying out

detrital- dead biologically generated material

downwelling- a reverse vertical flow of water, moving from the ocean’s surface to great

depths; occurs at oceanic convergence

DRTO- Dry Tortugas National Park

echinoderms- radially symmetrical animals that are exclusively marine and possess a

spiny skin and a system of water filled canals that aids in feeding and locomotion. (e.g.,

sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers)

ecological reserve (ER)- (CFR 922.162(a) “...an area of the Sanctuary consisting of

contiguous, diverse habitats, within which uses are subject to conditions, restrictions and

prohibitions, including access restrictions, intended to minimize human influences, to

provide natural spawning, nursery, and permanent residence areas for the replenishment

and genetic production of marine life, and also to protect and preserve natural

assemblages of habitats and species within areas representing a broad diversity of

resources and habitats found within the Sanctuary.”

economic rents- the amount a producer of a good or service receives over and above the

cost of producing a good or service, including a normal return on investment. Economic

rents exist because no one owns the natural resources and therefore no one charges for

the right to use them. In a limited access fishery, fish are a free resource and economic

rents accrue to fishermen because no one charges them for the fish.

Ekman transport- a process of water movement whereby wind-driven surface water

moves at a 45° angle to the direction of the wind, to the right in the northern hemisphere,

to the left in the southern hemisphere. Successively deeper water layers are deflected

farther than those above them. The resulting net water movement is 90° to the wind.

emergent- breaking the ocean surface
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endangered species- a species in danger of becoming extinct that is protected by the

Endangered Species Act

endemic- restricted to or native to a particular area or region

epibenthic- organisms that live on the surface of a substrate, including motile organisms

such as gastropods, sea urchins, sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea biscuits, and a wide variety

of crustacea

epifauna- animals that live on the ocean bottom, either attached or moving freely over it

epiphytic- any organisms that grow on the blades of seagrasses or algae, including algae,

diatoms, and other encrusting organisms

ephemeral- lasting or living for a brief period, transitory

escarpment- long steep slope at the edge of a plateau

eutrophication- the process by which nutrient- rich waters bring about a high level of

biological productivity that may ultimately lead to reduced dissolved oxygen levels

exploitable- able to be legally fished

extirpated- no longer able to be found in a given area or after a given time

fauna- animal life of a particular region

fisheries-dependent- information on fisheries derived from fishermen.

fisheries-independent- information on fisheries derived from empirical studies.

flora- plant life of a particular region

Florida Current- the segment of current between the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current and

the Gulf Stream from the Dry Tortugas to the Southeastern tip of Florida, and confined

by the 250-meter and 500-meter isobaths

Florida reef tract- the third largest bank- barrier reef in the world, running from the

Miami area southwest to the Dry Tortugas

Florida Aquifer- the rock mass of South Florida that contains groundwater
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foraminifera- an order of planktonic and benthic protozoans having a calcareous shell

gastropods- Class of mollusks that have only one shell and usually move about on a

muscular “foot” (e.g., snail, slug, cowry, limpet)

geographic information system (GIS)- a computer system capable of holding and using

data describing places on the earth's surface.

gorgonian- a type of octocoral (soft coral) commonly found in southeast Florida reefs at

depths less than 30 meters; they include sea fans, sea plumes, sea whips, and sea rods

gravid- egg-bearing condition

Gulf of Mexico Loop Current- major surface current in the Gulf of Mexico; enters

through Yucatan Straits, flows clockwise into the east central portion of the Gulf, and

exits through the Straits of Florida becoming the Florida Current and eventually the Gulf

Stream

gyre- circular spiral form; used mainly in reference to the circular motion of water in

major ocean basins centered in the subtropic high- pressure regions

halophytic- type of plant that can survive in saltwater environments

headboat- is also referred to as a party boat. A per person charge is levied to access the

boat (charge per head, thus headboat).

heterogeneous- diverse in character, varied in content

highly migratory species- species which in the course of their life cycle spawn and

migrate over great distances.

Holocene Era- designating the present epoch of geologic time starting 11,000 years ago

homogeneous- of the same kind, consisting of parts all of the same kind

hydrography- the study, description, and mapping of oceans, lakes, and rivers with an

emphasis on navigation

hydrology- the science dealing with the nature, distribution, and movement of water on

and below the Earth's surface

hypothermic- subnormal temperature
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infaunal- organisms that live buried in sediments, including a variety of polycheates,

burrowing crustaceans, and mollusks

isobath- line connecting points of equal depth

isotope- any of two or more forms of an element differing from each other in atomic

weight

keystone species- a single species whose activities determine community structure

larval- the immature stage of many fish and invertebrate species

lithology- the scientific study of rocks usually with the unaided eye or little

magnification

live rock- rock to which living marine organisms are attached and often burrow into

Lower Keys- that part of incorporated Monroe County south and/or west of the Seven

Mile Bridge (i.e., Little Duck, Missouri and Ohio Keys, Bahia Honda, West

Summerland/Spanish Harbor, and south to Stock Island)

management alternative- a set of management strategies that, when employed together,

represent the means for achieving a desired level of protection within the Sanctuary

management strategy- an action or physical measure taken to address a specific issue; a

management strategy is combined with an implementation incentive or mechanism to

induce behavior; an institutional arrangement with authority to act; and a financing

scheme to support the costs of implementation

market economic values- includes sales/output, income, employment and tax revenues

in a local, regional or national economy.

maximum sustainable yield- management of a fishery that allows the maximum yearly

harvest that can be sustained through time

Middle Keys- that part of Monroe County between Seven Mile Bridge and Whale

Harbor Bridge (i.e., Islamorada, Upper and Lower Matecumbe, Fiesta Key, Long Key,

Conch Key, Walkers Island, Duck Key, Fat Deer Key, Marathon, and Pigeon Key)

military exclusion area- a region or tract reserved for military uses, where unauthorized

persons may not enter
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nektonic- highly motile organisms, such as fishes and squids that live above the sea floor

non-market economic values- includes consumer’s surplus and economic rents (see

definitions of each of these above).

nonpoint source pollutant discharges- those pollutant discharges not associated with a

specific location (e.g., urban and agricultural pesticide runoff)

non-use economic values- values based on the fact that people are willing to pay some

dollar amount for a good or service they currently do not use or consume directly. Also

referred to as passive use value.

nutrients- any number of organic or inorganic compounds used by plants in primary

production (typically nitrogen and phosphorus)

octocorals- soft coral type that includes sea plumes, sea whips, gorgonians, and soft

corals

oolitic- made of a smoothed limestone composition consisting of many small grains of

calcium and other carbonates cemented together

passive use economic values- see non-use economic values above.

patch reef- small circular or irregular reefs that arise from the floor of lagoons, behind

barrier reefs, or within an atoll

pathogens- any agent, most commonly a microorganism, capable of causing disease

pelagic- free swimming in the open ocean

personal watercraft- a shallow-draft, jet drive watercraft on which the operator sits,

kneels, or stands; excludes those vehicles piloted from inside the craft

person-days- a person day is one person doing something for a whole or any part of a

day in a defined location.

perturbation- disturbance; a change in a biological system

planktonic- small organisms dependent on water movement and currents as their means

of transportation, including phytoplankton (algae), zooplankton (animals), and

ichthyoplankton (fishes)
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Pleistocene epoch- the first epoch of the Quaternary Period of the Cenozoic Era,

beginning approximately 1.6 million years ago; characterized by major worldwide

climatic fluctuations, the spreading and recession of continental ice sheets with

concomitant rise and fall of sea levels, and the appearance of modern humans

point source pollutant discharges- the discharge of pollutants from a distinct and

identifiable source, such as a sewer or industrial outfall pipe

polychaetae- class of annelid worms that includes bristle and feather duster worms

potable water- water that is safe to drink

primary production- the production of biomass by plants through photosynthesis

puerulus- the larval/juvenile (transitional) swimming stage of the spiny lobster which

has a transparent, swimming, lobster-like form

recruitment- the addition of new individuals into some life stage or size range of a

population. Most often, recruitment is referenced to sexual maturity (that is, recruitment

into the spawning stock) or to the size range that is vulnerable to fishing gear used in a

specific fishery (recruitment to a fishery)

recruitment pathway- mechanism which allows for recruitment to a particular area

recruits- juveniles spawned in a given year

replenishment- process by which spawned individuals mature and are made available to

a particular fishery

rookery- breeding colony or area where a breeding colony aggregates

scleractinian corals- stony corals. Closely related to sea anemones. Constitute the largest

order of anthozoans. Secrete a skeleton composed primarily of calcium carbonate and are

the framework for reef systems

seasonal population- any group of organisms of the same species that occupy a given

space at a particular time of year (defined as winter, spring, summer, fall, wet, or dry)

serial overfishing- a process whereby harvesters who are faced with increasingly lower

profits and greater debts due to a dwindling resource continue to invest in that fishery,

often through government subsidies. Instead of leaving the fishery, fishers choose to
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upgrade their vessels and equipment in order to earn a living fishing for an already

depleted resource

sessile- immobile organisms that are permanently fixed to the substrate

sheet flow- surface water runoff

slough- swamp, bog or marsh; especially one that is part of an inlet or backwater

solution holes- depression in the Earth’s surface caused by dissolving of substrate

composed primarily of calcium carbonate

continental shelf- the submerged shelf of land that slopes gradually from the exposed

edge of the continent for a variable distance to the point where the steep descent to the

ocean floor begins

spawning aggregations - areas in the ocean where fish of one or many different species

form large mating groups

spawning potential ratio- a measure of the stock’s potential capacity to produce

optimum yield on a sustainable basis expressed as a ratio of exploited spawning stock

biomass to the equilibrium unexploited spawning stock biomass.

spur and groove- coral formation endemic to fringing or bank reefs; spurs are usually

composed of a framework or Acropora palmata that form ramparts protruding at right

angles to the axis of the reef and projecting into the prevailing wind pattern; the spaces

between the spurs are sand channels referred to as grooves

stock- a group of individuals of the same species that share common production

characteristics, and support the same basic fishery. Stocks are often managed as single

groups of organisms, even thought they may be comprised of individuals from more than

one population of a species.

storm surge- temporary water elevation change due especially to tropical or extratropical

storms

stratification- layering; water column stratification is based on temperature or salinity

substratum- underlying layer or substance; sedimentary surface; hard or sandy

terrestrial- of or on the earth, of or on dry land
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threatened species- plant or animal species believed likely to be placed in the

endangered category in the foreseeable future.

toxicant- toxin; a poisonous substance

trophic levels- feeding level within a food chain or web; e.g., herbivorous, carnivorous

turbid- the state of being clouded, opaque, or obscured by suspended sediment

Upper Keys- that part of unincorporated portion of Monroe County north of Whale

Harbor Bridge; geologically, the segment of the Keys comprised of exposed Miami

Limestone substrate; includes the area from Marathon to Soldier Key

upwelling - a vertical flow of water, moving from the ocean’s depths to the surface;

occurs at oceanic convergence and certain continental or island coastlines

vascular- typically describes tubular structures involved in fluid transport

viviparous- bearing or bringing forth live young, as with most mammals

Working Group- an ad hoc subcommittee of the Sanctuary Advisory Council and

additional participants

YBP- years before present

yield- harvested portion of a population.

zoanthids- generally small anemone-like animals; may be colonial or solitary, and both

symbiotic and free-living; the most common on the Florida reef tract is Palythoa

caribaeorum, referred to as “golden sea mat”

zone- an area or region considered as separate and distinct from others because of its

designated use, plant or animal life, etc.

zoning- the act of partitioning areas of land or water into sections dedicated to specific

purposes and activities.
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APPENDIX A: EXECUTIVE ORDER 13089: CORAL REEF PROTECTION

The United States Coral Reef Task Force was established by President William J.

Clinton through Executive Order 13089 on June 11, 1998. The Order directs all federal

agencies to protect coral reef ecosystems to the extent feasible and calls for additional

actions to protect and restore valuable coral reefs.

This proposed action complies with this order by: (1) protecting one of the last

remaining healthy coral reefs in the continental U.S., (2) establishing an ocean wilderness

area encompassing some coral reef habitat, (3) coordinating with other relevant federal

agencies to achieve comprehensive protection of the coral reef resources.
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APPENDIX B: EXECUTIVE ORDER 12898: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

On February 11, 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, "Federal

Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income

Populations." This Executive Order is designed to focus the attention of federal agencies

on the human health and environmental conditions in minority communities and lowincome communities.

The proposed action is not expected to adversely impact minority or low-income

populations, rather it is expected to have a positive impact on these and other groups as

fish populations rebound outside of the reserve area. According to the socio-economic

impact analysis the proposed action will not disproportionately affect minorities or lowincome groups over other groups. The ethnicity of the groups affected by the Preferred

Alternative is: 78.1% White, 20.3% Hispanic, and 1.6% African American. The ethnicity

of Monroe County in 1990 was: 72.1% White, 12.3% Hispanic, and 5.4% African

American.
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APPENDIX C. REGULATIONS

This appendix provides the full text of each of the regulations listed in Table 29

that summarizes the impacts of the regulations on small businesses.

FKNMS regulations as amended for Tortugas Ecological Reserve

NOTE TO READER: The following are draft final regulations for the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve. These regulations would amend Part 922, Subpart P of the National

Marine Sanctuary Program regulations. Asterisks (*) are a placeholder for existing

regulatory language which, for the sake of brevity, is not duplicated here.

PART 922-NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM

REGULATIONS

1. The authority citation for part 922 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.

2. §922.161 is revised to read as follows:

§ 922.161 Boundary.

The Sanctuary consists of an area of approximately 2900 square nm (9,800

square kilometers) of coastal and ocean waters, and the submerged lands thereunder,

surrounding the Florida Keys in Florida. Appendix I to this subpart sets forth the precise

Sanctuary boundary.

3. In §922.162, definitions for “Length overall (LOA) or length,” “Stem,” and

“Stern” are added alphabetically as follows:

§ 922.162 Definitions.

*****

Length overall (LOA) or length means, as used in § 922.167 with respect

to a vessel, the horizontal distance, rounded to the nearest foot (with 0.5 ft and above

rounded upward), between the foremost part of the stem and the aftermost part of the
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stern, excluding bowsprits, rudders, outboard motor brackets, and similar fittings or

attachments.

*****

Stem means the foremost part of a vessel, consisting of a section of timber

or fiberglass, or cast, forged, or rolled metal, to which the sides of the vessel are united at

the fore end, with the lower end united to the keel, and with the bowsprit, if one is

present, resting on the upper end.

Stern means the aftermost part of the vessel.

*****

4. In § 922.164, paragraphs (d)(1)(v) and (d)(1)(vi) are revised as follows:

§ 922.164 Additional activity regulations by Sanctuary area

*****

(d)***

(1)***

(i) ***

(ii) ***

(iii) ***

(iv) ***

(v) Anchoring in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. In all other Ecological

Reserves and Sanctuary Preservation Areas, placing any anchor in a way that allows the

anchor or any portion of the anchor apparatus (including the anchor, chain or rope) to

touch living or dead coral, or any attached living organism. When anchoring dive boats,

the first diver down must inspect the anchor to ensure that it is not touching living or

dead coral, and will not shift in such a way as to touch such coral or other attached

organism. No further diving shall take place until the anchor is placed in accordance with

these requirements.

(vi) Except in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve where mooring buoys must be

used, anchoring instead of mooring when a mooring buoy is available or anchoring in

other than a designated anchoring area when such areas have been designated and are

available.
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(vii) ***

4. In § 922.164, paragraphs (d)(1)(viii) and (d)(1)(ix) are added to read as follows:

§ 922.164 Additional activity regulations by Sanctuary area

*****

(d)***

(1)***

(viii) Except for passage without interruption through the area, for law

enforcement purposes, or for purposes of monitoring pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this

section: entering the Tortugas South area of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve; or entering

the Tortugas North area of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve without a valid access

permit issued pursuant to § 922.167 or entering or leaving the Tortugas North area with a

valid access permit issued pursuant to § 922.167 without notifying FKNMS staff at the

Dry Tortugas National Park office by telephone or radio no less than 30 minutes and no

more than 6 hours, before entering and upon leaving the Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

(ix) Tying a vessel greater than 100 feet (30.48 meters) LOA, or tying more than

one vessel (other than vessels carried on board a vessel) if the combined lengths would

exceed 100 feet (30.48 meters) LOA, to a mooring buoy or to a vessel tied to a mooring

buoy in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

5. In § 922.164, paragraph (g) is revised to read as follows:

§ 922.164 Additional activity regulations by Sanctuary area.

*****

(g) Anchoring on Tortugas Bank. Vessels 50 meters or greater in registered

length, are prohibited from anchoring on the portion of Tortugas Bank within the Florida

Keys National Marine Sanctuary west of the Dry Tortugas National Park that is outside

of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. The boundary of the area closed to anchoring by

vessels 50 meters or greater in registered length is formed by connecting in succession

the points at the following coordinates (based on the North American Datum of 1983):

(1) 24 ̊39.00'N 83 ̊06.00'W
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(2) 24 ̊32.00'N 83 ̊00.05'W

(3) 24 ̊37.00'N 83 ̊06.00'W

(4) 24 ̊40.00'N 83 ̊06.00'W

(5) 24 ̊39.00'N 83 ̊06.00'W

6. Revise the heading of § 922.166 to read as follows:

§ 922.166-Permits other than for access to the Tortugas North area of the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve-application procedures and issuance criteria.

