Hank Becker, Marine Operations Supervisor, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

David “Hank” Becker

Marine Operations Supervisor

David.Becker@noaa.gov

305-434-9378



Hank oversees all aspects of the sanctuary's mooring buoy program, a system of more than 808 regulatory markers and mooring buoys located throughout the sanctuary’s 3,800-square-mile boundary. A North Carolina native, Hank came to the Keys in 1992 and joined the Florida Keys staff in 1999.

Hank is a U.S. Coast Guard captain and operates the sanctuary program's research vessels for mooring buoy, damage assessment, and maritime heritage field operations. A diver (PADI assistant instructor) since 1993, Hank became a NOAA working diver in 1999, completing NOAA’s dive training program for use of underwater tools, hydraulic equipment, and safe dive operation oversight.

Hank was among four sanctuary staff that represented the U.S. government's marine protected area managers traveling to South America in 2003 to assist the Colombian government's marine protected area managers in the use of equipment and regulatory marker installation.

Hank's familiarity with the marine environment, coral reefs and benthic habitats coupled with his training, use of equipment and sense of oceanography have made him a valuable member of the sanctuary staff.