Homepage | Florida Aquatic Preserves

Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection

Waters that Work, Play and Live

From winding estuaries to vibrant coastal habitats, more than 5.3 million acres of Florida’s waters and coastal uplands are protected, and they are as dynamic as they are essential.

Explore 43 aquatic preserves, three National Estuarine Research Reserves, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and our State Buffer Preserve to see how these landscapes support life, recreation, and resilience across the state.

Dive in and discover what makes them extraordinary.

Explore the Map

Where Protection Meets Passion

Aquatic Preserve Spotlights

For 50 years, Florida’s Aquatic Preserve Act has protected the waters that define our state.

Now, meet the people behind the mission.
Watch our Spotlight Videos to experience the beauty of these preserves and the dedication of the teams ensuring they endure for generations.

Watch the Spotlight Videos

Be Part of the Protection

You Make a Difference

Florida’s aquatic preserves thrive because people care and take action.

Discover how you can volunteer, support conservation efforts, and help protect these waters for generations to come.

Get Involved Today

Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection

Waters that Work, Play and Live

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection manages more than 5.3 million acres of submerged lands and coastal uplands in Florida.

Much of Florida's distinctive character lies in the beauty of its coastline. The best of our coastal landscapes as well as several inland waters is set aside for protection as aquatic preserves. Florida's natural beauty is a major attraction for both tourists and residents. Ironically, these coastal and inland resources that draw people to Florida are potentially endangered by the increased population pressures. Aquatic preserves protect Florida's living waters to ensure they will always be home for bird rookeries and fish nurseries, freshwater springs and salt marshes, and seagrass meadows and mangrove forests.

These aquatic preserves — located throughout Florida — offer a window into the state's natural and cultural heritage. Local leaders long recognized and worked to protect these critically important and ecologically sensitive areas and in 1975, with growing appreciation for their environmental diversity and alluring beauty, Florida enacted the Aquatic Preserve Act. This Act brought together existing and future aquatic preserves under one management program to ensure "their aesthetic, biological and scientific values may endure for the enjoyment of future generations."