7. Renumber § 922.167 as § 922.168 and revise it to read as follows:

§ 922.168-Certification of preexisting leases, licenses, permits, approvals, other

authorizations, or rights to conduct a prohibited activity.

(a) A person may conduct an activity prohibited by Secs. 922.163 or 922.164 if

such activity is specifically authorized by a valid Federal, State, or local lease, permit,

license, approval, or other authorization in existence on July 1, 1997, or by any valid

right of subsistence use or access in existence on July 1, 1997, provided that:

(1) The holder of such authorization or right notifies the Director, in writing,

within 90 days of July 1, 1997, of the existence of such authorization or right and

requests certification of such authorization or right; for the area added to the Sanctuary by

the boundary expansion for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, the holder of such

authorization or right notifies the Director, in writing, within 90 days of the effective date

of these regulations, of the existence of such authorization or right and requests

certification of such authorization or right.

 (2) The holder complies with the other provisions of this

Sec. 922.168; and

 (3) The holder complies with any terms and conditions on the exercise of such

authorization or right imposed as a condition of certification, by the Director, to achieve

the purposes for which the Sanctuary was designated.

 (b) The holder of an authorization or right described in paragraph (a) of this

section authorizing an activity prohibited by Secs. 922.163 or 922.164 may conduct the
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activity without being in violation of applicable provisions of Secs. 922.163 or 922.164,

pending final agency action on his or her certification request, provided the holder is in

compliance with this Sec. 922.168.

 (c) Any holder of an authorization or right described in paragraph (a) of this

section may request the Director to issue a finding as to whether the activity for which the

authorization has been issued, or the right given, is prohibited by Secs. 922.163 or

922.164, thus requiring certification under this section.

 (d) Requests for findings or certifications should be addressed to the Director,

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; ATTN: Sanctuary Superintendent, Florida Keys

National Marine Sanctuary, P.O. Box 500368, Marathon, FL 33050. A copy of the lease,

permit, license, approval, or other authorization must accompany the request.

 (e) The Director may request additional information from the certification

requester as he or she deems reasonably necessary to condition appropriately the exercise

of the certified authorization or right to achieve the purposes for which the Sanctuary was

designated.

The information requested must be received by the Director within 45 days of the

postmark date of the request. The Director may seek the views of any persons on the

certification request.

 (f) The Director may amend any certification made under this Sec. 922.168

whenever additional information becomes available justifying such an amendment.

 (g) Upon completion of review of the authorization or right and

information received with respect thereto, the Director shall communicate, in

writing, any decision on a certification request or any action taken with respect to any

certification made under this Sec. 922.168, in writing, to both the holder of the certified

lease, permit, license, approval, other authorization, or right, and the issuing agency, and

shall set forth the reason(s)for the decision or action taken.

 (h) Any time limit prescribed in or established under this Sec. 922.168 may be

extended by the Director for good cause.

 (i) The holder may appeal any action conditioning, amending, suspending, or

revoking any certification in accordance with the procedures set forth in Sec. 922.50.
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 (j) Any amendment, renewal, or extension made after July 1, 1997, to a lease,

permit, license, approval, other authorization or right is subject to the provisions of Sec.

922.49.

8. Add a new § 922.167 to read as follows:

§ 922.167- Permits for access to the Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

(a) A person may enter the Tortugas North area of the Tortugas North

Ecological Reserve other than for passage without interruption through the reserve, for

law enforcement purposes, or for purposes of monitoring pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of

§ 922.164 , if authorized by a valid access permit issued pursuant to § 922.167.

(b) Access permits must be requested at least 72 hours but no longer than

one month before the date the permit is desired to be effective. Access permits do not

require written applications or the payment of any fee. Permits may be requested via

telephone or radio by contacting FKNMS at any of the following numbers:

Key West office: telephone: (305) 292-0311

Marathon office: telephone: (305) 743-2437

The following information must be provided, as applicable:

 (i) Vessel name.

 (ii) Name, address, and telephone number of owner and operator.

 (iii) Name, address, and telephone number of applicant.

 (iv) USCG documentation, state license, or registration number.

 (v) Home port.

(vi) Length of vessel and propulsion type (i.e. motor or sail).

(vii) Number of divers.

(viii) Requested effective date and duration of permit (2 weeks, maximum).

(c) The Sanctuary Superintendent will issue a permit to the owner or to the

owner’s representative for the vessel when all applicable information has been provided.
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FKNMS will provide a permit number to the applicant and confirm the effective date and

duration period of the permit. Written confirmation of permit issuance will be provided

upon request.

9. Revise Appendices I, IV, to Subpart P of Part 922 to read as follows:

Appendix I to Subpart P of Part 922--Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Boundary Coordinates

(Appendix Based on North American Datum of 1983)

The boundary of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary--

 (a) Begins at the northeasternmost point of Biscayne National Park located at

approximately 25 degrees 39 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 05 minutes west

longitude, then runs eastward to the point at 25 degrees 39 minutes north latitude, 80

degrees 04 minutes west longitude; and

 (b) Then runs southward and connects in succession the points at the following

coordinates:

 (i) 25 degrees 34 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 04 minutes west longitude,

 (ii) 25 degrees 28 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 05 minutes west longitude,

and

 (iii) 25 degrees 21 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 07 minutes west longitude;

 (iv) 25 degrees 16 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 08 minutes west longitude;

 (c) Then runs southwesterly approximating the 300-foot isobath and connects in

succession the points at the following coordinates:

 (i) 25 degrees 07 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 13 minutes west longitude,

 (ii) 24 degrees 57 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 21 minutes west longitude,

 (iii) 24 degrees 39 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 52 minutes west longitude,

 (iv) 24 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, 81 degrees 23 minutes west longitude,

 (v) 24 degrees 25 minutes north latitude, 81 degrees 50 minutes west longitude,
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 (vi) 24 degrees 22 minutes north latitude, 82 degrees 48 minutes west longitude,

 (vii) 24 degrees 37 minutes north latitude, 83 degrees 06 minutes west longitude,

 (viii) 24 degrees 46 minutes north latitude, 83 degrees 06 minutes west longitude,

 (ix) 24 degrees 44 minutes north latitude, 81 degrees 55 minutes west longitude,

 (x) 24 degrees 51 minutes north latitude, 81 degrees 26 minutes west longitude,

and

 (xi) 24 degrees 55 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees 56 minutes west longitude;

 (d) Then follows the boundary of Everglades National Park in a southerly then

northeasterly direction through Florida Bay, Buttonwood Sound, Tarpon Basin, and

Blackwater Sound;

 (e) After Division Point, then departs from the boundary of Everglades National

Park and follows the western shoreline of Manatee Bay, Barnes Sound, and Card Sound;

 (f) then follows the southern boundary of Biscayne National Park to the

southeasternmost point of Biscayne National Park; and

 (g) then follows the eastern boundary of Biscayne National Park to the beginning

point specified in paragraph (a).

The shoreward boundary of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is the

mean high-water mark except around the Dry Tortugas where the boundary is

coterminous with that of the Dry Tortugas National Park, formed by connecting in

succession the points at the following coordinates:

 (a) 24 degrees 34 minutes 0 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 54 minutes 0

seconds west longitude;

 (b) 24 degrees 34 minutes 0 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 58 minutes 0

second west longitude;

 (c) 24 degrees 39 minutes 0 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 58 minutes 0

seconds west longitude;
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 (d) 24 degrees 43 minutes 0 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 54 minutes 0

seconds west longitude;

 (e) 24 degrees 43 minutes 32 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 52 minutes 0

seconds west longitude;

 (f) 24 degrees 43 minutes 32 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 48 minutes 0

seconds west longitude;

 (g) 24 degrees 42 minutes 0 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 46 minutes, 0

seconds west longitude;

 (h) 24 degrees 40 minutes 0 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 46 minutes 0

seconds west longitude;

 (i) 24 degrees 37 minutes 0 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 48 minutes 0

seconds west longitude; and

 (j) 24 degrees 34 minutes 0 seconds north latitude, 82 degrees 54 minutes 0

seconds west longitude.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary also includes the area located within

the boundary formed by connecting in succession the points at the following coordinates:

(a) 24 degrees 33 minutes north latitude, 83 degrees 09 minutes west longitude,

 (b) 24 degrees 33 minutes north latitude, 83 degrees 05 minutes west longitude,

and

 (c) 24 degrees 18 minutes north latitude, 83 degrees 05 minutes west longitude;

 (d) 24 degrees 18 minutes north latitude, 83 degrees 09 minutes west longitude;

and

 (e) 24 degrees 33 minutes north latitude, 83 degrees 09 minutes west longitude.
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Appendix IV to Subpart P of Part 922--Ecological Reserves Boundary

Coordinates

The Tortugas Ecological Reserve consists of two discrete areas, Tortugas North

and Tortugas South.

The boundary of Tortugas North is formed by connecting in succession the points

at the following coordinates:

Tortugas North

----------------------------------------------------------

Point Latitude Longitude

------------------------------------------------------------------

(1)........................ 24 ̊46’00" N....... 83 ̊06'00" W

(2)........................ 24 ̊45’40" N....... 82 ̊54'00" W

(3)........................ 24 ̊45’30" N....... 82 ̊48'00" W

(4)........................ 24 ̊43’32" N....... 82 ̊48'00" W

(5)........................ 24 ̊43’32" N....... 82 ̊52'00" W

(6)........................ 24 ̊43’00" N....... 82 ̊54'00" W

(7)........................ 24 ̊39’00" N....... 82 ̊58'00" W

(8)........................ 24 ̊39’00" N........83 ̊06'00" W

(9).........................24 ̊46’00" N....... 83 ̊06'00" W

The boundary of Tortugas South is formed by connecting in succession the points

at the following coordinates:

Tortugas South

------------------------------------------------------------------

 Point Latitude Longitude

------------------------------------------------------------------

(1)........................... 24 ̊33'00" N..... 83 ̊09'00" W

(2)........................... 24 ̊33'00" N..... 83 ̊05'00" W

(3)........................... 24 ̊18'00" N..... 83 ̊05'00" W

(4)........................... 24 ̊18'00" N..... 83 ̊09'00" W

(5)........................... 24 ̊33'00" N..... 83 ̊09'00" W
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Sanctuary-wide Prohibitions

The following sanctuary-wide regulations apply to boundary Alternatives III, IV and

V because each of these alternatives includes areas currently outside the boundary of the

Sanctuary. Some of these are more restrictive when applied to ecological reserves. The

area within Alternative II is already subject to these regulations.

a. Mineral and hydrocarbon exploration, development and production.

 “Exploring for, developing, or producing minerals or hydrocarbons within

the Sanctuary.”

 This regulation codifies the prohibition contained in Section 6 (b) of the

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Protection Act (FKNMSPA, Pub.L. 101-605,

Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3089).

b. Removal of, injury to, or possession of coral or live rock.

(i) Moving, removing, taking, harvesting, damaging, disturbing, breaking, cutting,

or otherwise injuring, or possessing (regardless of where taken from) any living or dead

coral, or coral formation, or attempting any of these activities, except as permitted under

50 CFR part 638.

(ii) Harvesting, or attempting to harvest, any live rock from the Sanctuary, or

possessing (regardless of where taken from) any live rock within the Sanctuary, except as

authorized by a permit for the possession or harvest from aquaculture operations in the

Exclusive Economic Zone, issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service pursuant to

applicable regulations under the appropriate Fishery Management Plan, or as authorized

by the applicable State authority of competent jurisdiction within the Sanctuary for live

rock cultured on State submerged lands leased from the State of Florida, pursuant to

applicable State law. See § 370.027, Florida Statutes and implementing regulations.

The purpose of this regulation is to protect and preserve an important resource of

the Sanctuary. The damage to the resources of the Keys caused by the removal for resale

or coral and live rock, from damage due to divers touching coral and live rock, and from

vessels running aground are well documented. This was the primary reason for the

designation of the Sanctuary by the FKNMSPA. The State of Florida already prohibits

the taking of coral and live rock, as do the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Councils. Live rock aquaculture, which may be conducted in Sanctuary

waters outside ecological reserves pursuant to a State or Federal permit, will not be

permitted in ecological reserves. Touching coral is also prohibited in ecological reserves.
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c. Alteration of, or construction on, the seabed.

“Drilling into, dredging, or otherwise altering the seabed of the Sanctuary, or

engaging in prop-dredging; or constructing, placing or abandoning any structure,

material, or other matter on the seabed of the Sanctuary, except as an incidental result of:

Anchoring vessels in a manner not otherwise prohibited by this part (see §§

922.163(a)(5)(ii) and 922.164(d)(1)(v));

(ii) Traditional fishing activities not otherwise prohibited by this part;

(iii) Installation and maintenance of navigational aids by, or pursuant to valid

authorization by, any Federal, State, or local authority of competent jurisdiction;

(iv) Harbor maintenance in areas necessarily associated with Federal water

resource development projects in existence on July 1, 1997, including maintenance

dredging of entrance channels and repair, replacement, or rehabilitation of breakwaters or

jetties;

(v) Construction, repair, replacement, or rehabilitation of docks, seawalls,

breakwaters, piers, or marinas with less than ten slips authorized by any valid lease,

permit, license, approval, or other authorization issued by any Federal, State, or local

authority of competent jurisdiction.”

The purpose of this regulation is to protect the seabed. Certain activities have

been expressly exempted in order to lessen the costs on users of the Sanctuary. The

exempted activities include the installation of navigational aids or mooring buoys.

d. Discharge or deposit of materials or other matter, except cooling water and

engine exhaust.

 “(i) Discharging or depositing, from within the boundary of the Sanctuary, any

material or other matter, except:

(A) Fish, fish parts, chumming materials, or bait used or produced incidental to

and while conducting a traditional fishing activity in the Sanctuary;

(B) Biodegradable effluent incidental to vessel use and generated by a marine

sanitation device approved in accordance with section 312 of the Federal Water Pollution

Control Act, as amended, (FWPCA), 33 U.S.C. 1322 et seq.;
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(C) Water generated by routine vessel operations (e.g., deck wash down and

graywater as defined in section 312 of the FWPCA), excluding oily wastes from bilge

pumping; or

(D) Cooling water from vessels or engine exhaust;

(ii) Discharging or depositing, from beyond the boundary of the Sanctuary, any

material or other matter that subsequently enters the Sanctuary and injures a Sanctuary

resource or quality, except those listed in paragraph (a)(4)(i) (A) through (D) of this

section and those authorized under Monroe County land use permits or under State

permits.”

e. Operation of vessels.

 “(i) Operating a vessel in such a manner as to strike or otherwise injure coral,

seagrass, or any other immobile organism attached to the seabed, including, but not

limited to, operating a vessel in such a manner as to cause prop-scarring.

(ii) Having a vessel anchored on living coral other than hardbottom in water

depths less than 40 feet when visibility is such that the seabed can be seen.

(iii) Except in officially marked channels, operating a vessel at a speed greater

than 4 knots or in manner which creates a wake:

(A) Within an area designated idle speed only/no wake;

(B) Within 100 yards of navigational aids indicating emergent or shallow reefs

(international diamond warning symbol);

(C) Within 100 feet of the red and white "divers down" flag (or the blue and white

"alpha" flag in Federal waters);

(D) Within 100 yards of residential shorelines; or

(E) Within 100 yards of stationary vessels.

(iv) Operating a vessel in such a manner as to injure or take wading, roosting, or

nesting birds or marine mammals.

(v) Operating a vessel in a manner which endangers life, limb, marine resources,

or property.”
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These restrictions apply to the operation of all vessels, including personal water

craft (PWC).

To a certain extent, these activities are already prohibited by existing laws and

may result in violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal

Protection Act (MMPA) for certain Sanctuary resources. The restriction on operating a

vessel in a manner which endangers life, limb, marine resources, and property is based

primarily on existing restrictions in State law.

f. Conduct of diving/snorkeling without a flag.

“Diving or snorkeling without flying in a conspicuous manner the red and white

‘divers down’ flag (or the blue and white "alpha" flag in Federal waters).”

This prohibition is designed to prevent user conflicts and to protect the health and

safety of diver/snorkelers from being damaged inadvertently by other Sanctuary users.

The alternative of not including this regulation was rejected because it already mirrors

Federal and State regulations already require the use of a dive flag and the regulation

merely adopts existing requirements to be consistent.

g. Release of exotic species.

“Introducing or releasing an exotic species of plant, invertebrate, fish, amphibian,

or mammals into the Sanctuary.”

The damage to the Florida environment and to other areas of the United States

from inadvertent or deliberate release of exotic species is well-known. The alternative of

not including this regulation was rejected because it mirrors Federal and State laws and

adopts this rule to be consistent with them.

h. Damage or removal of markers.

“Marking, defacing, or damaging in any way or displacing, removing, or

tampering with any official signs, notices, or placards, whether temporary or permanent,

or with any navigational aids, monuments, stakes, posts, mooring buoys, boundary buoys,

trap buoys, or scientific equipment.”

The overall cost to managers of markers, their placement, and upgrade is not

insignificant but is necessary for the safety of Sanctuary users and for the protection of

fragile ecological areas. The alternative of not including this regulation was rejected since

there is no cost associated with a prohibition on removing or damaging a marker. If a
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Sanctuary user damages a marker, it was felt that person should bear the costs of repair or

replacement.

i. Movement of, removal of, injury to, or possession of Sanctuary historical

resources.

“Moving, removing, injuring, or possessing, or attempting to move, remove,

injure, or possess, a Sanctuary historical resource.”

