Sanctuary Advisory Council to Meet in Key West

June 02, 2010

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) will meet June 15 in the Board of County Commissioners Room at Harvey Government Center (1200 Truman Ave., Key West, FL) beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The day-long meeting will feature presentations from various state and federal agencies. Members of the public are encouraged to attend. There will be opportunities for public comment at 10:05 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

At 10:30am, John Hunt of Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Dave Hallac of National Park Service will present preliminary research results related to the establishment of the Research Natural Area in Dry Tortugas National Park.

Tyler Christensen, of I.M. Systems Group/NOAA Coral Reef Watch, will present at 11:25 a.m. on new coral bleaching monitoring products developed by NOAA Coral Reef Watch.

The second half of the meeting, from 1:00-4:00 p.m., will be devoted to ongoing oil spill response preparedness and be broadcast on Monroe County Television Channel 76. Presenters are still to be determined, but presentations will address current response plans and activities, as well as the ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assessment process.

The SAC was established to provide the sanctuary, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the State of Florida advice on implementation of the sanctuary’s final management plan. SAC members also serve as liaisons to the community regarding sanctuary issues. SAC members relay the community’s interests, concerns, and management needs to the sanctuary. A current list of SAC members may be found at http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac/members.html.

The sanctuary was established in 1990 in recognition of the special resources found in and around the waters of the Florida Keys. NOAA and the State of Florida jointly developed a comprehensive plan to protect and manage sanctuary resources. For more information, visit the Sanctuary’s web site at http://floridakeys.noaa.gov.