Numerous shipwrecks and the remains of Spanish galleons add to the variety of swimming, snorkeling, diving, photography and recreational boating activities within the sanctuary. Among the many unique wreck sites is Looe Key off Big Pine Key, named for a British war ship that wrecked on this area's spectacular coral formations. In response to a growing awareness of the intrinsic environmental and cultural value of our coastal waters, Congress created the National Marine Sanctuary Program in 1972. The National Marine Sanctuary Act authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to designate special areas as national marine sanctuaries to promote comprehensive management of their special ecological, historical, recreational, and esthetic resources. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary North America's only coral barrier reef and the third longest barrier reef in the world lies about six miles seaward of the Florida Keys, a 220-mile long string of islands extending south and west of the Florida mainland.
Coral reefs contain more varieties of life than any other marine environment.
They are part of a fragile interdependent ecosystem that includes mangroves and seagrasses that grow both on the ocean and bayside of the Florida Keys. In recognition of this important environment, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was created in 1990, extending 2800 square nautical miles on both sides of the Florida Keys. A comprehensive management plan and water quality protection program was created for the sanctuary in concert with the public, a citizen's advisory council, and several federal, state and local government agencies. Management in these state and federal waters is achieved through a cooperative agreement with the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The Lower Keys Region encompasses the area from Long Key to the Dry Tortugas.