The regulation prohibits the removal or injury of Sanctuary historical resources.

Permits will not be issued for recovery of historical resources in an ecological reserve or

in any areas where coral or significant amounts of seagrass or other significant natural

resources would be injured by recovery of submerged historical resources.

j. Take or possession of protected wildlife.

“Taking any marine mammal, sea turtle, or seabird in or above the Sanctuary,

except as authorized by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended, (MMPA), 16

U.S.C. 1361 et seq., the Endangered Species Act, as amended, (ESA), 16 U.S.C. 1531 et

seq., and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, as amended, (MBTA) 16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.”

Taking or possessing protected wildlife is prohibited, except pursuant to permits,

under a variety of statutes such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the

Endangered Species Act. Civil penalties under the National Marine Sanctuary Act and

the FKNMSPA will facilitate enforcement.

k. Possession or use of explosive or electrical discharges.

“Possessing, or using explosives, except powerheads, or releasing electrical

charges within the Sanctuary.”

This restriction is primarily to protect Sanctuary resources from non-selective

destructive fishing practices. Use of explosives or electrical discharges to collect marine

species already is prohibited in State waters by the State of Florida and by the National

Marine Fisheries Service in Federal waters. This regulation remains in effect but is

superceded by the more restrictive “no-take” regulation applicable to the ecological

reserve.

l. Harvest or possession of marine life species.

“Harvesting, possessing, or landing any marine life species, or part thereof, within

the Sanctuary, except in accordance with rules 46-42.001 through 46-42.003, 46-42.0035,
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and 46-42.004 through 46-42.007, and 46.42.009 of the Florida Administrative Code,

reproduced in Appendix VIII to this subpart, and such rules shall apply mutatis mutandis

(with necessary editorial changes) to all Federal and State waters within the Sanctuary.”

This regulation remains in effect but is superceded by the more restrictive “notake” regulation applicable to the ecological reserve.

m. Interference with law enforcement.

“Interfering with, obstructing, delaying or preventing an investigation, search,

seizure, or disposition of seized property in connection with enforcement of the Acts or

any regulation or permit issued under the Acts.”

This regulation codifies the NMSA statutory prohibition and is intended to protect

enforcement officers and the integrity of the enforcement process, including the

collection of evidence.
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APPENDIX D: WORKING GROUP MEMBERSHIP

Name Affiliation Address

Dr. James Bohnsack NMFS, SE Fisheries Science Center Miami FL

Mr. Robert Brock Everglades National Park Homestead FL

Mr. John Brownlee Recreational fisherman Islamorada FL

Maj

.

Bruce Buckson Florida Marine Patrol Tallahassee FL

Mr. Billy Causey Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Marathon FL

Ms. Felicia Coleman Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management

Council

Tallahassee FL

Mr. Ed Conklin Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection Tallahassee FL

Mrs

.

Fran Decker Citizen Marathon FL

Mr. Don DeMaria Commercial Fisherman Summerland

Key

FL

Mr. Richard Diaz Commercial Fisherman Key West FL

Dr. Nick Funicelli US Geological Survey Gainesville FL

Mr. Peter Gladding Commercial Fisherman Key West FL

Mr. Andy Griffiths Charter boat captain Key West FL

Ms. Debra Harrison World Wildlife Fund Marathon FL

Mr. Ben Haskell Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Marathon Fl

Mr. Dave Holtz Citizen Key West FL

Mr. Tony Iarocci Commercial Fisherman Grassy Key FL

Dr Joseph Kimmel National Marine Fisheries Service St. Petersburg FL

Mr. Don Kincaid Recreational diver Key West FL

Mr. Peter Moffitt South Atlantic Fishery Management

Council

Swansboro NC

Dr. Erich Mueller Mote Marine Lab Summerland

Key

FL

Dr. Russ Nelson Florida Marine Fisheries Commission Tallahassee FL

Mr. Gene Proulx NOAA Office of Law Enforcement St. Petersburg FL

Mr. Alex Stone ReefKeeper International Miami FL
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BM

C

Bob Thomas U.S. Coast Guard Key West FL
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APPENDIX E: LIST OF AGENCIES AND PERSONS CONSULTED ON BOUNDARY

EXPANSION AND PARTIAL LIST OF AGENCIES AND ENTITIES RECEIVING

FSEIS/FSMP

Department of Defense

Department of Energy

Environmental Protection Agency

Department of Transportation

Department of the Interior

Department of State

Governor of Florida

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

U. S. House of Representatives, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

U.S. Senate, Committee on Resources

Monroe County Board of County Commissioners
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APPENDIX F: SUMMARY OF PUBLIC SCOPING COMMENTS ON THE

ECOLOGICAL RESERVE

Public scoping meetings were held in October and November 1998 at the following

locations: Washington, DC; Fort Myers, Florida; Miami, Florida; Marathon, Florida, and

Key West, Florida. The purpose of these meetings was to solicit public comments on the

idea of establishing an ecological reserve. A total of 223 comments were received: 89%

of which were in support of the idea of establishing a reserve, 9% were opposed, and 2%

were undecided. The following is a breakdown of the number of comments received on

certain issues (note: the numbers are not additive as commentors commented on more

than one issue).

Issues mentioned in support of reserve

# comments

Should be a no-take area 69

Include a portion of the Dry Tortugas N.P. 65

Reserve should be large 60

Protect a range of habitats 55

Support protection (single statement) 46

Enhance/protect fisheries 36

Protect biodiversity 24

Protect ecosystem structure/integrity 22

Protect all life stages 16

Important reference/baseline value 15

Provide for monitoring and research 14

Provide for future uses 10

K.I.S.S. (keep regs. simple/consistent to avoid confusion) 10

Provide for adequate enforcement 9

Protect spawning stock/population age structure 7

Maintain wilderness 7

Replenishment of fisheries 6

Protect source of larvae 5

Protect seabirds 5
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Provide for adequate education 5

Include Sherwood Forest 5

Should require reservations to enter area 4

No-entry at all 4

Include Riley's Hump 2

Allow sportfishing/catch and release 2

Protect genetic information 1

No-anchor at Sherwood Forest 1

Provide financial assistance 1

Allow snorkel/diving 1

Rotate reserves 1

Protect 50% of study area 1

Issues mentioned in opposition to reserve

Don't restrict recreational fishers 8

Don't restrict access to public resource 4

Don't support reserve (single statement) 4

Already have a reserve (DRTO) 3

PERSONAL WATERCRAFT (neither opposed nor support)

Don't restrict them 2

DEMOGRAPHICS

Florida (outside of Monroe) 50%

Monroe County 28%

Out-of-state 22%
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APPENDIX G: NO-TAKE RESERVE NETWORKS: SUSTAINING FISHERY

POPULATIONS AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS

Copyright ©1999, American Fisheries Society. Republished and excerpted with

permission.

By Steven N. Murray, Richard F. Ambrose, James A. Bohnsack, Louis W.

Botsford, Mark H. Carr, Gary E. Davis, Paul K. Dayton, Dan Gotshall, Don R.

Gunderson, Mark A. Hixon, Jane Lubchenco, Marc Mangel, Alec MacCall, Deborah A.

McArdle, John C. Ogden, Joan Roughgarden, Richard M. Starr, Mia J. Tegner, and Mary

M. Yoklavich

ABSTRACT

 Improved management approaches are needed to reduce

the rate at which humans are depleting exploited marine populations and

degrading marine ecosystems. Networks of no-take marine reserves are

promising management tools because of their potential to (1) protect

coastal ecosystem structure and functioning, (2) benefit exploited

populations and fisheries, (3) improve scientific understanding of marine

ecosystems, and (4) provide enriched opportunities for non-extractive

human activities. By protecting marine ecosystems and their populations,

no-take reserve networks can reduce risk by providing important insurance

for fishery managers against overexploitation of individual populations.

Replicated reserves also foster strong scientific testing of fishery and

conservation management strategies. Reserve networks will require social

acceptance, adequate enforcement, and effective scientific evaluation to be

successful. Processes for reserve establishment should accommodate

adaptive management so boundaries and regulations can be modified to

enhance performance. However, even well-designed reserve networks will

require continued conservation efforts outside reserve boundaries to be

effective. Establishing networks of no-take reserves is a process-oriented,
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precautionary management strategy that protects functional attributes of

marine ecosystems. As an addition to fishery management practices and

other conservation efforts, no-take reserve networks may improve the

status of exploited populations while conserving marine resources for

future generations.

Few of the world’s coastal regions remain undisturbed by human activities

(GESAMP 1991; NRC 1995; Vitousek et al. 1997). During the past century, America’s

coastal ecosystems have been changed by inputs of pollutants, modifications of

watersheds, destruction of habitats, invasions of exotic species, and extractions of living

resources (Suchanek 1994; Lubchenco et al. 1995; NRC 1995). Despite good intentions,

existing efforts to manage and protect marine resources frequently are inadequate.

Many marine ecosystems show reduced biodiversity and other signs of

degradation (Suchanek 1994; Lubchenco et al. 1995; NRC 1995). Moreover, many

populations of exploited fish and invertebrates are declining in numbers and average size

despite the efforts of fishery managers (FAO 1995; Roberts 1997; NRC 1999). In the

United States, the tradition of open access and a lack of political will to change

management strategies have inhibited implementation of effective measures to protect

marine resources. Even marine ecosystems believed to be protected strongly, including

many of those contained within U.S. marine sanctuaries and national parks, allow

commercial and recreational fishing (Dugan and Davis 1993; McArdle 1997). Clearly,

improved management approaches are required to sustain fisheries and effectively protect

U.S. marine ecosystems and the goods and services they provide. Here, we discuss the

potential of networks of no-take marine reserves to protect fishery populations and

marine ecosystems.

Fisheries

Globally, the use of marine fish stocks is at or near a sustainable limit, and many

populations are currently overexploited (NRC 1999). More than 40% of the world’s

marine fishery populations is heavily to fully exploited, and 25% is classified as

overexploited, depleted, or recovering (NRC 1999). In the last decade, this high

exploitation rate has led to the partial or complete collapse of many of the world’s

fisheries, and new, unexploited populations are no longer available to replace depleted

stocks (Vitousek et al. 1997). Even in countries with active fishery management, the

regulatory process has not prevented overfishing of many stocks. For example, in the

United States, 36% of fishery stocks with known status under federal purview was
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classified as overutilized based on 1992-1994 data, and only 20% was underutilized with

the potential to be fished more heavily (NMFS 1996).

Fishing activities also harm more than targeted populations. Many individuals of

nontargeted species are killed incidentally as bycatch or discards and through the ghostfishing of abandoned gear (NRC 1999). Global bycatch and discards between 1988 and

1990 amounted to approximately one-third of total landed biomass (Alverson et al.

1994), making the ecological consequence of bycatch and discard mortality a serious

problem of modern fisheries management (Dayton et al. 1995; NRC 1999). Fishing also

can change the genetic structure of exploited populations (Ricker 1981; Smith et al. 1991;

Law et al. 1993). The selective removal of certain species by fishing can modify species

interactions and result in changes that cascade throughout marine communities (Dayton

et al. 1995; Hixon and Carr 1997; NRC 1999). Other fishing activities such as trawling

and dredging disturb and alter seafloor habitats, and can modify the structure and

diversity of benthic communities (Auster et al. 1996; Collie et al. 1997; Thrush et al.

1998).

Fishery management

Clearly, improved fishery management practices are needed to prevent

overfishing and the serial depletion of exploited populations. Management of most

fisheries is still based on single-species models despite the fact that multiple species are

caught in almost every fishery (Mangel et al. 1996; Roberts 1997; NRC 1999). Existing

single-species population models require a reliable time series of survey and catch-at-age

data to reconstruct trends in stock biomass and exploitation rates. However, it is seldom

possible to develop accurate models because of inadequate data, difficulties in estimating

critical model parameters, and problems in accounting for environmental variability and

uncertainty. Although increasingly promoted by fishery scientists and managers,

multispecies models require even more information than single-species models and still

are subject to problems of parameter estimation and in accounting for large, unexpected

disturbances (NRC 1999). Thus, it is difficult to model exploited populations, to evaluate

the risk involved in any fishery management decision, and to know when management

actions are truly working to sustain fishery stocks. This can be true even for well-studied

fisheries with seemingly stable populations (Gordon and Munro 1996; Hall 1998; Lauck

et al. 1998).

Consequently, fishery managers need to allow for uncertainties and to use caution

when establishing sustainable catch levels to protect against overfishing (Mangel et al.
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1996; Hall 1998; Lauck et al. 1998). Because overexploitation often takes years to detect,

the mid-course corrections in catch or effort needed to sustain targeted stocks may not be

implemented soon enough if landings are set too high (Dayton 1998). Current practices

usually place the burden of proof on fishery scientists by requiring overwhelming

evidence of resource damage before limitations are placed on fisheries (Garcia 1994;

Mangel et al. 1996; Botsford et al. 1997). However, even when the scientific evidence

suggests that a fishery resource is being depleted, the political will to take a precautionary

approach and restrict fishing is often lacking. Existing management practices also make it

difficult to regulate new fisheries such as the commercial live-fish fishery off California,

where fishing effort has increased ten-fold but catches only four-fold in the 1990s (Hardy

1996). Without immediate restrictions, this live-fish fishery may deplete many shallowwater West Coast fishes. Moreover, the removal of urchin-consuming California

sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher), a principal target of the live-fish fishery in southern

California, could lead to destructive overgrazing by unfished urchin species in kelp forest

communities (Dayton et al. 1998).

Other threats to marine ecosystems

Human activities other than fishing also threaten marine ecosystems. Land-based

activities of an expanding human population harm marine ecosystems through the

discharge of sediments, pesticides, sewage, industrial pollutants, and high concentrations

of nutrients (Lubchenco et al. 1995; Agardy 1997; Vitousek et al. 1997). Nearly 40% of

the world’s population is concentrated within 100 km of the sea (Cohen et al. 1997). In

the United States, almost half of the population can be found in coastal regions that

account for only 5% of the land, and this population is growing by more than 1% each

year (Culliton et al. 1990; NOAA 1990). The development of U.S. waterfront property

has led to extensive destruction and modification of natural coastal habitats, including

more than 70% of the original wetlands in Maryland and Connecticut, and 90% in

California (Dahl et al. 1991). With greater coastal population densities, more people visit

the shore for educational and recreational activities such as fishing, tidepool exploring,

swimming, diving, and collecting organisms. Evidence is accumulating that these

activities can harm coastal ecosystems (Hawkins and Roberts 1992; Keough et al. 1993;

Brosnan and Crumrine 1994) and that existing management practices need to be

reconsidered.
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Marine reserves

Restricting fishing in nursery and spawning grounds or closing areas to rebuild

depleted stocks has long been part of fishery management practices (Fogarty 1999). The

establishment of no-take reserves, and specifically no-take reserve networks, however,

has not received much attention despite the potential of reserves to improve fishery

stocks and to support fisheries and fishery management. Marine reserves encompass less

than one-quarter of 1% of the world’s oceans, and only a fraction of these protected areas

has been designated no-take reserves (McAllister 1996). Few no-take marine reserves

exist in the United States. Planned networks of no-take reserves have not been instituted

in North America until recently, when a set of no-take reserves was established in the

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Bohnsack 1998a). Even in Florida, however,

the combined area of the reserves comprising the network consists of less than 0.5% of

the sanctuary’s waters (Ogden 1997). In California, no-take reserves protect only 0.2% of

state waters (McArdle 1997, 1998), and planned reserve networks do not exist.

Knowledge of requirements for effective marine reserves is less well-developed

compared with terrestrial reserves, where a working theoretical framework exists for

design and management (Simberloff 1988; Barrett and Barrett 1997). Because marine and

terrestrial systems differ substantially, many of the management principles derived from

terrestrial experiences are not applicable to marine reserves (Agardy 1997; Allison et al.

1998). Understanding the factors that determine population and community dynamics in

marine systems is much more difficult than on land (Caley et al. 1996; Hixon 1998). For

example, humans commercially exploit mostly plants and herbivores in terrestrial

systems, whereas in the ocean predators are frequently targeted (Hixon and Carr 1997;

Steneck 1998). Also, marine ecosystems are influenced to a much greater extent by

variable, unpredictable physical processes (Agardy 1997; Botsford et al. 1997) and are

more likely to experience decadal-scale shifts in physical conditions compared with their

terrestrial counterparts (Steele 1991, 1998).

Moreover, because ocean currents transport organisms and materials great

distances, marine sites are exposed to much broader regional influence than sites on land.

Because many marine populations depend on larval recruitment from distant sources for

replenishment (Roughgarden et al. 1994; Botsford et al. 1994; Palmer et al. 1996), sites

providing sources of larvae and eggs need to be connected hydrographically to recipient

sites to ensure the maintenance of local populations (Roberts 1998). The dependence of

many marine populations on other areas for recruitment strongly underscores the need for
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multiple reserves that protect populations over regional scales (Ballantine 1995, 1997;

Roberts 1998).

Benefits of no-take reserve networks

Protect ecosystem structure and functioning

Self-sustaining networks of marine reserves can potentially protect ecosystems by

protecting habitats and communities from extractive activities that can lead to significant

loss of biodiversity and changes in species interactions (Dayton et al. 1995; Boehlert

1996; Hixon and Carr 1997). Individual reserves can vary in design and management

objectives (Agardy 1997), but effective networks that protect ecosystem structure and

functioning should consist of a core of no-take reserves in which extraction of all living

organisms is prohibited. In the absence of effective protection, many populations of

predatory fish and other pelagic and continental shelf species already have been reduced

to levels so low that they no longer perform their former ecological roles (Dayton et al.

