Wild videos of spinning fish, efforts to restore and supplement a beleaguered reef tract, and a highly-anticipated new set of rules governing one of the country’s most precious marine environments grabbed headlines in 2024. Though this year brought forward some truly unprecedented events, we suspect we haven’t seen the last of these headlines and storylines as we turn the page to 2025.
County hires artificial reefs director to launch Keys-wide program
Out of 54 applicants, the Monroe County BOCC welcomed former Mote staff scientist Hanna Koch as its new Artificial Reefs Director in February. Koch will have the key responsibilities to develop the framework for the future of the artificial reef program, establish goals and objectives, coordinate the needs of the community, handle public inquiries regarding the program, find sites, monitor grant agreements, and oversee the creation, permitting, maintenance and monitoring of the sites and any staffing that may be needed, among many other things. Beginning in August 2023, Monroe County was awarded $15 million from the state to start an artificial reef program in the Keys. The future of the program has seen more than its fair share of debates in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council meetings and among natural resource stakeholder organizations.
Researchers assess Keys’ coral health following marine heat wave
In February, researchers from NOAA’s Mission: Iconic Reefs program and partners from Mote Marine Laboratory and the Coral Restoration Foundation announced the results of a scientific mission to quantify the effect of 2023’s marine heat wave on corals in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The additional research followed a mission in August 2023 to assess the corals during the height of the heat wave. Across 64 locations, researchers found that less than 22% of 1,500 staghorn corals surveyed remained alive, with only the two most northern reefs retaining any living staghorn coral. Only three sites had living elkhorn coral, and the iconic Looe Key Reef in the Lower Keys did not have any living staghorn or elkhorn corals.
Researchers close in on promising leads behind spinning fish & sawfish deaths
The Florida Keys earned national headlines as unprecedented reports of endangered sawfish deaths and “spinning” fish rocked the island chain beginning in late 2023. Social media came alive with reports of the behavior, documented in more than 35 different species and reported to FWC and partner organizations through online portals and research missions. The first promising lead reported by scientists remains the leading theory at the close of 2024: A buildup of toxic algae in the Gambierdiscus family, possibly triggered by 2023’s heat wave. Reports of the spinning fish eventually subsided, but not until NOAA and FWC greenlit efforts to rescue struggling sawfish and temporarily rehab them at local facilities.
Shakeups in the Sanctuary
Succeeding former chair George Garrett, Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters and Dynasty Marine Associates owner Ben Daughtry was tabbed to lead the FKNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council in June. Two months later, longtime Sanctuary Superintendent Sarah Fangman stepped away to become NOAA’s West Coast region director in the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Fangman turned the reins over to acting superintendent Matt Stout, the man who coined the name “Restoration Blueprint” for the updated set of marine regulations throughout the island chain. At the close of 2024, the Restoration Blueprint entered its final stretch before becoming law, though a continued dust-up between FWC enforcement partners and sanctuary staff remains.
Lobster mini-season expands for Florida residents
Depending on who you ask, lobster mini-season in the Florida Keys is either a quasi-state holiday or the most dreaded week of the year. So when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unexpectedly announced a third day of the traditional two-day sport season for Florida residents only at a press conference in Marathon on June 19 – just weeks before the season – locals had a healthy mix of cheers and groans. It remains to be seen whether the third day will continue in 2025 and beyond.
County deploys first artificial reef in new program
Under Koch’s direction, on Nov. 12, the Monroe County Artificial Reefs Department made history by deploying the Keys’ first new artificial reef since the 2009 sinking of the Vandenberg. Ten of 45 available decommissioned power poles were submerged at a new reef area about 16 nautical miles northeast of Key West in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. “This deployment is the first in a long line of projects being developed to provide several ecosystem and economic-related services,” said Koch. “This is just the beginning; we plan to create networks of structures from shallow to deep waters on both the Atlantic and Gulf sides that will provide a variety of quality habitat types to various marine species.”
