Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

With the governor's rejection of a new management plan, some rules, including a ban on cruise ships flushing greywater near troubled reefs, won't take effect.

Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected the plan for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary that took 13 years to hammer out.

Pioneer of marine conservation in the Florida Keys Billy Causey died last week. The 81-year-old was a fixture in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s efforts to create protections for the Florida Keys marine ecosystem for decades.

Conservationists say the ambitious blueprint to better protect the vast Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary — the first update in a quarter of a century — is long overdue as fragile reefs, seagrass meadows and once plentiful fishing grounds get hammered by booming South Florida. But the plan is facing opposition from Florida wildlife officials as it nears the finish line.

Federal officials are now considering thousands of comments as they finalize the first update in a quarter century to rules that govern the marine 3,800-square mile marine sanctuary.

Haiti has been troubled by gang violence, food and water scarcity and a need for humanitarian aid. What will the U.N. do? The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary aims to expand by almost 1,000 square miles.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary's Restoration Blueprint would add Pulley Ridge in the Gulf of Mexico to its boundaries, in addition to putting additional protections on more than 450 square miles around the Keys.

Pelican Shoal off the Lower Florida Keys was once home to the state's largest colony of endangered roseate terns. It disappeared after hurricanes in 2005 — but has recently resurfaced and the birds have returned.

Since the pandemic started, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary staffers have not been allowed to scuba dive. They can't check on the coral reefs, fish and other habitats and animals the sanctuary is there to protect. That's about to change.

Marine debris — or trash in the water — is a problem everywhere including the Florida Keys. And it got a lot worse when Hurricane Irma crashed across the…

For decades, most of the news about coral reefs has been pretty gloomy. Now the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is launching a new mission to bring…

New rules for the troubled reefs and turquoise waters that make up the vast marine sanctuary that surrounds the Florida Keys are threatening to spark a…