1995, 1998; Pauly et al. 1998). Networks of no-take marine reserves can (1) help recover

fishery populations; (2) eliminate mortality of nontargeted species within protected areas

due to bycatch, discards, and ghost fishing; (3) protect reserve habitats from damage by

fishing gear; and (4) increase the probability that rare and vulnerable habitats, species,

and communities are able to persist.

Increase scientific understanding

Networks of no-take marine reserves can serve as sites for increasing scientific

knowledge and understanding of marine ecosystems and their management. Without

unexploited areas against which to measure change, scientists have little ability to fully

evaluate the true impacts of fishing or other forms of human disturbance on marine

populations and communities (Roberts 1997; Dayton et al. 1998). No-take reserve

networks provide the required benchmark sites for separating effects of extractive human

activities from those caused by natural shifts in physical regimes. This is important

because natural oceanographic variability can significantly affect marine systems (NRC

1999) but can almost never be evaluated in the presence of cumulative effects of

anthropogenic disturbance without benchmark sites (Dayton et al. 1995, 1998; Botsford

et al. 1997). Baseline data from unfished stocks also can vastly improve estimates of

population parameters for harvested species (Smith et al. 1999). The opportunity to

improve understanding of marine ecosystems is particularly critical since modifications
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of physical, chemical, and biological systems by human activities are proceeding in new

ways, at faster rates, and over larger spatial scales than ever before (Lubchenco 1998).

Enhance non-extractive human activities

No-take marine reserves create social and economic opportunities that otherwise

would be impossible by supporting human activities dependent on minimally disturbed

sites. These include activities such as wilderness experiences, ecotourism, scientific

research, and advanced marine education. Other nonextractive activities also might be

enhanced by no-take reserves, including diving, underwater photography, cultural and

aesthetic uses, and environmental education. Many of these activities have substantial

social and economic benefits that in some regions may even exceed the extractive uses of

marine reserves (Dixon and Sherman 1990; Brock 1994; U.S. Department of Commerce

1996).

Benefit fishery populations

No-take reserve networks can directly and indirectly benefit exploited marine

populations and fisheries. It has been repeatedly shown that the abundances, average

sizes, and spawning biomass of exploited populations will rebound in no-take reserves

(Rowley 1994; Bohnsack 1995; Roberts et al. 1995). These demographic changes are a

predicted outcome of reserve protection because many fish and invertebrates live longer,

reach greater body size, and produce significantly more eggs and larvae in the absence of

fishing mortality (Bohnsack 1992, 1995; Roberts and Polunin 1993). No other form of

fishery management provides the opportunity for a segment of a fishery stock to realize

its full ecological and demographic potential.

No-take marine reserves have the potential to enhance exploited populations and

benefit fisheries byd ispersing larvae that replenish fishing grounds removed from reserve

source populations (Carr and Reed 1993; Rowley 1994; Bohnsack 1998b); however, the

degree of augmentation will depend on the species, existing oceanographic conditions,

and the magnitude of fishing mortality outside protected areas (Carr and Reed 1993;

Sladek Nowlis and Roberts 1999); exporting biomass to adjacent fishing grounds in the

form of emigrating juveniles and adults (Russ and Alcala 1989; Rowley 1994; Bohnsack

1998b); and protecting portions of exploited stocks from genetic changes, altered sex

ratios, and other disruptions caused by selective fishing mortality (Ricker 1981; Law et

al. 1993; Bohnsack 1992, 1998b).
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Support fisheries and fishery management

No-take marine reserves also can support and benefit fisheries and fishery

management. Sound fisheries management must allow for effects of changing

environmental conditions and uncertainty or inaccuracies in stock assessment and

projected sustainable catch levels (Roberts 1997; Dayton 1998; Lauck et al. 1998).

Refugia provided by sufficiently large, no-take reserve networks can

1. Decrease the likelihood of stock collapse because reserves can act as

regional buffers against unanticipated fishing mortality, unforeseen

management errors, or environmental changes (Bohnsack 1998b).

Hence, reserve networks that partition targeted species into exploited

and unexploited populations can be used as a bet-hedging strategy to

reduce risk to fishery managers over regional scales (Roberts 1997;

Dayton 1998; Lauck et al. 1998);

2. Accelerate the rate of recovery of overexploited populations because

of the increased spawning stock located in reserves (Bohnsack 1998b);

3. Theoretically decrease variability in annual catches by augmenting

some fishery stocks, especially when reserves are large, and fishing

mortality is high outside reserve boundaries (Sladek Nowlis and

Yoklavich 1998; Sladek Nowlis and Roberts 1999);

4. Serve as sites for collecting valuable fishery-independent data and for

conducting fishery research that cannot be carried out in exploited

areas (Lindeboom 1995); and

5. Prevent modification and degradation of critical marine habitat caused

by fishing practices (Dayton et al. 1995; Allison et al. 1998).

Designing effective reserve networks

Certain guidelines apply to the design of any marine reserve network regardless of

its geographic location (Table 1). First, the goals, objectives, and expectations of each

reserve in the network should be specified together with the species, communities, and

habitats targeted for protection. Individual reserves can have different goals, but a reserve

network should form a protective system that connects ecosystem functioning over

regional scales. Thus, reserves forming the network should be distributed along

latitudinal, depth, or other environmental gradients, and protect representative species

and habitat types found in different biogeographic regions. For example, reserve
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networks in California should include habitats such as nearshore coastal waters, offshore

islands, the edges of the continental slope, submarine canyons, and seamounts off the

coast, whereas those in Florida should contain mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs.

Table 1. Guidelines for developing functional reserve networks that link ecological processes

(extended from Ballantine 1995, 1997).

1. Reserves should have clearly identified goals, objectives, and expectations.

• Clearly identify and describe the purposes of each reserve.

• Clearly identify the species, communities, and habitats to be

protected.

• Clearly identify the projected role and contribution of each reserve to

the network.

2. Reserves should represent a wide variety of environmental conditions.

• Locate reserves in each biogeographic region, in the path of major

currents, and in major upwelling cells.

• Distribute reserves across latitudinal and depth clines in each

biogeographic region.

• Design reserves to match the scale of ecological and oceanographic

processes.

• Include representative habitat types and biotic communities.

• Consider habitat quality inside and outside each reserve.

• Establish reserves in areas with high and low levels of human

disturbance.

3. Reserves should be replicated in each biogeographic region.

• Replicate reserves to protect similar habitats and biotic communities

to maximize effectiveness and to guard against excessive damage

from catastrophic events.

• Replicate reserves to ensure effective designs for experimental and

monitoring studies.
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4. Reserves should accommodate adaptive management.

• Develop flexible management practices to enable science-based

revisions of reserve regulations and boundaries.

• Develop scientific research and monitoring programs to evaluate

biological and social performance.

• Plan reserves to meet current and expected future needs.

5. Reserves should be of sufficient size to be self-sustaining.

• Design reserve networks so coverage is large enough to sustain

populations after local catastrophic events.

• Make individual reserves large enough to limit deleterious edge

effects and to facilitate enforcement.

The design of reserve networks should be based on knowledge of the natural

systems, species’ life cycles and habitat requirements, and existing conditions such as the

degree of degradation or integrity of targeted habitats and populations. Individual reserve

placement should take into account oceanographic conditions and major currents to

maximize biological exchange among reserves and between adult and nursery habitats

(Carr and Reed 1993; Carr and Raimondi 1998). For example, Pacific Coast reserves

should include major upwelling cells that occur along the coast approximately every 100

km (Starr 1998) because the proximity of spawning adults to upwelling jets may be an

important factor for dispersal and recruitment of several fish species, including rockfishes

(Yoklavich et al. 1996; Morgan and Botsford 1998). In addition, eddies or counter

currents near upwelling jets may enhance recruitment of invertebrates (Wing et al. 1995;

Alexander and Roughgarden 1996; Bjorkstedt and Roughgarden 1997).

The type, distribution, and quality of habitats inside and outside reserve

boundaries should be considered when locating individual marine reserves. Realizing the

goal of improving fishing outside reserves requires suitable and sufficient habitat to

support populations inside reserve boundaries, and the availability of appropriate habitat

in adjacent fishing grounds where stocks are to be extracted (Carr and Reed 1993;

DeMartini 1993). Reserve sites should be chosen based on available historical data and

expected ecological benefits. They can include regions that have been subjected to both

high and low levels of human disturbance. Whereas pristine areas and lightly exploited

populations often are regarded as excellent candidates for protection, highly degraded

systems also offer opportunities to restore marine ecosystems (Agardy 1997; Roberts
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1998). In fact, highly exploited areas such as those adjacent to urban population centers

may show stronger responses to reserve designation (Sladek Nowlis and Roberts 1997),

but their success will depend on protection against other forms of human disturbance

(Allison et al. 1998).

Replication of reserves is important for risk management because multiple

reserves can serve as a hedge against isolated catastrophic events that affect populations

or destroy habitat. Moreover, given the spatial and temporal variation of environmental

processes that influence larval survival, protection of similar habitats in multiple

locations can increase the chances that reserves will improve recruitment of individual

species (Roberts 1998; Starr 1998). Reserves also must be replicated over appropriate

regional scales to facilitate the scientific research and monitoring programs needed to

provide accurate biological and social feedback on performance (NRC 1995; Ballantine

1997). Replication strengthens statistical inference and is important for rigorously testing

hypotheses on reserve functions. Hence, the availability of replicated reserves is crucial

for science-based improvement of reserve design and for increasing knowledge of

fundamental processes in changing marine systems.

The common approach of establishing small, isolated reserves compromises the

ability to achieve most conservation objectives, including enhancing fishery populations

and improving fisheries (Roberts 1998). Whereas individual reserves can differ in size

depending on their purpose (Carr et al. 1998), to be self- sustaining, an effective network

must include reserves of sufficient size and number to protect key habitats and species’

populations regardless of what happens outside reserve boundaries. Effective networks

could include (1) large reserves that protect a substantial portion (e.g., 20%-50%) of the

spawning stock of a vulnerable species (e.g., Mangel 1998; Sladek Nowlis and Yoklavich

1998; Sladek Nowlis and Roberts 1999), (2) reserves that protect typical habitats and

communities (e.g., 10%-20% of habitat coverage; Plan Development Team 1990), and

(3) small reserves that protect critical, sensitive, or unique habitats, areas, or species.

Although more information about reserve size and the optimal distances for

spacing reserves is needed to design networks that meet many management objectives,

the best way to gather this information is to implement reserve systems and study how

they function. Therefore, initial attempts to establish reserve sizes and locations must be

based on reserve goals and the best available scientific data and models. Better guidance

for reserve design will be possible when results from research performed in reserves

become available, and when new scientific data on critical parameters such as

recruitment and dispersal are obtained for populations targeted for protection. In the
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interim, the previously described lines of reasoning provide a strong rationale for

significantly expanding the small, insufficient amount of marine habitat now being

protected by no-take reserves if the goal is to enhance fishery populations (NRC 1999).

Additionally, estimates of the habitat and home-range requirements for protecting

spawning stocks (Bohnsack 1994; Starr 1998), and models of adult spillover (Polacheck

1990; DeMartini 1993) and larval export (Quinn et al. 1993; Sladek Nowlis and Roberts

1997, 1999) consistently support the need for a sizable increase in reserve areas that

exclude fishing.

To be effective in the long term, reserve networks must be founded on adaptive

resource management, where design modifications can be made using feedback loops

between science and management (Agardy 1997; Allison et al. 1998). Improved

scientific understanding of network function can lead to changes in the boundaries,

locations, and regulations of individual reserves in an effort to better attain reserve goals.

Therefore, effective scientific research and monitoring programs must be developed

together with the establishment of reserve networks.

Reserve evaluation

To achieve desired goals, reserves and reserve networks must be both properly

designed and evaluated (Carr and Raimondi 1998). Improper evaluation or

misunderstanding of reserve goals can lead to inaccurate perceptions of reserve

performance. For example, well-designed reserves might make important contributions to

the larval replenishment of exploited populations, but flawed methods of evaluation (e.g.,

poor measures of recruitment, measurements at inappropriate temporal or spatial scales,

and low statistical power to detect changes) can fail to demonstrate their positive effects.

Similarly, reserves also may protect some species but not others such as abalone and sea

urchins in the presence of sea otters (Parker and Kalvass 1992; Karpov and Tegner 1992)

or some fish populations under heavy predation by pinnipeds (Schmitt, et al. 1995). If the

status of such a species forms the foundation for reserve evaluation, reserve performance

may be perceived as unsatisfactory when, in fact, reserves have protected ecosystem

functioning and increased regional abundances of other fishery stocks and populations.

Timely and rigorous evaluation of reserve performances is essential if reserves are to

function as effective management tools. If a reserve fails to yield expected results, and

this failure is not detected in a timely manner, a false sense of insurance can be imparted

to managers, user groups, and society. This mistaken security may jeopardize the future

not only of an individual reserve, but also of regional policy, when reserve failure is

ultimately detected (Carr and Raimondi 1998). For example, misperceptions of reserve
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protection might lead to resource collapse and environmental degradation if other

management strategies have been relaxed or if fishing intensity has been allowed to

expand or intensify outside reserve boundaries.

Strong scientific evaluation of reserve performance can be challenging because of

difficulties in implementing rigorous statistical procedures to detect reserve effects over a

large range of spatial and temporal scales. The inherent variability of marine systems can

hinder the ability to detect, for example, a statistically significant increase in fish

abundance within a reserve relative to reference areas, or reserve contributions to the

larval recruitment of fishery stocks outside reserve boundaries. This problem emphasizes

the need to develop stronger empirical and analytical approaches for evaluating reserve

success. Modeling approaches to reserve evaluation will encounter many of the same

problems that make parameter estimation difficult when employing typical models for

assessing fishery stocks. Clearly, much greater scientific attention will be required to

develop successful models (and model parameterization).

Social considerations

Social attitudes, economic concerns, institutional structures, and political

processes must be considered to establish effective marine reserve networks. The

potential for reserve networks to serve as successful resource management tools will be

limited if the ways people value and use resources associated with reserves are not taken

into account (Fiske 1992). This is because resource users frequently resist establishment

of marine reserves or other conservation measures that restrict human activities. Part of

this resistance is because the goals and economic and social benefits of marine reserves

often are not well articulated by those promoting reserve protection or well understood by

users who resist reserve establishment.

Restriction, termination, or displacement of activities such as fishing, oil

development, and pollutant discharge involve real and perceived socio-economic costs

that must be weighed against the expected benefits of creating reserves. Other issues that

must be considered when assessing the potential benefits of reserve networks include the

uncertainties of traditional fishery management; the magnitude of human impact on

ocean ecosystems; and the importance of intact, functioning marine ecosystems. Because

a critical goal of no-take reserve networks is to protect and sustain ecosystem

functioning, the value of such functions must be recognized before benefits can be fully

appreciated. However, a societal problem is the failure to appreciate the importance of

ecosystem goods and services (Peterson and Lubchenco 1997), in part because most user
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groups focus only on extracting tangible marine products over short time scales.

Moreover, a mismatch between operative time scales for ecological, socio-economic, and

political processes can result in inaccurate expectations of the time-course for reserve

outcomes to be realized. For example, considering the longevity and erratic recruitment

of many rockfishes, it might be decades before reserve benefits to rockfish stocks outside

reserve areas can be demonstrated (Yoklavich 1998). Such a lag would be perceived as

too long for most fishers whose social and economic well-being is contingent on shorter

schedules. Distinguishing real from perceived costs and weighing short- against longterm costs and benefits are issues that must be addressed when a reserve network is being

established.

Knowledge of human systems can be used to anticipate potential support and

opposition to establishing marine reserve networks or locating individual reserve sites.

Recognition of the need for reserves, particularly in more remote settings, often comes

from outside local communities (Wells and White 1995), but sociopolitical inertia can be

difficult to overcome without adequate local support. Local individuals, groups, and

institutions can greatly assist efforts to design and manage reserves (Johannes 1982;

Fiske 1992; Walters and Butler 1995). Additionally, local or “traditional” knowledge of

natural conditions can complement scientific knowledge and often provide otherwise

unavailable and important information (Inglis 1993; Neis 1995). Institutional planning

and coordination also are essential among local, state, and federal agencies (Agardy

1997).

Too often, U.S. reserves have been initiated by the public or special interest

groups in response to a perceived opportunity or threat and created in the absence of a

larger, regional plan. In California, this bottom-up tradition has resulted in a poorly

designed, fragmented collection of individual reserves with unmatched or unclear

objectives and weakly defined management goals (McArdle 1997, 1998). To develop

effective reserve networks, better planning and adequate governmental mechanisms for

creating functional reserves must be achieved, including structures that facilitate

coordination among U.S. agencies with overlapping jurisdictions.

The success of no-take reserves depends on compliance with regulations (e.g.,

Causey 1995; Ticco 1995; Proulx 1998), yet too often reserve management and

enforcement practices have been weak (Beatley 1991; Alder 1996). Reserves may create

incentives for some to break rules, especially if social or legal institutions are inadequate.

This is because poaching can have high payoffs when reserves successfully protect

valuable fishery populations such as abalone (Tegner et al. 1992, 1996). Compliance can
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be voluntary but in many cases may occur only with realistic levels of enforcement by

responsible agencies and the threat of meaningful penalties for poaching. For example, in

southern California, where most rocky shores are easily accessible, unlawful collecting

and poaching of intertidal organisms have been widespread in existing reserves because

enforcement has been virtually nonexistent (Murray 1998).

Granting exceptions to restrictions can compromise the performance of no-take

reserves or reserve networks. Fishers frequently resist plans to establish reserves that

eliminate fishing and often cite a lack of evidence in support of reserve benefits.

However, the burden of proof should be shifted, with fishing exemptions granted only in

certain cases (e.g., fishing for migratory species, subsistence fishing by indigenous

peoples using traditional or equivalent gear) where it can be shown that extractive

activities will not prevent reserves from achieving their conservation goals. In some

cases, it even may be necessary to restrict or limit nonextractive recreational activities.

Because marine reserves can attract human visitors, increases in nonextractive use also

can damage resources and potentially compromise reserve performance (Broome and

Valentine 1993).

Conclusions

Impacts of human disturbance on marine ecosystem services and sustainability,

including overfishing, are well documented (NRC 1995, 1999; Vitousek et al. 1997).

Changes in ecosystem structure and functioning, and declines in exploited marine

populations become even more likely as the pressures of fishing and other human

activities increase. Moreover, fisheries and environmental managers are being challenged

by marine systems that are changing in new and unpredictable ways, ranging from broad

climatic changes (NRC 1999) to the more-regional cumulative impacts of human

activities (Lubchenco 1998). Declining trends in the health of America’s fishery

populations and marine ecosystems need to be offset by improved management

approaches. Continued depletion of many exploited populations and reductions in marine

biodiversity are likely outcomes if existing practices are maintained as the principal

vehicles for managing fisheries and protecting marine ecosystems (Ludwig et al. 1993;

Boehlert 1996). Improvements in fishery data and models, and the advocacy of more

precautionary approaches toward establishing sustainable catch levels are needed, but

alone they may be insufficient to significantly improve the status of many exploited

populations.
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Marine reserves are receiving increasing attention and have been identified as a

viable management strategy for promoting the sustainable use of ocean resources

(Costanza et al. 1998; NRC 1999). No-take reserve networks offer opportunities to

improve the status of exploited populations, benefit fisheries management, and increase

understanding of marine ecosystems. By protecting resident populations and ecosystem

functioning, networks of no-take reserves provide a precautionary approach for managing

wild resources. Reserve populations ensure against inaccuracies and inherent

uncertainties in fishery models as well as unpredictable fluctuations in fishery stocks

(Hall 1998; Lauck et al. 1998). No-take reserve networks might enhance and make more

stable the landings of many fishery populations throughout the long term compared with

existing practices (Sladek-Nowlis and Roberts 1997). Besides directly benefitting

exploited stocks, effective reserves add an ecosystem-based management tool that

focuses on processes and functioning, and extends fishery and conservation benefits

beyond individual targeted populations (Agardy 1997; Roberts 1998; NRC 1999).

The degree to which no-take reserve networks can improve a fishery will be

difficult to predict but will be based on characteristics of the species being protected and

the network design. Nevertheless, a sufficient theoretical framework now exists for

designing reserve networks in the United States. The short-term negative socio-economic

effects of implementing no-take reserve networks should be less than the long-term

repercussions of overfishing, including the disruptions that result from stock collapses.

Short-term reductions in fishery landings, and the resulting social and economic

adjustments required by fishers, may be mitigated partially by phasing in reserves to

distribute the loss of fishing grounds and related catches throughout several years. During

this period the benefits obtained from reserves may begin to offset losses due to

displacement of fishing activities (Sladek Nowlis and Roberts 1997).

By protecting targeted and untargeted populations from extractive activities, notake reserve networks also provide areas with intact ecosystems that enhance

opportunities to build scientific understanding of complex marine processes. Without notake reserve networks, fewer opportunities will be available to investigate and understand

marine ecosystem functioning and to use this knowledge to improve fisheries

management and conservation measures. Public access to reserves can increase the types

and quality of many important non-extractive human activities that require minimally

disturbed areas such as education, ecotourism, photography, recreational diving, fish

watching, cultural activities, and wilderness enjoyment (Bohnsack 1998b). The economic

and social benefits of non-extractive uses of a reserve in many cases can exceed its

extractive value (Dixon and Sherman 1990; Brock 1994; U.S. Department of Commerce
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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272

1996). Although high levels of nonextractive use can significantly affect coastal

populations (Brosnan and Crumrine 1994; Addessi 1995; Keough and Quinn 1998), these

effects can be offset where necessary (e.g., easily accessible urban shores and popular

shallow-water reefs) by restricting or limiting public access and through public education.

Public acceptance, a requirement for reserve success, can be strong with local support,

education, direct experience, and adequate enforcement (Fiske 1992; Wolfenden et al.

1994; Ballantine 1995).

No-take reserve networks can complement existing management practices,

improve efforts to interrupt declining trends in fishery populations, and help preserve

marine ecosystems for future generations. However, reserve networks can only

supplement other management policies because ocean currents move across reserve

boundaries (Allison et al. 1998), and on-site managers cannot control characteristics of

reserve waters or recruitment of reserve populations dependent on sources outside reserve

boundaries. Individual reserves or reserve networks cannot alone produce desired fishery

and conservation outcomes (Roberts 1998; NRC 1999). The effectiveness of even welldesigned reserve networks must depend on conservation and fishery management efforts

undertaken outside reserve boundaries (Agardy 1997; Allison et al. 1998; Fogarty 1999).

Author affiliations:

Steven N. Murray is a professor of biology, Department of Biological Science,

California State University, Fullerton, CA 92834-6850. Richard F. Ambrose is director,

Environmental Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Los Angeles.

James A. Bohnsack is a research fishery biologist, NOAA/NMFS, Miami, Florida. Louis

W. Botsford is a professor of wildlife and fisheries biology; Department of Wildlife, Fish,

and Conservation Biology; University of California, Davis. Mark H. Carr is an assistant

professor, Department of Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz. Gary E. Davis is

senior scientist, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California. Paul K. Dayton is a

professor of marine ecology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of

California, San Diego. Dan Gotshall, of Sea Challengers in Monterey, is a senior marine

biologist who retired from the California Department of Fish and Game. Don R.

Gunderson is a professor, School of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle. Mark

A. Hixon is a professor of marine ecology, Department of Zoology, Oregon State

University (OSU), Corvallis. Jane Lubchenco is the Wayne and Gladys Valley professor

of marine biology and distinguished professor of zoology, OSU. Marc Mangel is a

professor of environmental studies and marine sciences, Department of Environmental
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Final Supplemental Management Plan for

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273

Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz. Alec MacCall is chief, Groundfish

Analysis Branch, NMFS, Tiburon Laboratory, California. Deborah A. McArdle is a

marine advisor, University of California Sea Grant Extension Program, Santa Barbara.

John C. Ogden is director, The Florida Institute of Oceanography, St. Petersburg. Joan

Roughgarden is a professor of population biology, Biological Science, Stanford

University, California. Richard M. Starr is a marine advisor, University of California, Sea

Grant Extension Program, Moss Landing. Mia J. Tegner is a research marine biologist,

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. Mary M.

Yoklavich is a research fishery biologist, NMFS, Pacific Fisheries Environmental

Laboratory, Pacific Grove, California.

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park? Pages 205-213 in N. Shackell, and J. H. M. Willison, eds. Marine protected

areas and sustainable fisheries. Science and Management of Protected Areas

Association, Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Wells, S., and A. T. White. 1995. Involving the community. Pages 61-84 in S. Gubbay,

ed. Marine protected areas. Principles and techniques for management. Chapman

and Hall, London.

Wing, S. R., L. W. Botsford, J. L. Largier, and L. E. Morgan. 1995. Spatial variability in

settlement of benthic invertebrates in an intermittent upwelling system. Mar. Ecol.

Progr. Ser. 128:199-211.

Wolfenden, J., F. Cram, and B. Kirkwood. 1994. Marine reserves in New Zealand: a

survey of community reactions. Ocean Coast. Manag. 25:31-51.

Yoklavich, M. M., ed. 1998. Marine harvest refugia for West Coast rockfish: a

workshop. NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC-255, La Jolla, California.

Yoklavich, M. M., V. J. Loeb, M. Nishimoto, and B. Daly. 1996. Nearshore assemblages

of larval rockfishes and their physical environment off Central California during

an extended El Niño event, 1991-1993. Fish Bull. 94:766-782.
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APPENDIX H: RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE DRAFT

SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND DRAFT

SUPPLEMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (DSEIS/SMP) AND THE PROPOSED

IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED TORTUGAS

ECOLOGICAL RESERVE

INTRODUCTION

More than 4,000 comments were received on the DSEIS/SMP and the proposed

implementing regulations for the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve. All comments

received were treated as being directed to both the DSEIS/SMP and the proposed

regulations. Almost 3000 of the comments were form letters expressing general support

for the creation of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Two hundred and forty-five persons

commented by signing a petition. The substantive comments received are summarized

below followed by the agency’s responses. Multiple but similar comments have been

treated as one comment for purposes of response. Comments merely stating personal

support or opposition to the establishment of the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve

and comments supporting the process employed or complimenting the many individuals

who participated in that process, while certainly appreciated, do not require responses.

Comments beyond the scope of the proposed action, such as establishment of an

ecological reserve within the Dry Tortugas National Park, establishing more ecological

reserves in the Sanctuary, or making the entire Sanctuary a “no-take” zone, are neither

summarized nor responded to. No comments were received on the Initial Regulatory

Flexibility Act Analysis (IFRA) per se. However, a number of the comments requested

changes to the Preferred Alternative because of impacts on users, all of which are

considered small entities for purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Comments 1, 3,

4, 9, 13, 16-19, 21-23, 36, 41-43, and 50 and the responses thereto summarize the

significant issues raised by those comments and the assessment of the agency of such

issues. Although changes were made to the Proposed Rule, no changes were made as a

result of those comments.

SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

Comment 1: A commentor wrote on behalf of over 100 commercial fishermen

who are opposed to ecological reserves in the Sanctuary. They believe that ecological

reserves are unnecessary for stock or environmental preservation and that reserves are a
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“back-door” approach to the eventual elimination of all commercial fishing within the

Sanctuary. They believe that the statement in the DSEIS that the Tortugas process was a

joint effort with the commercial fishing industry is misleading and highly offensive to the

rank and file fishermen who oppose the reserve. The commentor stated that he did not

participate in the process because he believed that establishment of the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve was a “done deal” from the beginning. He requested that the FSEIS

not state that establishment of the Reserve was supported by the commercial fishing

industry.

Response: NOAA recognizes that some individual fishermen oppose reserves in

the Sanctuary. However, NOAA worked with leaders in the commercial fishing industry

who served on the Sanctuary Advisory Council, as well as the Tortugas 2000 Working

Group. The commercial fishing representatives contacted other commercial fishermen

for their input into the Tortugas 2000 process. Dozens of commercial fishermen

participated in the process to draft the boundary alternatives for the proposed Tortugas

Ecological Reserve. NOAA also worked cooperatively with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Council in the development of the Reserve.

The successful use of ecological reserves or marine reserves as management tools to

conserve, protect, and preserve stocks and marine environments is documented in the

scientific literature. NOAA has its own positive experiences with the use of “no-take”

reserves in the FKNMS since July 1997, as data from scientific research and monitoring

of these areas supports the positive benefits of reserves. The Tortugas Ecological Reserve

is proposed to protect remote areas that include varied habitats, exceptional coral reefs,

and excellent water quality.

NOAA strongly disagrees that reserves are a “back-door” approach to the

eventual elimination of commercial fishing in the Sanctuary. The proposal in no way

represents an effort to eliminate commercial fishing from the rest of the Sanctuary.

Including the Tortugas Reserve, approximately 6% of the total geographical area of the

Sanctuary will be closed to fishing. NOAA recognizes that some of the commercial

fishing that formerly occurred in the Reserve will relocate to other areas within and

outside the Sanctuary.

Comment 2: NOAA should select Boundary Alternative III (Preferred Boundary

Alternative). This alternative provides distinct longitudinal and latitudinal boundary lines

for both compliance and enforcement purposes; incorporates important benthic

communities that serve as critical foraging areas for coral reef species; provides

important buffer areas to the critical coral reef community; protects Riley’s Hump, a
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known fish aggregating and fish spawning site; and protects a wide range of deep water

coral reef habitats.

Response: Boundary Alternative III remains the Preferred Boundary Alternative.

The protection of the diverse and productive benthic communities of the Tortugas region

is consistent with the FKNMSPA and NMSA, and it is therefore critical that the full

extent of coral reef and related habitats lying within Boundary Alternative III be included

in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

Expansion of the Sanctuary boundary as proposed in the Preferred Boundary

Alternative is necessary to include unique coral structures and significant habitats lying

outside the present boundary, such as Sherwood Forest and Riley’s Hump. The on-going

and immediate threat of anchor damage and other direct human impacts to the coral reef

community outside the existing Sanctuary boundary further supports the Preferred

Alternative.

The provision of buffer areas within the design of the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve is necessary for several reasons. NOAA has learned from the Western Sambo

Ecological Reserve and the Sanctuary Preservation Areas that fishermen will fish along

the boundaries of these areas due to the success of no-take areas in increasing fish and

other marine life abundance. Without an adequate buffer, traps and other fishing gear

could become entangled in coral, threatening the effectiveness of the Ecological Reserve.

Several different groups of scientists over the past two years have documented shrimp

nets entangled on sensitive coral reef habitat in the proposed Tortugas North portion of

the Reserve.

Scientists conducting research in the area of the proposed Tortugas Ecological

Reserve have found that benthic primary production provides the base for the food web

on this portion of the west Florida shelf. They also found that high levels of fishery

production associated with the live bottom habitats are in fact directly supported by the

surrounding open sand, algae and seagrass communities in the area. Buffer areas that

include these habitat types will contribute to the overall functionality of the Ecological

Reserve.

The Tortugas North portion of the Ecological Reserve as contained in Boundary

Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative) consists of coral reef communities that

are unparalleled in the Florida Keys in their diversity and composition. Several carbonate

banks of varying size and depth (30 feet to 75 feet) and low relief hardbottom habitats

with patches of sand and rubble characterize Tortugas North. The most prominent
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features in the Tortugas North reserve are Tortugas Bank and Sherwood Forest. Tortugas

Bank crests at 66 feet and supports abundant attached reef organisms such as sponges,

corals, and soft corals. North of Tortugas Bank, in an area previously believed to be

comprised only of sand, are several pinnacles covered with hard and soft corals and reef

fish.

Sherwood Forest is an ancient stony coral forest exhibiting 30% or more bottom

cover located along the western flank of Tortugas Bank. The top of Sherwood Forest

rises to a depth of about 65 feet and covers an area of many acres. The area exhibits a

complex habitat with various rock ledges, holes, and caves, providing hiding places for

marine life. Unusual coral formations and previously unidentified coral species

associations have been observed in this location. Gorgonians and black corals

(Antipathies sp.), which are not common elsewhere in the Florida Keys, are also prolific.

An abundance of groupers has been documented in Sherwood Forest as have sightings of

uncommon and rare fish species such as jewfish, white-eyed goby, and orangeback bass.

The Tortugas South portion of the Ecological Reserve as contained in Boundary

Alternative III (Preferred Boundary Alternative) includes a wide range of deep water

coral reef habitats that will protect and conserve many rare and unusual reef species, and

incorporates sufficient area to provide a buffer to the critical coral reef community. The

upper portion of Tortugas South includes the relatively shallow Riley’s Hump area in less

than 100 feet of water. Riley's Hump consists of attached algae, scattered small coral

colonies, sand, and hardbottom habitats. It is also a known fish aggregating and spawning

site for several snapper-grouper species.

During the 2000 Sustainable Seas Expedition (SSE), submersible pilots explored

the lower portions of Tortugas South. Deep reef habitats with numerous soft corals but

few stony corals were found in depths from 200 to 400 feet. A series of small pinnacles

that surround a larger seamount were identified as part of an east-west running ledge that

begins around 250 feet and drops to close to 400 feet in a nearly vertical profile. This is

unlike any other coral reef habitat discovered within Sanctuary waters. These complex

habitats support numerous fish species including streamer bass, yellowmouth grouper,

snowy grouper, scamp, speckled hind, creole fish, bank butterflyfish, amberjack, and

almaco.

The deepest portions (1,600 to 1,800 feet) of Tortugas South encompass

limestone ledges where unusual deep-dwelling sea life such as lantern fish (myctophids),

tilefish, golden crabs, and giant isopods have been observed by submersible pilots.

Contrary to some opinions that these depths were devoid of life, the sand bottom habitat
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was observed to be teeming with unique deep sea species of shrimp, fish, sea cucumbers,

anemones, and crabs.

These critical deep water communities of Tortugas South are vulnerable to a wide

range of impacts from fishing gear including deep water trawls and traps, and impacts

from anchoring. Fishing gear impacts have been observed on sand and limestone

substrates in some deep water areas.

In order for the Ecological Reserve to be biologically effective and to ensure

protection and conservation of the full range of coral reef habitats and species in the

Tortugas region, it is critical that all of the various benthic habitats and their associated

marine communities, from the shallowest to the greatest depths, be included within the

boundary of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve.

Comment 3: NOAA should select the No-Action Alternative I. NOAA should

not expand the FKNMS boundary or create an ecological reserve. The reserve “punishes

the general public for the sins of commercial interests.”

