What is

In the FKNMS, a mooring buoy, is an 18 to 22 in. diameter round

white

plastic float with a blue stripe that is

used by boaters to secure

their

boat

in a reef environment without risking damage to the corals.

There is

ft. to 15 ft. yellow floating pickup line attached to the top

of the buoy.

The mooring buoys are designed

for short time use and

employ an

embedment type anchor that holds the buoy securely in

place without

causing any damage to nearby corals.

History of the

mooring buoy system.

The earliest documented use of mooring buoys for reef protection in the sport diving community is on the

Island of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. In the early 1970s, Captain Don Stewart, opening the first dive shop

in Bonaire, deployed mooring floats with large concrete blocks, and later concrete filled steel drums to hold

light weight mooring systems and boats in place over the reef.

Mooring buoy development in the Florida Keys

In July, 1981

John Halas

initiated the first experimental embedment anchor mooring system in the Florida

Keys at French Reef, Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. In consultation with Harold Hudson, then with

the

U.S Geological Survey Fisher Island station, six experimental embedment mooring anchor systems were

established. Expertise, and equipment logistical support was supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and a

team consisting of Harold Hudson, Dan Robin, and John Halas completed the anchor installation using a

hydraulic core drill and cement. Drawing on coral core sampling techniques utilized by Harold Hudson, a 4

inch diameter hole was drilled into the ancient limestone substrate and an 18 in. stainless steel eye pin was

cemented into the bottom thereby creating a strong embedment attachment point. Later different

embedment

anchors were developed for different substrates, such as the "Manta Ray" anchor for sand

bottom.

From the anchor pins six different mooring arrays were attached utilizing a variety of materials and one year

later a system was selected. Over the next few years, with a few modifications, over 80 additional buoys

were

placed out in the KLNMS and approximately 22 buoys were established at Looe Key. Over the ensuing

years

with start up expertise from the Sanctuary program several non profit foundations including Reef

Relief,

Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary Inc. and Coral Reef foundation established buoys off Key West,

Marathon,

and Islamorada. At present there are nearly 400 buoys in the FKNMS.

International information and training transfer has been ongoing since September 1986 when the Cayman

Islands began establishing a buoy system based solidly on the Florida Keys embedment anchor system.

This

system is now being used world wide in more than 50 countries / regions and the usage continues to

increase in both number of installations and number of regions using the system.

Care and Maintenenance of the Mooring Buoys

Why Use the Mooring Buoy System?

We need your help to preserve these unique and fragile reefs for the enjoyment of everyone. A serious

problem in the Sanctuary is the amount of damage caused by boat anchors striking the coral and the rope

chain chafing coral or breaking off coral branches. The mooring buoy system has been developed to

reduce

anchor damage and to provide a convenient means of securing your boat.

REMEMBER...

At many reefs, mooring buoys encircle the shallowest reef areas or are located on the ocean side of the

reef.

Shallow reef areas are distinguished by brownish colored water. Circle around either side of these

shallow

areas - always steering to the outside of a ring of buoys - never motor directly across a shallow reef

to get to

a buoy!