Mike Buchman

2015

2016

NOAA stakeholder use of FKNMS consists of a range of activities including diving, snorkeling, other eco-tourism activities, commercial and recreational fishing, and other emerging uses. This project will provide essential information to sanctuary managers and state partners to understand these use patterns in FKNMS. Better knowledge of use patterns will help inform management action, target areas for enforcement, and inform outreach and education needs. FKNMS is currently undertaking a review of its management plan and updating both regulations and marine zones. Conducting this project now will provide the information base that FKNMS managers need to assess the efficacy of the regulatory review and changes to FKNMS management now underway. This project will also build on a 1992 project conducted by Florida Department of Environment that collected similar data prior to implementation of FKNMS marine zones. The data collected through this 1992 project was instrumental in helping to identify the locations and dimensions of the FKNMS marine zones, which are still in place today. These are the marine zones that are under review in the current management plan review process. The marine zones are under review to meet three primary purposes: (1) to ensure adequate protection of shallow water wildlife and habitats, (2) to identify select areas for active coral reef ecosystem restoration, and (3) to promote broader ecosystem protection goals, including protecting the range of habitats needed to support life cycle needs. Updates to these marine zones, either through modifications to existing zones or creation of new zones, to reach the above goals will affect access and types of uses allowed. This study will provide an updated baseline of use data that will then be used to inform management and allow for adaptive management of FKNMS.

This project will provide quantitative information of the number, type, and location of vessels. This project will provide data about hotspots of vessel use and activity type, which will help inform management action related to use and potential impact to resources. This project will also provide daily use information at select locations that will be used to help analyze the overflight data. The information from this study will help inform placement and enforcement of marine zones, location of mooring buoys, and inform targeted regulations specific to a particular use (i.e. fishing, diving, etc.) and/or location. In addition, these data will be used to assess the need and value of implementing a limited use/limited entry program in specific areas. And finally, these data will aid in increasing the efficiency of sanctuary related law enforcement. Aligned with CRCP Fishing Impacts Goals and Objectives, this project will provide data on particular uses to help target specific management action. For example this data can be used to determine various activity effort, frequency, and area of coverage (i.e. fishing, diving, and other uses). In addition, this data can be used to identify and prioritize areas for protection through overlaying use data with key ecological parameters, including spawning sites, nursery habitats, or other areas critical to particular life history stages; biodiversity hotspots; areas with greatest resilience or potential for restoring resilience, all of which are currently being assessed and evaluated as part of the FKNMS Marine Zoning and Regulatory Review.

• Florida

Fishing

Closed

Completed

https://www.coris.noaa.gov/search/rest/find/document?searchText=projectNumber%3A30047%20OR%20projectTitle%3A"Aerial%20Surveys%20of%20Boater%20Use%20in%20the%20Florida%20Keys%20National%20Marine%20Sanctuary%20"&start=1&max=10&f=searchPage