NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council to meet in Key West
November 27, 2012
NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary will hold a public meeting of the Sanctuary Advisory Council in Key West, Fla., on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012.
This meeting includes several presentations related to the sanctuary’s marine zoning and regulatory review which will result in advisory council actions. Items on the agenda include a 9:25 a.m. presentation on the sanctuary marine zoning and regulatory review’s decision making process, a 9:45 a.m. presentation on the zoning and regulatory review’s working group participation and an 11:00 a.m. presentation on a cooperative proposal between Key West jet ski tour operators and nearshore fishing guides.
At 1:00 p.m., Peter Ortner and Bob Cohen of the University of Miami Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science will speak on the connectivity between the Gulf of Mexico mesophotic reef species and the shallow and deep reefs of the sanctuary. John Hunt of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will present at 1:30 p.m. on the study areas for the zoning and regulatory review and at 2:15 p.m. Sanctuary Superintendent Sean Morton will provide an update on the advisory council’s workplan for addressing priority regulatory issues and changes in the sanctuary zoning plan.
The public comment periods are 10:45 a.m. and 3:55 p.m.
WHAT: Sanctuary Advisory Council meeting
WHEN: Dec. 11, 2012, 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: Doubletree by Hilton Grand Key Resort, Tortuga Ballroom, 3990 S. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West
WHO: NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Authorized in 1990 and established in 1992, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations on managing and protecting the sanctuary. The council has 20 representatives and alternates from community constituent groups, and 10 government agencies have non-voting representatives on the council. Serving in a voluntary capacity, the council members represent a variety of local user groups, as well as the general public.
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 2,900 square nautical miles of critical marine habitat, including coral reef, hard bottom, sea grass meadows, mangrove communities and sand flats. NOAA and the state of Florida manage the sanctuary. Visit us online at floridakeys.noaa.gov or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/floridakeysnoaagov.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join NOAA on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media.
