Monroe County has wrapped up a major cleanup effort that tackled a long backlog of derelict vessels across the Keys. Thanks to a $3 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-funded project with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and partnership with Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 237 vessels have been removed since August 2024, cutting active derelict vessel cases from more than 300 down to just 44 in the Florida Keys.
Specialized vessel salvage contractors worked from Key Largo to Key West. They removed 74 vessels in the Upper Keys (including Tarpon Basin, Buttonwood Sound and Barley Basin), 46 in the Middle Keys and 116 in the Lower Keys, with many coming out of Boca Chica Basin, Man of War Harbor, and Seaplane Basin. Some removal projects were especially challenging, like lifting a 65-foot cabin cruiser out of Sisters Creek in Marathon, a 53-foot vessel aground in Bahia Honda State Park, a 66-foot shrimp boat off Upper Matecumbe Key and even a 96-foot yellow submarine on Boot Key in Marathon.
“FWC officers searched the water from one end of the Keys to the other, while our removal contractors worked nonstop over the past year,” said marine resources senior administrator Brittany Burtner. “At one point, through collaboration, 44 boats were removed in under five weeks. It made a huge difference for the safety of other boaters and the environment.”
With new funding secured through November 2026, Monroe County and its partners will continue to keep local waterways safer and cleaner for everyone to enjoy.
