NOAA Florida Keys NMS

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects more than 4,539 square miles of waters surrounding the Florida Keys, from south of Miami to the Dry Tortugas.

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, in partnership with Florida International University, is hiring 2 Research Coordinator II positions — one in Key Largo and one in Key West.

Apply: https://t.co/A4cCoRpW2f

Photo 1: Brenda Altmeier Photo 2: NOAA Photo 3: Ben Edmonds

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

From the Florida Keys to France… 🌍

One of our Sand Key boundary buoys was found on a beach on the west coast of France—about 4,500 miles away.

What route do you think it took? 🌊

More buoy info: https://t.co/HgtYCyPHY0

Photo: Patrick Berteaux

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

Seagrass - Let There be Light!

Seagrass is:
A stabilizer.
A filter.
A nursery.
A pantry.

👉 Learn more about why seagrass is one of the most important habitats in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: https://t.co/kJSjVdACiJ

Photo: Paige Gill

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

The reveal 👀
That mystery shot? The soft coral - Ricodea Florida

A Florida native, it inhabits shallow rocky tidal pools. It can have great color variability depending on environmental conditions.

Did you guess it right?

#What'sThatWednesday, #FKNMS

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

@shea_colter Sea turtle is correct. It was actually the face of a green sea turtle. Sea turtle for the win!

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

What’s That Wednesday

Can you guess what this close-up belongs to?

Drop your guess in the comments ⬇️
We’ll reveal the answer later today!

#FKNMS

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

What’s That Wednesday

Can you guess what this close-up belongs to?

Drop your guess in the comments ⬇️
We’ll reveal the answer later today!

#What'sThatWednesday, #FKNMS

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

We fixed it... now you get to name it.

This autonomous surface vehicle is back in action thanks to impressive reverse-engineering by NOAA Corps officer LTJG Tarah Aniya.

It maps seafloor, collects imagery & works in shallow waters.
Learn more here: https://t.co/nr2XU5Njzy.

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

This World Water Day, we’re thanking the scientists, engineers, wastewater operators, and monitoring teams working every day to protect the waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 🌊

👇 Know someone doing this work? Give them a shoutout!

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

Yoga with a mission (and a view) is tomorrow, Saturday, March 21 at Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center.
Bring your own mat and water bottle.
RSVP: [email protected]

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

The reveal 👀
That mystery shot? A green sea turtle 🐢
Did you guess it right?

Chelonia mydas - green sea turtle
Green sea turtles are the largest hard-shelled turtles and listed as an endangered species.

Find out more about our flippered friends here: https://t.co/pf2ChnTnDC

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

🌱 Did you know? Seagrasses are flowering plants — not seaweed — that live fully underwater.

They grow in shallow coastal waters, pollinated by moving water & tiny crustaceans, and spread through underground stems to form vast meadows.

Learn more: https://t.co/kJSjVdACiJ

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

Science, solutions... and pantyhose? 🌊🧦

@FloridaKeysNMS met with @EPA, @FloridaDEP, & @MyFWC to drive water quality progress! From restoring canals to using pantyhose for sponge restoration, we’re using every tool to protect the Keys.

Details https://t.co/SyF5MfRLpH

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

Identity: restored. ✔️

Fresh paint, bold stripes, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary name back where it belongs at our Key Largo office. 🎨🌊

Photos: Brenda Altmeier

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

Yoga with a mission (and a view) is Saturday, March 21 at Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center.
Bring your own mat and water bottle.
RSVP: [email protected]

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

☀️ A solar-powered sea slug?! By storing chloroplasts from the algae it consumes, this sea slug can capture energy from sunlight, making it one of the ocean’s most unusual solar-powered creatures. See more cool creatures:
https://t.co/pf2ChnTVta. Photo: Rachel Plunkett/NOAA

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

Urchin update from Horseshoe Reef in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary! 🌊🧹

Newly released long-spined urchins are grazing algae within 15 ft of deployment — clearing space for corals to grow.

Monitoring continues with partners at Sustainable Ocean and Reefs (SOAR).

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

🌱 What’s bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island?

The seagrass meadows of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

1.5 million acres (~1,875 sq mi) — one of the world’s largest continuous seagrass habitats.

Learn more: https://t.co/kJSjVdACiJ

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

🔬 #ScienceFriday

The 2025 Science Report from NOAA is now available — featuring research on our ocean, coasts, and climate.

📄 Read it here: https://t.co/QjTaL6y0Ey

#NOAAScience #OceanScience

[NOAA Florida Keys NMS @FloridaKeysNMS]

David Burke spoke to 100+ community members at the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, sharing how the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects our waters—from science and the buoy team to the Eco-Discovery Center and Explorer app. Thanks for the warm welcome! 🌊