Response: If the no-action alternative is selected and the Sanctuary boundary is

not expanded to create the Tortugas Ecological Reserve as contained in the Preferred

Alternative, significant coral reef resources would be left at risk to physical destruction

by ship and boat anchors and other human impacts including fishing. If the Sanctuary

boundary is not expanded to include the geographical extent of the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve as proposed in the Preferred Boundary Alternative (III), some of this nation’s

most significant coral reef resources would be left vulnerable (see environmental

description contained in Response to Comment 2).

The Sanctuary boundary established by Congress in the FKNMSPA in 1990 was

based upon the very best information available at the time related to the coral reef

resources located to the far-western extent of the Florida Keys. Over the last decade

scientists and managers have learned and documented a considerable amount about the

existence of extensive and unique coral reef resources that are located outside the

boundary of the FKNMS. This new information regarding those significant coral reef

resources and the threats to them emphasis the critical need to take action and protect

them.

The Tortugas Ecological Reserve is intended to preserve for all, including future

generations, the critical coral reef ecosystem of the Tortugas and the extraordinary

resources and qualities that are found there. Consumptive recreational activities have
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resource impacts that are inconsistent with the protection needed for these resources. All

consumptive commercial and recreational activities are being prohibited in the Reserve.

Most of the data used in the analysis of the environmental consequences and socioeconomic impacts in the DSEIS/SMP refer to commercial activities because commercial

activities represent the majority of use of the Tortugas area and because commercial data

are more readily available.

Comment 4: NOAA should adopt Boundary Alternative II.

Response: The benthic community contained within the boundary of Alternative

II does not include the significant and biologically diverse coral community known as

Sherwood Forest. Unless this area is included within the Ecological Reserve, some of this

nation’s most significant coral reef resources will not be adequately protected for future

generations. These unique coral reefs comprise some of the most biologically diverse

coral reef communities and best water quality in the Florida Keys. Failure to protect these

unique coral reefs will result in their decline from a variety of human impacts.

Additionally, Boundary Alternative II does not contain Riley's Hump, a known

fish aggregating and spawning site, or its adjacent deep water shelf communities.

Boundary Alternative II would not offer protection and preservation of these unique deep

water habitats and their associated fish and invertebrate species (see description

contained in Response to Comment 2).

Comment 5: NOAA should adopt Boundary Alternative IV.

Response: While this alternative would protect a larger area than the Preferred

Alternative and provide greater ecological benefits, the adverse socio-economic impacts

of this alternative on various fishing activities such as recreational charter fishing,

commercial fishing, and spearfishing, would be significantly greater because all of

Tortugas Bank would be closed to consumptive activities. On balance, the benefits of the

increased area protected would be outweighed by the greater socio-economic costs.

Comment 6: NOAA should adopt Boundary Alternative V.

Response: While Alternative V would protect an even larger area than

Alternative IV, it would not protect the full range of critical deep water habitat at the

southern end of Tortugas South that would be protected by Alternatives III and IV (see

description contained in Response to Comment 2). While it would expand protection to

the west, the majority of the benthic communities located there are not as threatened from
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direct impact as those located within the boundary of the Preferred Alternative.

Alternative V would not result in significant increased protection to coral reef

communities located outside Alternative III, yet would have increased socio-economic

costs.

Comment 7: Alternatives IV and V are more consistent than Alternative III with

the goals that the Sanctuary has set for the ecological reserve, in addition to being more

consistent with Executive Order 13089 by protecting national significant coral reef

resources.

Response: See Responses to Comments 2, 5 and 6. Boundary Alternative III is

the Preferred Boundary Alternative because it will protect ecosystem integrity; protect

biodiversity; enhance scientific understanding of marine ecosystems; facilitate human

uses to the extent consistent with the other objectives; minimize socio-economic impacts

to the extent consistent with the other objectives; and facilitate enforcement and

compliance. The Preferred Alternative is of sufficient size, together with the Dry

Tortugas National Park, to protect all known nationally significant coral reef resources of

the Tortugas region and fulfill the objectives of the FKNMSPA and the NMSA, while not

unduly impacting user groups, and is consistent with Executive Order 13089.

The Preferred Boundary Alternative (Alternative III) provides an appropriate

balance of significant resource protection while leaving other areas of Tortugas Bank

available for consumptive uses, including commercial and recreational fishing, and

spearfishing. A detailed comparison of the alternatives and an explanation for the

selection of the Preferred Alternative is set forth in the FSEIS. The Preferred Boundary

Alternative is consistent with the criteria and objectives established for selecting a

Preferred Alternative.

Comment 8: NOAA should adopt Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred

Regulatory Alternative).

Response: Regulatory Alternative D (Preferred Regulatory Alternative) differs

from Regulatory Alternative C (the Preferred Regulatory Alternative in the DSEIS) by

prohibiting all activities in Tortugas South except for continuous transit, law

enforcement, and, pursuant to a sanctuary permit, scientific research and educational

activities. Both Regulatory Alternatives C and D would prohibit any take. The reasons

that Alternative D is now the Preferred Regulatory Alternative are to more fully protect

fish spawning aggregations found on Riley’s Hump, to permit effective enforcement of

Tortugas South, the most remote region of the Sanctuary, and to provide a reference area
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for comparison to gauge the impacts of non-consumptive activities in Tortugas North.

Riley’s Hump is a known fish spawning aggregation site for at least five species of

snapper and several species of grouper. Riley’s Hump is also one of the only known

spawning aggregation sites for mutton snapper, a highly targeted species for commercial

fisheries.

Comment 9: NOAA should adopt Regulatory Alternative C.

Response: See Response to Comment 8.

Comment 10: The resources in the Tortugas area are in good shape overall and

do not need the protection of an ecological reserve. The size and number of

recreationally and commercially important species of fish remain healthy.

Response: The importance of the resources of the Tortugas region to the rest of

the Florida Keys is documented throughout the DSEIS and FSEIS. Over the past few

decades the Florida Keys have experienced a significant increase in visitation,

particularly at Dry Tortugas National Park where visitation increased 300% from 1984 to

1998 (18,000 to 72,000 visitors). The current population of South Florida of

approximately 6 million is expected to double by 2050. It is likely that population

pressures, increase in tourism, and improved boating and fishing technology making it

easier for more people to regularly visit the same remote sites, located well offshore, will

result in greater visitation and pressure on the resources of the Tortugas area. By

protecting the resources of the Tortugas area now, NOAA will be able to maintain them

in a nearly pristine state, for the benefit of present and future generations. The protection

of areas of the marine environment of special national significance due to their resource

or human use values, such as the Tortugas region, is consistent with the FKNMSPA and

NMSA.

Fisheries biologists have documented alarming declines in the size and abundance

of commercially and recreationally important species of snapper, grouper, and grunts

throughout the Florida Keys including the Tortugas region.

Comment 11: NOAA must provide an adequate number of mooring buoys in the

Reserve. One commentor suggested that NOAA place at least 25 buoys in Tortugas

North and a lesser number in Tortugas South. Several commentors suggested rotation of

mooring buoys.
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Response: Assuming implementation of the Preferred Alternative (III and D), an

adequate number of mooring buoys will have to be provided in Tortugas North. It is not

now known how many mooring buoys will be needed and where they should be installed.

Some buoys will be installed at the more popular dive locations in Tortugas North prior

to the effective date of the regulations. Non-consumptive users, such as dive charter

operators, will be consulted to determine a desirable number and appropriate locations for

buoys. The rotation of mooring buoys will be considered.

It has not yet been determined whether buoys will be installed in Tortugas South

because, under the Preferred Alternative, diving will only be allowed for scientific

research and educational purposes. Submerged moorings (i.e., moorings located beneath

the surface) are being considered as a means to facilitate scientific research activities in

this portion of the Ecological Reserve.

Comment 12: Non-consumptive diving should be prohibited throughout the

Reserve to prevent any disturbance to the ecosystem. Even non-consumptive diving

activity can cause substantial damage to corals.

Response: Prohibiting non-consumptive diving in Tortugas North is not needed

to protect the resources or their ecosystem. One of the basic tenets of the FKNMSPA, the

NMSA and indeed the Designation Document for the FKNMS, is to allow activities in

the Sanctuary that do not cause an adverse effect on the resources or qualities of the

Sanctuary, or that do not pose a threat of harm to users of the Sanctuary. However, the

resources of Tortugas South, particularly the spawning aggregation areas, are unique and

warrant the additional protection of prohibiting diving. Enforcement surveillance in this

remote part of the Reserve would be facilitated by prohibiting all activities in Tortugas

South except for continuous transit, law enforcement, and, pursuant to a sanctuary permit,

scientific research and educational activities. Additionally, prohibiting diving in Tortugas

South will provide a baseline to gauge the effects of non-consumptive activities on the

resources in Tortugas North.

Tortugas North is less remote and protection and conservation can be more easily

afforded to it than to Tortugas South. Allowing non-consumptive diving that is carefully

monitored in Tortugas North will provide significant educational and resource

appreciation benefits. Further, prohibiting non-consumptive diving in Tortugas North

would unnecessarily increase adverse socio-economic impacts on charter dive operators

without providing corresponding resource protection. The permit system for Tortugas

North will allow the level of diving activity to be monitored, and combined with the
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reference of Tortugas South, will allow the effects of non-consumptive diving on

resources in Tortugas North to be determined.

Education and outreach programs are being implemented that will continue to

raise the awareness of divers about the potential impact from their activity on coral reefs.

The presence of “no-take” divers in the Reserve is viewed by marine reserve experts as

important to help convey the message of the benefits of marine reserves.

Comment 13: NOAA should prohibit commercial fishing in the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve but allow recreational fishing, especially catch-and-release fishing.

Recreational spearfishing should be allowed in the Reserve because it has little impact on

the fish populations of the Tortugas region.

Response: No-take protection for the critically important coral reef ecosystem of

the Tortugas is necessary to preserve the richness of species and health of fish stocks in

the Tortugas and throughout the Florida Keys. Preservation of the full biodiversity of the

area cannot be accomplished if exceptions are made to the “no-take” prohibition.

Even catch-and-release fishing can result in direct and indirect mortality.

According to biologists, release mortality can be a significant contribution to total

mortality depending on the intensity of fishing. Reef fishes are particularly vulnerable to

catch-and-release mortality because of their behavior, long lives, and ecology. Fisheries

biologists have reported mortalities ranging from 15-30 % of fish that are caught and

released. One study suggests high mortality for Barracuda that fight for an extended

period.

Spearfishers tend to target the largest members of particular species. Scientists

have demonstrated the impact spearfishing activities have of removing top predators in

the food chain. The selective removal of the largest individuals of a fish species by

spearfishing affects the over-all trophic structure of coral reef communities. Spearfishing

charters in the Tortugas region, in particular, often target “trophy” fish for their

customers. Research at the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary between 1983 and 1985

demonstrated a marked increase in fish populations after spearfishing was prohibited.

Continued spearfishing in the Tortugas Reserve would adversely affect fish populations

and undermine the ecological integrity of the Reserve.

Impacts from commercial and recreational fishing activities are occurring in the

Tortugas, where the average size of black grouper has decreased from 22.5 pounds to 9

pounds. The scientific literature as well as NOAA’s own experience in the Sanctuary
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have shown that prohibiting fishing in select areas directly benefits species abundance,

size and diversity. Prohibiting all consumptive activities, including commercial and

recreational fishing, will greatly help the species within the Reserve achieve greater

ecological and demographic potential. As described in the FSEIS, this should result in

benefits to some fish populations outside the Reserve. Prohibiting all forms of take will

also yield significant scientific benefits because the Reserve will more accurately reflect a

natural system against which the effects of extractive human activities can be compared.

In addition, enforcement of the remote Tortugas Ecological Reserve would be

complicated significantly if limited extractive activities such as catch and release fishing

or spearfishing were not prohibited. NOAA's experience with the existing Sanctuary

Preservation Areas is that no-take regulations are more easily enforced and gain more

compliance and acceptance from visitors than areas that allow varying extractive

activities.

Comment 14: Adequate law enforcement cannot be provided for the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve. The 90+ square mile Oculina Marine Reserve off Fort Pierce is

unenforceable and the Tortugas Reserve will be, also.

Response: The proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve is substantially different

with respect to enforcement than the Oculina Marine Reserve. The Oculina Reserve is

located in a remote area, well offshore of the east coast of Florida. It is not associated

with an existing marine protected area and does not have the benefits of all the

management programs that help increase the public’s awareness of the reserve and the

regulations with which they must comply. Education and outreach are important tools

that help to gain the compliance of the general public, the majority of which are lawabiding citizens. The Management Plan commits substantial enforcement resources for

the Reserve.

As set forth in the Enforcement Action Plan of the Supplemental Management

Plan, one of the goals of Sanctuary management is to gain the highest level of compliance

by the public who enter and visit the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. This compliance can

be achieved through several management actions including education and outreach and

on-the-water presence of Sanctuary staff in programs such as Team OCEAN, where

Sanctuary information is distributed along the waterfront or boat to boat by Sanctuary

staff and volunteers.

The most effective management action that can be used to achieve compliance to

Sanctuary regulations is an effective law enforcement program. Currently, the primary
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enforcement of Sanctuary regulations is accomplished through an enforcement agreement

between NOAA/National Marine Sanctuary Program and the State of Florida Fish and

Wildlife Conservation Commission. The enforcement efforts are consistent with the

goals and objectives for enforcement described in the Final Management Plan for the

FKNMS (July 1997). The Final Management Plan for the Sanctuary also calls for crossdeputization of other agency law enforcement personnel (e.g., National Park Service

Rangers) to accomplish law enforcement responsibilities within the Sanctuary. This

approach to enforcement continues to remain an option.

A successful Ecological Reserve will depend to a large extent on the level of

enforcement resources dedicated to the Reserve. Several enforcement options are

presently available and are being evaluated for deployment in the Reserve. These options

include:

• Installation and monitoring of a long-range radar unit at the Dry

Tortugas National Park. This would allow remote monitoring of

vessels entering and leaving the Reserve.

• Place two 82’ vessels into service for patrolling the Ecological

Reserve.

• Cross-deputize and fund National Park Service Rangers to assist in

enforcement in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Prohibiting vessels

from stopping within Tortugas South except pursuant to a valid

sanctuary permit for scientific research or educational purposes will

facilitate enforcement. This will make it possible to monitor vessel

traffic remotely by radar and response will only be necessary when

vessels without a permit stop within the reserve.

• The permit system for Tortugas North will help Sanctuary managers

monitor the level of visitor use in the reserve and facilitate

enforcement efforts.

As set forth in the Management Plan for the Reserve, the law enforcement budget

is as follows:

Personnel

 Law Enforcement Officers (4-6) $50,000 per position

 General Support $50,000
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Vessels

 82’ Patrol Vessels (2) No Cost - Agency Property Transfer

Comment 15: The economic analysis contained in the DSEIS/SMP did not

adequately consider activities of fishing clubs in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study

Area. In public testimony, one fishing club estimated that their membership had 673

person-days of fishing in the Dry Tortugas National Park area in 1998 and was not

contacted for input for the socio-economic analyses.

Response: The recreational use of the Tortugas region has been adjusted in the

socio-economic impact analysis in the FSEIS/SMP to reflect this comment. In preparing

the DSEIS/SMP, NOAA staff relied on directory assistance search to locate private

fishing clubs. Only one was found, and that was in Miami. The president of that club

indicated that very few if any of its members went to the Dry Tortugas region. He

provided names of a few members who were knowledgeable of the region’s fishing

patterns. Phone calls to these contacts produced no new information and their names

were not kept. Additionally, commercial operators who work in the Tortugas area were

asked if they saw other boats in the Tortugas but outside the boundaries of the Dry

Tortugas National Park. They consistently said that they did not. Some members of the

club said they fished in the National Park, but not in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

Study Area (TERSA). NOAA was not able to identify any private households that did

any activity in the TERSA.

Comment 16: Representatives of shrimping activities criticized the socioeconomic impact analyses on the shrimp industry provided in Leeworthy and Wiley

(October 1999). First, they claim that the total catch estimate of 58,374 pounds of shrimp

from the area within the Preferred Boundary Alternative should be one million pounds

instead. Second, they claim the prices for shrimp used were incorrect and a higher price

should have been used. Third, they claim that the assumption that shrimp lost from the

no-take areas could be caught elsewhere is incorrect.

Response: The use of the total catch estimate of 58,374 pounds of shrimp caught

in the area within the Preferred Boundary Alternative is valid. The commentors offered

no quantitative support to justify their assertion that the estimate should be one million

pounds. The only information they offered was boat tracking data. No quantities of catch

were offered, only that 30 percent of their fishing time was spent in the Tortugas North

area. The sample of shrimp fishermen used in the socio-economic impact analysis

accounted for 90 percent of the 58,374 pounds that was estimated. Non-sampled
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fishermen, including those that landed shrimp in counties other than Monroe and Lee

(i.e., Hillsborough, Pinellas and Franklin) accounted for the other 10 percent. If all the

shrimp catch from the non-sampled population estimated in the TERSA were caught in

the area within the Preferred Boundary Alternative, this would only amount to 71,500

pounds. If 30 percent of all the shrimp caught in the Florida Marine Research Institute

(FMRI) areas 2.0 and 2.9 and landed in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Franklin counties

(183,319 pounds) were caught from the area within the Preferred Boundary Alternative,

this would only amount to 54,996 pounds. None of these estimates support an estimate

of one million pounds. Not even all the shrimp catch estimated in the TERSA (715,500

pounds) is close to the one million pound estimate and the economists’ sample accounted

for 90 percent of all the shrimp caught in FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9.

