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Aquatic Preserves
Florida's Aquatic Preserves represent some of the most biologically diverse and ecologically significant natural areas in the state. These 43 designated preserves, encompassing over 2.9 million acres of submerged lands, protect vital coastal and freshwater ecosystems including seagrass meadows, oyster and hard-bottom habitats, mangrove forests, salt marshes and coral reefs.
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Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve
Apalachicola Bay Aquatic Preserve
Banana River Aquatic Preserve
Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve
Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve
Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve
Cape Florida Aquatic Preserve
Cape Haze Aquatic Preserve
Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve
Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve
Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve
Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve
Fort Clinch Aquatic Preserve
Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve
Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve
Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve
Indian River-Malabar to Vero Beach Aquatic Preserve
Indian River-Vero Beach to Fort Pierce Aquatic Preserve
Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve
Kristin Jacobs Coral Aquatic Preserve
Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve
Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve
Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve
Loxahatchee River-Lake Worth Creek
Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve
Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve
Nassau River-St. Johns River Marshes Aquatic Preserve
Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve
North Fork, St. Lucie Aquatic Preserve
Oklawaha River Aquatic Preserve
Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve
Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve
Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve
Rainbow Springs Aquatic Preserve
Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve
Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve
St. Andrews Aquatic Preserve
St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve
St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve
Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve
Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve
Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve
Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve
National Estuarine Research Reserves
Florida is home to three National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs), each dedicated to the conservation and study of vital estuarine ecosystems where freshwater meets the sea. These reserves are part of the NERR System, a network of 30 protected areas across the United States established to support long-term research, education and stewardship.
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Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Florida's Coral Reef
Florida's Coral Reef stretches almost 350 miles from the Dry Tortugas to the St. Lucie Inlet. It’s the only coral reef system in the continental United States and is home to over 40 species of reef-building corals that provide shelter, food and breeding sites for millions of plants and animals.
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Cape Florida Aquatic Preserve
Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Kristin Jacobs Coral Aquatic Preserve
State Buffer Preserve
The St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve is strategically positioned along the coast of St. Joseph Bay, situated roughly 5 miles southeast of Port St. Joe. Panama City lies approximately 35 miles northwest of the preserve, and Tallahassee is about 100 miles to the northeast. The preserve's location south of U.S. Highway 98 and along State Road 30-A places it amidst a mix of urban residential development, pine plantations and the natural boundaries of the Gulf of America and St. Joseph Bay.
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St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve
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Resources
Managed Area
Aquatic Preserves
Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve
Apalachicola Bay Aquatic Preserve
Banana River Aquatic Preserve
Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve
Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve
Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve
Cape Florida Aquatic Preserve
Cape Haze Aquatic Preserve
Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve
Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve
Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve
Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve
Fort Clinch Aquatic Preserve
Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve
Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve
Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve
Indian River-Malabar to Vero Beach Aquatic Preserve
Indian River-Vero Beach to Fort Pierce Aquatic Preserve
Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve
Kristin Jacobs Coral Aquatic Preserve
Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve
Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve
Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve
Loxahatchee River-Lake Worth Creek Aquatic Preserve
Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve
Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve
Nassau River-St. Johns River Marshes Aquatic Preserve
Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve
North Fork, St. Lucie Aquatic Preserve
Oklawaha River Aquatic Preserve
Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve
Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve
Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve
Rainbow Springs Aquatic Preserve
Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve
Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve
St. Andrews Aquatic Preserve
St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve
St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve
Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve
Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve
Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve
Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve
Florida’s Coral Reef
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs)
Apalachicola NERR
Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR
Rookery Bay NERR
State Buffer Preserve
St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve
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Coral
Mangroves
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Seagrass
Salt Marshes
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Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan