Looe Key

Map of Looe Key from NOAA Navigational Chart 11445

Looe Key is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the south of Big Pine Key. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

Part of Looe Key is designated as "Research Only," an area which protects some of the patch reefs landward of the main reef.

The reef is named after the HMS Looe, which ran into the reef and sank in 1744.

In August 1994, the R/V Columbus Iselin, a research vessel owned by the University of Miami, ran aground on Looe Key and damaged approximately 164 m² of living coral and a larger area of reef framework. In 1997, the University paid $3.76 million in natural resource damage claims to NOAA. In 1999, a restoration project involving placement of limestone boulders, pouring of concrete, and reintroduction of benthic species was undertaken by NOAA and its subcontractors.^[1]

Approximate coordinates: 24°32′51″N 081°24′24″W / 24.54750°N 81.40667°W / 24.54750; -81.40667Coordinates: 24°32′51″N 081°24′24″W / 24.54750°N 81.40667°W / 24.54750; -81.40667

Gallery

Endangered Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) alive at Looe Key in July 2010.
Endangered Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) alive at Looe Key in July 2010.

External links

Barbara H. Lidz, Christopher D. Reich, and Eugene A. Shinn, Systematic Mapping of Bedrock and Habitats along the Florida Reef Tract—Central Key Largo to Halfmoon Shoal (Gulf of Mexico). USGS Professional Paper 1751. Tile 6, Looe Key
Franko's Florida Keys Dive & Guide Map
Benthic Habitat Map

References

↑ Columbus Iselin Coral Reef Restoration Project (NOAA), accessed 10 January 2011

Corals and coral reefs
Stony corals	Blue Brain Elegance Elkhorn Hermatypic Chalice Pillar Staghorn Table
Soft corals	Bamboo Black Organ pipe Sea fans Sea pens
Coral reefs	Atoll Cay Coral Fringing Microatoll Coral reef fish Census of Coral Reefs The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs Catlin Seaview Survey Spur and groove formation
Coral regions	List of reefs Deep-water coral African coral reefs Amazon Reef Andros, Bahamas Belize Barrier Reef Coral Sea Islands Coral Triangle Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Great Barrier Reef Maldives Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System New Caledonia barrier reef Pulley Ridge Raja Ampat Islands Red Sea Southeast Asian coral reefs
Coral diseases	Coral bleaching Black band disease Skeletal eroding band White band disease White pox disease
Protection	Coral Reef Alliance Coral reef protection Green Fins International Society for Reef Studies Project AWARE Reef Check Reef Ball
Other	Artificial reef Aquaculture of coral Coral dermatitis Precious coral Coral rag Coral reef organizations Coral sand Coralline algae Environmental issues with coral reefs Fire coral Reef resilience Rugosa (extinct) Symbiodinium Tabulata

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