NOAA economists used an average price per pound at the ex-vessel level of

$2.40. This estimate was derived from the NMFS landings and ex vessel value reported

for Monroe County for the year 1997. The landings for Monroe County were reported in

a mix of heads-on and heads-off (tails). NOAA economists converted all weights to

heads-on before deriving the price per pound (price per pound is equal to total ex vessel

value divided by total pounds of heads-on weight). Data provided by the commentors

included a table showing pounds and ex-vessel value from the National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS) and yields an average price of $4.31 per pound. Both of these prices are

correct, however the commentors did not specify the geographic region or the species

mix of the sample with which they calculated their price. Furthermore, the NMFS

weights cited by the commentors are heads-off weight, whereas the socio-economic

analysis used heads-on weight. Most of the shrimp caught in the TERSA was landed in

either Monroe County (Stock Island) or in Lee County (Ft. Myers Beach). NOAA

economists concluded that the Monroe County landings price per pound was the

appropriate price to use in the analysis.

The commentors stated that lost catch cannot be replaced by catch from other

areas. This presumes that they are fishing all areas as intensely as they can be fished.

This is why the socio-economic study uses 58,374 pounds of shrimp as the upper bound

estimate of maximum potential loss of from the Preferred Boundary Alternative.

Comment 17: Shrimping should not be prohibited in areas outside the 20 fathom

contour at the western end of the Tortugas North because these are not areas of high

environmental value or special ecological sensitivity. The eastern boundary of Tortugas

North, above the DRTO, should be moved to the west from 82 ̊ 47’ to 82 ̊ 57’ to

accommodate shrimping. Shrimpers are already prohibited from fishing within a 3
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million acre Tortugas Shrimp Nursery year-round in State waters and seasonally in EEZ

waters. Shrimpers cannot afford to be excluded from any additional areas in the Tortugas

region.

Response: A substantial sand buffer area around the coral reef community is

needed to provide foraging areas for reef inhabitants without the potential of capture by

shrimp trawling. Additionally, the bycatch of shrimping activities is well-known and

documented. Trawling outside the 20 fathom contour at the western end of Tortugas

North or moving the eastern boundary of Tortugas North to the west would result in

mortality of reef fish species and other reef inhabitants through bycatch. Other shrimp

fishermen have questioned the need to move the eastern boundary of Tortugas North in

light of the bathymetric profile in this area.

Scientists have discovered and documented the remains of shrimp nets entangled

around living corals in the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve. It is well known and

stated by shrimp trawlers that they do not trawl on coral reefs. However, they do trawl

off the reefs. Prohibiting shrimping in the Reserve will eliminate the incidental impact of

shrimping gear to the living coral reefs.

Preservation of the richness of the species and health of the fish stocks in the

Tortugas region and throughout the Florida Keys, and indeed preservation of the

biodiversity of the Tortugas region, cannot be accomplished if only the coral reefs are

protected. The protection of diverse habitats including sand and other benthic habitats is

essential. A recent scientific study has substantiated the importance of sand and other

"barren" habitats to the ecology of the west shelf of Florida. Scientists conducting

research in the proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve have found that benthic primary

production provides the base for the food web on this portion of the west Florida shelf.

They also found that high levels of fishery production associated with the live bottom

habitats are in fact directly supported by the surrounding open sand, algae and seagrass

communities in the area.

Comment 18: Shrimpers were not, but should have been, represented on the

Tortugas 2000 Working Group.

Response: Prior to the establishment of the Working Group, shrimpers stated that

the 110 square mile area to the east of the Dry Tortugas National Park originally

proposed for the ecological reserve should not be established because it would have an

adverse economic impact on their shrimping. In response to them and to other fishers,

NOAA did not include this area in the proposed ecological reserve.
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Commercial fishing representatives on the Tortugas 2000 Working Group

communicated with and received input from shrimpers regarding the proposal and

reported this information back to the Working Group. Shrimpers, when shown the

proposed boundaries, expressed no concern over the proposed Tortugas Ecological

Reserve boundaries. No shrimper expressed an interest in participating in the Tortugas

Working Group.

Additionally, 18 of the 28 shrimp operations known to fish in the area were

interviewed by NOAA economists. These operations accounted for 65 of the 75 shrimp

vessels and 193 of the 213 captains or crew that fish in the TERSA.

Comment 19: The following comments were provided by a charter spearfishing

operation:

1. The majority of the reefs where the company takes passengers spearfishing

are in the proposed Reserve area. Areas south of Fort Jefferson (not on

Tortugas Bank) are not suitable for spearfishing because they are too deep and

therefore unsafe, and have poor visibility. The Tortugas Bank area south of

the proposed Reserve (south of 24 ̊ 30’) is mostly sand and low patch reef,

with poor conditions for spearfishing.

2. The company provided detailed information to NOAA regarding the numbers

of trips, days, and passengers the company takes. The survey that was done

on the company in 1998 indicates 60 trips per year, 180 days with 550 divers.

The information on pages 46 and 47 of the DSEIS is incorrect. The DSEIS

does not reflect the company’s information and it appears that deliberately

falsified information was provided to the Working Group. The Working

Group was provided incorrect information regarding the socio-economic

impact on small businesses creating a false impression that small businesses

would not be negatively impacted.

3. The commentor questioned the data attributed to one of the other two

operators. The commentor requested the identity of the operator.

4. The company will go out of business and its employees will loose their jobs if

it cannot conduct spearfishing charters in the area of the proposed Reserve,

because 90% of the company’s business is on the reefs north of latitude 24 ̊

39’. South of that area are sandy patch reefs. A permit should be issued to

the company allowing it to continue its business or the southern boundary of

Tortugas North should be moved to 24 ̊ 40’50”N.
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5. The DSEIS does not reflect that the company conducts approximately 30

spearfishing trips per year on Riley’s Hump.

6. The commentor challenged specific conclusions regarding his business at

pages 46, 47, and 123 of the DSEIS, which indicate a maximum potential loss

of $13,700.00 of lost revenue and $5,580.00 of lost profits. The commentor

claims that his business has grown significantly and that he now operates in

the Tortugas more than 260 days per year. He states that he would lose

$288,000.00 in revenues and experience a potential profit loss of $144,000.00.

The real potential loss could be $460,000.

7. The figures on the Nitrox membrane system are not accurate. The amount

should be increased by $10,000.

8. Statements about increased visits to Dry Tortugas National Park are

misleading because most visitors only go to Garden Key because of the daily

ferry boat service from Key West. These visitors never leave the island and

do not impact the reefs.

Response: The DSEIS reports a total maximum potential adverse impact on

spearfishing revenues of $66,816 for Boundary Alternatives II and III, $196,944 for

Alternative IV, and $230,380 for Alternative V. The analysis and estimates of impacts

were based upon survey data collected in 1998 and included information provided by

three spearfishing operators. Data provided by the company submitting the above

comment indicated that it operated in 48 one square nautical mile grid cells identified in

the study area. Boundary Alternatives II and III would exclude the company from only 8

of those grid cells (16.67%). Alternative IV would exclude the company from 26 grid

cells (54.17%) and Alternative V would exclude the company from 29 of the 48 grid cells

(60.42%). The DSEIS and information provided to the Working Group accurately reflect

the information that was reported by the three operators in response to the survey.

The impact estimates in the DSEIS are the maximum losses from displacement of

the consumptive recreational activities. Based on the existing patterns of use provided by

each of the three operators, it was concluded that they could relocate to other sites in the

study area that they indicated they are using and completely offset their losses. While

monitoring would be required to verify this conclusion, the estimates of maximum

potential loss in the DSEIS represent the upper bound of potential losses based on the

data collected in 1998. The FSEIS has been revised based on the assumed validity of the

more recent data provided by the commentor. While it is hoped that the spearfishing

operators will be able to shift to different locations and to different economic activities
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(such as non-consumptive dive charters), the need to protect the ecosystem of the

Tortugas Ecological Reserve from the impacts of spearfishing justifies the adverse

economic impacts on the operators. See also the Response to Comment 13.

NOAA accurately forwarded information to the Working Group. No information

was falsified.

The laws governing the collection of business information by the government

prevent the disclosure of proprietary information.

The cost estimate for the Nitrox system has been revised.

The overall trend in tourism at Dry Tortugas National Park suggests increased

visitor use in the Tortugas area, particularly with the ability of larger, faster vessels from

Key West to reach the Park and reef areas beyond the Park. See Response to Comment

10. One company has indicated that its business has increased in the Tortugas area in the

last two years.

Comment 20: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) commented that it

is incorrect to state, “the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is amending the

Final Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish and Sharks (FMP) and its

implementing regulations to be consistent with the no-take status of the proposed

reserve.”

Response: The FSEIS/SMP has been corrected to reflect this, as it is not

necessary under that FMP’s framework provision to amend the FMP.

Comment 21: NMFS stated that there is a lack of analyses of impacts on

commercial and other fishermen and businesses from other counties who may be

displaced by the proposed Reserve.

Response: The socio-economic analyses includes catch landed in Monroe, Collier

and Lee Counties from each boundary alternative. Catch from the Tortugas that was

landed in other counties was insignificant. The quantities and values cited by NMFS are

irrelevant as far as impact, since the numbers referred to measure the total catch from

FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9. In Leeworthy and Wiley (October 1999), a set of steps are

described showing how they estimated the proportion of this catch from the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve Study Area (TERSA). The TERSA is a 1,020 square nm area and is a

sub-set of the larger FMRI Areas 2.0 and 2.9. They estimated how much of the TERSA

catch was caught in each boundary alternative. These are the relevant numbers for
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potential impact. They included all catch landed in all counties but only reported

estimates of impact for Monroe, Collier and Lee counties because the catch in all other

counties impacted was not significant. Below are summarized the steps used in

estimating the impacts from shrimp catch since it was the most valuable portion of total

catch, but the same procedures were followed for all species.

Steps in Estimating Economic Impact

Step 1. Examine Landings Data in FMRI Areas 2.0 and 2.9

FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9 represent a large area generally referred to as the

Tortugas, but also include the Marquesas. FMRI keeps landings and value information

for this large statistical grid from Florida’s trip ticket. The landings cited by NMFS for

FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9 are correct. But these values do not represent impact by the

proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Only a small portion of these landings are

impacted by any of the proposed boundary alternatives.

Step 2. Examine Landings from the Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study Area

(TERSA)

Leeworthy and Wiley selected a portion of FMRI Areas 2.0 and 2.9 for the study

area and a 1,020 nautical square mile area, called the Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study

Area (TERSA). NOAA attempted to collect information on catch from all commercial

fishermen that reported catch from FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9. Thomas Murray and

Associates limited the sample to those in Monroe, Dade, Collier and Lee counties for cost

reasons and because the catch from FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9 landed outside Monroe,

Collier and Lee counties was only a small proportion of total catch. For example, 97.21

percent of the shrimp caught in FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9 was landed in Monroe and Lee

counties. The other 2.79 percent was landed in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Franklin

counties which amounted to 183,319 pounds valued at $450,021.

The sample of shrimp fishermen included 18 of the 28 shrimp operations known

to fish in FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9. These 18 operations accounted for 65 of the 75 shrimp

vessels and 193 of the 213 captain or crew shrimping in the area. The sample accounted

for over 90 percent of the shrimp catch in FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9.

The sample indicated they caught only 10 percent of all their catch from FMRI

areas 2.0 and 2.9 in the TERSA. Using an average of 1997-1998 catch in FMRI areas 2.0

and 2.9, Leeworthy and Wiley estimated that 715,500 pounds of shrimp was caught from
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the TERSA. This amount includes those amounts landed in all counties of Florida, not

just Monroe and Lee counties. NOAA used a factor of 1.10 to account for the nonsampled shrimp catch. This factor was applied to each one square mile grid cell to

extrapolate sampled shrimp catch to the total population estimate of shrimp catch. See

Leeworthy and Wiley (October 1999). The 715,000 pounds of shrimp caught in the

TERSA still does not represent impacted catch, it simply represents the total amount

estimated for the study area.

Step 3. Examine Landings Potentially Impacted by a Particular Boundary

Alternative for the No-Take Area.

The spatial distribution of shrimp catch from our sample of shrimpers was used to

derive the distribution of all shrimp catch for the TERSA. The Leeworthy and Wiley

sample accounted for 665,500 pounds of the total of 715,500 pounds of shrimp catch

estimated for the TERSA. The key assumption used was that the non sampled catch had

the same distribution as the sampled catch.

Catch within a boundary alternative was labeled maximum potential loss under

the assumption that all catch within the no take area could not be replaced. For the

Preferred Boundary Alternative, they estimated the maximum potential loss of 58,374

pounds of shrimp. This amount includes catch landed in all counties of Florida including

Monroe, Lee, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Franklin counties. Since 2.79 percent of the

total shrimp catch from FMRI areas 2.0 and 2.9 was landed in Hillsborough, Pinellas and

Franklin counties, this would imply that only 1,629 pounds of shrimp (.0279 times

58,374) valued at $3,910 would be lost from the three counties. Given the insignificance

of this amount, they did not present separate estimates of this impact in Leeworthy and

Wiley (October 1999). Actually, Leeworthy and Wiley included the amounts in the

impacts for Monroe, Collier and Lee counties, thus slightly overstating the impacts in

these counties. But again, these amounts are insignificant.

The same procedures were followed for finfish and all other species and are

documented in Leeworthy and Wiley (October 1999). The document Proposed Tortugas

2000 Ecological Reserve, Draft Socio-economic Impact Analysis of Alternatives,

October 1999 by Dr. Vernon R. (Bob) Leeworthy and Peter C. Wiley can be found at

http://www-orca.nos.noaa.gov/projects/econkeys.econkeys.html.

Comment 22: NMFS stated that “the economic outcomes relative to private

recreational fishing and diving do not appear to be addressed.”
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Response: Leeworthy and Wiley (October 1999) and the DSEIS documented that

no information could be found to support private household use for any recreational

activity in the TERSA. Leeworthy and Wiley identified the known population of

charter/party operators in the TERSA. The Rod and Reel Club, Inc. in Miami, Florida,

provided other contacts and which also reported no activity in the TERSA. Leeworthy

and Wiley found that although some members of the club occasionally went to the Dry

Tortugas National Park, they did not fish in the TERSA. In addition, each of the

commercial operators that operated in the TERSA was asked whether s/he had seen any

private household boats in the TERSA and all reported seeing each other, but no private

household boats. Leeworthy and Wiley concluded that the private household boat usage,

if it existed at all, was insignificant. In this case, usage was close enough to zero to be

treated as zero.

Comment 23: NMFS stated that the DSEIS lacks an analysis of community

impacts and should be analyzed at the City or Census Designated Place level.

Response: Leeworthy and Wiley had Thomas Murray and Associates go back to

the data and assign FIPSCODES for City and Census Designated Places for where

commercial fishermen live and where they landed their catch. They did the same for

recreational charter boat operations.

Comment 24: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated

the DSEIS as “EC-2" which means EPA has environmental concerns regarding the

proposed Reserve, and believes more information is needed to fully assess the impacts.

In particular, EPA stated further details are needed regarding measurable activities that

could be used to manage natural resources in the Reserve, such as the number of permits

NOAA plans to issue and the amount of visitor education/communication expected.

Information should also be given regarding the frequency of ecological monitoring

activities. It would also be helpful if the FSEIS included a map that showed the formerly

proposed area that was in the Draft EIS and DMP for the FKNMS (1997) but that was

later rejected, as compared to the Preferred Alternative in the DSEIS (2000), explaining

how the Preferred Alternative protects the environment and prevents adverse economic

impacts, as contrasted with the former proposal.

Response: At this time, there are no plans to limit the number of access permits

for Tortugas North. However, as described in the Final Supplemental Management Plan,

it will be possible to use the access permit system to determine the number of divers

visiting Tortugas North annually and the areas in the vicinity of mooring buoys will be

examined as primary sites for diver impact. This will enable sites to be monitored for
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impacts from diving. This information can then be used to determine whether it is

necessary to limit the number of access permits for those who visit Tortugas North. The

questions regarding public education and outreach and the frequency of ecological

monitoring have also been addressed in the Education and Outreach Action Plan and

Research and Monitoring Action Plan of the FSEIS/SMP. A map showing the previously

considered site for the Reserve has not been added to the FSEIS because we believe it

would confuse the public with regards to the current Ecological Reserve proposal.

Comment 25: The United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife

Service, commented that the importance of the Tortugas area as a spawning site and as a

“source” reef for the fish communities found in the Key West and Great White Heron

National Wildlife Refuges is just beginning to be understood scientifically. The ability of

the Refuges to maintain a healthy ecosystem for the wildlife that inhabit them is directly

dependent upon a healthy marine component. The avian resources of the Refuges feed

upon the fish communities of the Refuges. Those fish communities depend upon a

healthy “upstream” ecosystem, which includes the Tortugas region. Marine reserves are a

viable tool for resource protection. The protection of marine resources in the Tortugas

region will benefit the Refuges. Because of this, the USFWS endorses the Tortugas 2000

Preferred Alternative and proposed rules.

