Marine Lens: Florida Keys

Keys Fisheries Research

Welcome to the heart of marine science in the Florida Keys!

The Florida Keys are home to some of the most unique and vibrant marine ecosystems in the world, and our Keys Fisheries Research team is working hard to understand how these systems are changing.

At the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s South Florida Regional Lab in Marathon, our Keys Fisheries Research Team conducts research and monitoring studies that integrate data about the biological components, fishing harvest, and how people interact with the marine environment. Our goal? To provide research that helps guide sustainable fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities, ensuring these resources can be enjoyed for generations to come.

By participating in the projects below, you'll be helping us collect and analyze important data from photos and videos taken underwater which will contribute to real-world science. Whether you're identifying fishes, tracking habitat changes, or characterizing animal behaviors in our footage — your clicks count!

All this information is shared with fishery managers and the public through regular updates to FWC leadership, presentations to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, and outreach events with local resource users like the Lower Keys Guide Association.

Thank you for being a part of the effort to protect and understand this unique marine environment!

Studying Spawning Fish at Western Dry Rocks

At Western Dry Rocks (WDR), a well-known multi-species fish spawning site in the Florida Keys, we're using underwater video cameras to monitor fish activity during the annual seasonal fishing closure. Many important fish species—such as snappers and jacks—gather in large groups to spawn that are predictable both in time and location. While this behavior is vital for their reproduction, it also makes them vulnerable to fishing pressure. To help protect these spawning events, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) designated WDR was as a seasonal fishing closure in 2021. For the next seven years fishing is prohibited at this site from April 1 to July 31. During those seven years, FWC requested long-term research to evaluate the effectiveness of this closure. After those seven years, FWC will review the collected data and decide whether to continue, revise, or end the closure.

Our team has deployed three custom-designed underwater video cameras at key locations within WDR. These cameras record five minutes of footage every daylight hour from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the four-month closure. Built for extended use, they can remain underwater for up to 14 days before needing to be serviced.

Through these video surveys, we aim to answer the following questions:

1. What species are present at WDR during the closure?
2. When is fish activity highest—or lowest—during the four-month period?
3. How do the relative numbers of key species change from year to year?
4. What spawning-related behaviors can we observe on video?

This video data adds valuable context to other tools we're using at WDR, such as acoustic telemetry (which tracks tagged fish movements) and passive acoustic recordings (which detect sound-based behavior like courtship calls).

Solution holes

Discover the Hidden Life of Solution Holes in Florida Bay

Beneath the surface of Florida Bay lies a patchwork of seagrass meadows, sandy flats, and hardbottom areas dotted with something surprising: miniature limestone caves known as solution holes.

These holes may not look like much from above—but underwater, they’re bustling with life. Acting like underwater oases, solution holes and coral heads create shelter for a wide variety of marine animals. From tiny reef fish and shrimp to juvenile spiny lobsters and even groupers, these spots offer protection and food in an otherwise flat, open seascape.

Species such as spiny lobster and grouper take up residence in solution holes before migrating to oceanside reefs to reproduce, while various other juvenile reef fish seek protection from predators within solution holes before moving to the reef in their terminal (adult) phase. The groupers are the ecosystem engineers that help keep the solution hole intact for the other animals that live there by cleaning out any sediment or debris that tries to fill their hole!

What Are We Studying?

We want to better understand who lives in these hidden habitats, how often different animals visit them, and how these special spots help support Florida Bay’s marine life.

To do this, our dive team:

• Visited dozens of solution holes across the Middle Keys (near Seven Mile Bridge, Burnt Point, and Hawks Cay)
• Counted and recorded the fish and invertebrates they saw
• Measured the holes' depth and how many had open entrances
• Placed underwater cameras next to each hole to film animal activity over two weeks

The development of long-term camera systems has allowed for greater windows of observation without the potential bias of scaring away more skittish species. These cameras allow us to observe marine life without disturbing it, including shy or nocturnal species that divers might miss.

Cameras and batteries were attached to cinder blocks and pointed towards the hole or coral head.

Why It Matters

Animals like spiny lobsters use these holes as nurseries before migrating to deeper reefs to reproduce. Understanding how these small habitats support the larger marine ecosystem helps scientists and managers protect important species and preserve the balance of Florida Bay.

Where Are These Sites?

Our camera sites are close to shore, spread across:

• Seven Mile Bridge
• Burnt Point
• Hawks Cay

Thank You!

By helping us explore these underwater hideouts, you’re contributing to marine science and helping protect the future of Florida’s coastal ecosystems.