Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Regulations

By this document, NOAA expands the boundary of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS or Sanctuary) in the remote westernmost portion of the Sanctuary by 96 square nautical miles (nm\2\) and establishes the Tortugas Ecological Reserve (Ecological Reserve or Reserve) (a 151 nm\2\ no-take zone) in the expanded area and in 55 nm\2\ of the existing Sanctuary, to protect important coral reef resources. This document publishes the boundary coordinates for the expansion area and for the Reserve, announces the availability of the Supplemental Management Plan (SMP) for the Reserve, and publishes the text of the Revised Designation Document for the Sanctuary. The SMP details the goals and objectives, management responsibilities, research activities, interpretive and educational programs, and enforcement, including surveillance activities, for the Reserve. By this document, NOAA also issues regulations to implement the boundary expansion and the establishment of the Reserve and to regulate activities in the Reserve consistent with the purposes of its establishment and to make minor revisions to the existing Sanctuary boundary and to the boundaries of various zoned areas within that boundary to correct errors, provide clarification, and reflect more accurate data. This action is necessary to comprehensively protect some of the healthiest and most diverse coral reefs in the Florida Keys. The intended effect of this rule is to protect the deep water coral reef community in this area from being degraded by human activities.