Response: The FSEIS has been revised to reflect the importance of the Tortugas

area to the Key West and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuges. It is recognized

that the Tortugas Ecological Reserve will serve as important feeding grounds for many

bird species that frequent the Key West and Great White Heron National Wildlife

Refuges. Additionally, several threatened and endangered sea turtles that nest in the Key

West National Wildlife Refuge spend a portion of their life cycle in the Tortugas

Ecological Reserve region.

Comment 26: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

was concerned that no limits were being placed on the level of non-consumptive diving

that would be allowed. The FWC stated that non-consumptive diving results in some

morbidity and mortality to coral reef habitat and asked that controls be placed on the

number of divers and dive trips to assure minimal acceptable damage to the habitat. The

FWC was also concerned over the adequacy of the enforcement resources. The FWC

believes that the minimal enforcement resources needed to enforce the Reserve would be

two vessels 50 feet or greater in length with a Lieutenant and two officers for each vessel.

The FWC encourages NOAA to work with it to develop these enforcement resources in

order to assure the success of the reserve.
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Response: Regulatory Alternative D allowing non-consumptive diving in

Tortugas North but closing Tortugas South to all diving except for scientific research or

educational purposes, pursuant to a valid sanctuary permit, provides an appropriate

degree of public access. See Response to Comment 12 regarding non-consumptive

diving in the Reserve. If the monitoring of impacts from non-consumptive diving in

Tortugas North demonstrates that its carrying capacity is being exceeded, limits can be

imposed. See Response to Comment 14 regarding the Enforcement Action Plan for the

Tortugas Reserve. NOAA will work with the FWC and its other enforcement partners to

develop the enforcement resources that all agree are necessary to assure the success of the

Reserve.

Comment 27: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC)

requested that the Sanctuary Program use its authority to prohibit anchoring and all

diving within the portions of Tortugas North and Tortugas South that are within the

Council’s jurisdiction (all of Tortugas South and 13 square nm of Tortugas North). Nonconsumptive diving can impact and damage bottom habitat through the inadvertent

touching of corals or the stirring up of sand and silt on the bottom. Non-consumptive

diving can adversely affect sensitive habitats, the normal behavior of fish, and spawning

activity. Anchoring and non-consumptive diving could also adversely affect essential

fish habitat in the Reserve. In addition, if non-consumptive diving is allowed, it will be

difficult to enforce prohibitions against spearfishing and the taking of lobster.

Response: Under the Preferred Alternative, all anchoring in Tortugas North and

South would be prohibited as well as all activities in Tortugas South except for

continuous transit, law enforcement, and, pursuant to a sanctuary permit, scientific

research and educational activities. Non-consumptive diving will be allowed in all of

Tortugas North. See Responses to Comments 9 and 12. NOAA does not anticipate that

there will be significant non-consumptive diving in the area of Tortugas North within the

GMFMC’s jurisdiction because of the lack of coral reef formations.

Comment 28: Monroe County commented that the socio-economic section of

the DSEIS seems to have been inserted out of context. This rather lengthy section should

be reduced to some simpler explanations, tables and conclusions, then attach the larger

document as an appendix.

Response: NOAA has retained the socio-economic section in the main body of

the FSEIS/SMP but has revised it to make it clearer.
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Comment 29: Monroe County commented that the FSEIS should provide some

additional explanation concerning the table of benthic habitats in the DSEIS. It is not

clear whether the 59% of unmapped acreage is a less significant area within the overall

total (it should be noted if so). If it is not, then this area needs significant additional

exploration.

Response: The benthic habitats categorized in Table 1 of the FSEIS represent

those identified as the result of one mapping project based on aerial photographs and

limited groundtruthing in the Tortugas region. Extensive characterization of the benthic

communities within Dry Tortugas National Park has been completed (Agassiz 1883,

Davis 1982, and Jaap 1998). Also, scientific exploration of benthic habitats within the

proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve area has occurred since the completion of the

DSEIS (Miller, unpubl. data). However, NOAA agrees that additional mapping and

exploration are needed to accurately assess the full extent of marine resources throughout

the Tortugas region.

Comment 30: Monroe County commented that the FSEIS should include a table

summarizing the regulatory alternatives.

Response: A table summarizing the regulatory alternatives has been added to the

FSEIS.

Comment 31: The management plan should be designed to: (1) protect

ecosystem structure, function, and integrity; (2) improve fishery yields; (3) expand

knowledge and understanding of marine systems; and (4) enhance non-consumptive

opportunities.

Response: The regulations implementing the designation of the reserve are

designed to protect ecosystem structure, function and integrity and should improve

fishery yields outside of the closed areas. The management plan has been redesigned

with many objectives including better understanding of marine systems as well as

providing better opportunities for non-consumptive activities within the Tortugas North

area of the Reserve.

Comment 32: The regulations concerning fishing in the Reserve should be

issued pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the exception clause that

would authorize fishing pursuant to regulations issued pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management Act at 50 CFR Parts 622 and 635 should be

eliminated from the fishing prohibition.
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Response: The fishing regulations will be issued under the National Marine

Sanctuaries Act and have been revised to prohibit all fishing in the reserve without

exception.

Comment 33: Fishing and other consumptive activities should be prohibited in

the Reserve, including all forms of diving-related extraction. Carefully regulated nonconsumptive diving should be allowed to continue to the extent consistent with resource

protection.

Response: See Response to Comment 12. All consumptive activities are

prohibited within the Reserve. As described in the FSEIS/SMP, the permit system for

Tortugas North will allow NOAA to monitor the level of non-consumptive diving activity

and its effect on resources in Tortugas North.

Comment 34: The Reserve should be permanent and should not be subject to

sunset provisions.

Response: The only portion of the Tortugas Reserve that would be subject to

termination would be the areas located in State waters. Pursuant to NOAA’s

Memorandum of Agreement with the State of Florida, the State has the right to review

the portions of the Sanctuary located in State waters and the applicable regulations after 5

years. Based on its review, the Governor of the State may object to the designation of

any portion of the Sanctuary in State waters and the continued application of the

regulations.

Comment 35: NOAA should implement the Tortugas Reserve with strong

enforcement, research and monitoring, education and outreach programs, and interagency

cooperation to maximize the value of the Reserve.

Response: The Final Supplemental Management Plan so provides. See Response

to Comment 14.

Comment 36: The economic analysis contains a bias toward hypothetical, shortterm economic losses to a handful of consumptive users. Such losses are highly

speculative in real-world terms and the quantitative analysis provided in the DSEIS lends

them more weight than appears appropriate. The economic analysis also does not appear

to account adequately for likely future migration of fishing economic activity to other

economic sectors. The likelihood of continuing future reductions in fishing activities as a

result of overfishing do not appear to be incorporated into the DSEIS’ discussion.
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Response: NOAA staff primarily analyzed data from users engaged in activities

within the Tortugas Ecological Reserve Study Area. To assess maximum economic

impacts, they assumed that the users could not replace their losses if the Tortugas

Reserve were closed to consumptive activities. This a very conservative assumption

because, as stated in the DSEIS, many users will likely be able to relocate their activities

outside of the Reserve. The protections afforded to the habitats in the Tortugas Reserve

will also benefit displaced users by increasing production in areas outside of the Reserve.

However, there is no hard data indicating the extent of mitigation or the likely future

migration of fishing economic activity to other economic sectors.

Comment 37: The DSEIS does not describe clearly defined and scientifically

justifiable goals. In particular, there are five fundamental objectives that are consistent

with the overarching goal of maintaining the native biodiversity of a region in perpetuity:

a) represent all ecosystem types across their natural range or variation;

b) maintain or restore viable populations of all native species in natural patterns

of abundance and distribution;

c) sustain ecological and evolutionary processes within their natural ranges of

variability;

d) build a conservation network that is adaptable and resilient to short-term and

long-term environmental change; and
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e) regulate human uses that are consistent with conservation of native

biodiversity, and eliminate those that are not.

The Plan should also consider additional criteria in order to protect endangered,

threatened, rare or imperiled species, small populations, species with limited vitality,

species with very specific habitat requirements, areas of high endemism, areas of

productivity, areas of high diversity, and movement and migration corridors.

Response: Most of the five biodiversity goals are contained within the criteria for

choosing the location and protection measures for the Ecological Reserve (see Part VI of

this FSEIS). Specific subcriteria have been added to clarify what is contained in each

criterion. Likewise, protecting endangered, threatened, rare, or imperiled species is

included within the criterion “Protecting biodiversity, including the maintenance or

restoration of viable populations of native species.”

Part II of the FSEIS includes clear objectives for the Reserve. As stated, the goal

for the Sanctuary zoning plan is to protect areas representing diverse Sanctuary habitats

and areas important for maintaining natural resources and ecosystem functions. The

objectives of the Reserve are to: protect ecosystem integrity; protect biodiversity

including the maintenance or restoration of viable populations of native species; enhance

scientific understanding of marine ecosystems; and facilitate human uses to the extent

consistent with the other objectives. These are scientifically justifiable goals and

objectives.

The goals listed by the commentor are essentially the goals and objectives that the

establishment of the Reserve and issuance of the implementing regulations are designed

to achieve. Likewise, the Supplemental Management Plan is designed to achieve the

goals and objectives for which the reserve is being established and regulated.

Comment 38: The DSEIS does not define or identify indicators for assessing

ecological integrity.

Response: Indicators for assessing ecological integrity have been incorporated in

the Research and Monitoring Action Plan. These indicators include: changes in fish and

coral diversity, changes in predation, herbivory and trophic structure, changes in water

quality (nutrients and transmissivity), and changes in user activities.

Comment 39: The Draft Supplemental Management Plan is inadequate and

needs to be more comprehensive. It should include:
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• specific goals and objectives;

• performance measures with an implementation schedule;

• an estimate of management costs for implementing and maintaining the

reserve;

• an expanded education plan;

• an expanded enforcement plan;

• a description of the permitting system with defined criteria and capacity

limits;

• a mooring and boundary buoy component that includes criteria for placement

and costs for placement and maintenance; and

• an expanded research and monitoring plan that includes a resource inventory,

monitoring of ecological performance measures, cooperative research

agreements, and database of research.

Response: See Response to Comment 37. The FSEIS/SMP includes:

• specific goals and objectives;

• estimate of management costs for implementing and maintaining the reserve;

• an expanded education plan;

• an expanded enforcement plan;

• a description of the permitting system;

• a mooring and boundary buoy component that includes costs for placement

and maintenance; and

• an expanded research and monitoring plan that includes a resource inventory,

monitoring of ecological performance measures for assessing ecological

integrity, and cooperative research agreements.

Comment 40: NOAA should develop a broader research initiative including, at a

minimum:

a) further identification and study of spawning aggregations including grouper,

snapper and jewfish;

b) further studies of patterns of short- and long-distance larval dispersal;
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c) complete inventories of biodiversity and habitat structure in the Reserve and

Sanctuary waters in the region;

d ) further documentation of the distribution and abundance of threatened,

endangered, and rare species in the Reserve; and,

e) field experiments and comparative studies to test hypotheses generated by

these studies.

Response: The Research and Monitoring Action Plan has been expanded to

include long-term ecological monitoring to test the efficacy of the Reserve. As modified,

the Plan will compare reserve areas before and after designation, as well as monitor

changes occurring inside and outside the protected areas, in order to determine the overall

effectiveness of the reserve. Over time, these efforts will examine larval dispersion and

spawning aggregations. There should also be complete inventories of biodiversity and

habitat structure in the Reserve, which would include more complete descriptions of the

presence of endangered, threatened and rare species. Also the Plan has been expanded to

monitor the effects of non-consumptive diving activities on the resources in Tortugas

North using the reference provided by Tortugas South.

Comment 41: Scuba diving and underwater exploration in the Reserve should be

permitted only in the company of a qualified guide.

Response: It is not necessary to require that diving in the Reserve be conducted

with a guide to adequately protect coral reef resources. As explained elsewhere (see

Response to Comment 12) diving effects will be monitored to determine whether the

Reserve’s resources are being impacted. Also, a sufficient enforcement presence will be

maintained to deter and detect violations of the no-take provisions.

Comment 42: Neither the Everglades National Park nor the Dry Tortugas

National Park prohibit recreational fishing and they have the best fishery management

system in the world. NOAA should not prohibit recreational fishing in the Tortugas

Reserve.

Response: See Responses to Comments 3 and 13. The Dry Tortugas National

Park is proposing changes to its management plan that would prohibit recreational fishing

in approximately 40% of the Park that would be adjacent to the Tortugas Reserve.

Comment 43: The United States Government does not have jurisdiction over the

area that would be included in the proposed reserve.
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Response: The Tortugas Reserve is within the Exclusive Economic Zone and the

authority of the United States to establish and manage the Reserve is well-established and

consistent with international law. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared a 200

nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone, in which the United States may conserve and

manage natural resources, consistent with international law (Presidential Proclamation

5030, March 10, 1983). The NMSA expressly applies to the EEZ. In 1989, President

Reagan extended the territorial sea to twelve nm (Presidential Proclamation 5928,

December 27, 1988). In 1999, President William J. Clinton extended the contiguous

zone from twelve to twenty-four nm, extending the jurisdiction of the United States over

customs, fiscal, immigration, and sanitary laws (Presidential Proclamation 7219, August

2, 1999).

Comment 44: Sanctuary staff working at Dry Tortugas National Park should live

and work aboard ships rather than increase environmental pressure on existing facilities

at the Park.

Response: NOAA will work with the National Park Service so that Sanctuary

personnel will be stationed at the Park in a manner that is consistent with environmental

protection of the islands and waters in the Park.

Comment 45: NOAA’s plan for a visitor center in Key West is redundant and

would detract from other visitor centers in Key West dedicated to interpretation of the

marine environment.

Response: The creation of the visitor facility in Key West is not a part of this

action. The facility has already been established and is located within the existing Dr.

Nancy Foster Environmental Center at the Truman Annex. The visitor center

complements existing interpretive centers in Key West. Among other things, the facility

will present information derived from research conducted within the Sanctuary (including

the Reserve) as well as describe ongoing research projects and other various activities

related to the Sanctuary.

Comment 46: A nominal charge should be assessed for access permits to the

Reserve.

Response: As proposed, the access permit system will require minimal effort by

users and will be relatively inexpensive for NOAA to operate. The system will be simple

and reduce the time imposed on permit applicants. The cost to NOAA of administering

the access permit system is expected to be small. If a fee were charged to offset the cost,
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the system would increase in complexity, increasing the cost that would need to be offset

as well as increasing the burden on users applying for permits. In the interest of

administrative efficiency and of not placing a burden on permit applicants, a permit fee

would not be imposed.

Comment 47: The greatest threat to the marine resources of the area is pollution

and degradation of water quality. Vessel discharges should not be permitted in the

Reserve.

Response: Pollution and degradation of water quality is a serious threat to

Sanctuary resources. Under the regulations applicable to ecological reserves, only engine

cooling water and exhaust can be discharged in the Reserve.

Comment 48: Select a Preferred Alternative for the reserve that allows for

fishing to the northwest of Loggerhead Key.

Response: The only alternative which would allow fishing to the northwest of

Loggerhead Key is the No-Action Alternative (see Response to Comment 3).

Comment 49: Prohibit the use of motorized Personal Watercraft in the Ecological

Reserve.

Response: While the use of Personal Watercraft has not been documented in the

TERSA, Regulatory Alternative D will prohibit all activities in Tortugas South except for

continuous transit, law enforcement, and pursuant to a Sanctuary permit, scientific

research and educational activities. Should the use of motorized Personal Watercraft in

Tortugas North be documented as a problem, NOAA will consider initiating appropriate

rulemaking.

Comment 50: The Tortugas 2000 Working Group did not have a representative

of the tourism industry and did not consider non-consumptive activities.

Response: Among its membership, the Tortugas 2000 Working Group had two

non-consumptive diving representatives and one citizen-at-large representative.

Additionally, the Working Group’s proposal was recommended to Sanctuary managers

by the Sanctuary Advisory Council which, among its members, has representatives of the

tourism industry and other non-consumptive interests.

Comment 51: Several commentors addressed vessel discharge restrictions,

pumpout facilities, and other public access issues related to the DRTO and surrounding
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Sanctuary waters. One commentor suggested that NOAA charts be updated to reflect any

new regulatory changes in the Tortugas area.

Response: The NPS General Management Plan revisions are taking into

consideration pressures and limitations on infrastructure and other Park resources.

Sanctuary regulations will prohibit vessel discharges in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve,

with the exception of engine cooling water and exhaust. NOAA nautical charts will be

updated to include relevant information once regulations to implement the Ecological

Reserve are issued and effective.

Comment 52: A number of commentors suggested various education, mooring

buoy, research and monitoring, and enforcement programs for the Tortugas Ecological

Reserve.

Response: The Final Supplemental Management Plan has been updated to reflect

these comments and suggestions.

Comment 53: A commentor stated that it appeared that several disparate agency

processes were going on with regard to an appropriate fishing regime for the Tortugas

area and that no proposal should be adopted until all disparate processes are concluded.

Response: Providing comprehensive protection to the critical coral reef resources

of the Tortugas must take precedence over awaiting the completion of the many other

agency processes. However, NOAA has gathered input from the seven resource

management agencies with jurisdiction in the TERSA with the ultimate goal of achieving

a consensus to the extent consistent with requirements of the FKNMSPA, NMSA, and

other applicable law. The Tortugas 2000 Working Group process, boundary and

regulatory alternative development, and subsequent public hearings effectively brought

all resource management entities to the table and ensured that federal and state

regulations will be thoroughly integrated. This process has served as a model for

interagency and stakeholder collaboration.