Reef mooring buoys eliminate the need to drop anchor on fragile coral reefs by providing boaters with a convenient means of securing your boat. Anchors, line and chain can break and damage living coral formations. Buoys are available at frequently used reefs within the Sanctuary and usually encircle shallow coral reefs. We encourage you to use them instead of anchors.
- Buoys are available on a first come first served basis.
- Smaller boats are encouraged to tie off to one another, thereby allowing larger vessels access to buoys. Remember, the larger the vessel, the more potential damage to the coral (if an anchor is used).
- Please maintain idle speed/no wake in the vicinity of the mooring buoys. Watch for swimmers, snorkelers, and diver bubbles.
- Approach slowly from downwind/current. Idle directly to the buoy without meandering among other dive boats. Reverse the procedure when leaving.
- Buoys have been placed to provide clearance for most boats when tied up during normal conditions. To avoid grounding, use caution when approaching and while tied to a buoy. Larger
than average vessels must check depths so that contact with the bottom is avoided. - To secure your boat to a mooring buoy, run your line through the loop of the floating pick-up line and cleat both ends to the bow of your boat. Add enough line to create a horizontal pull on the eyebolt, otherwise the eyebolt will be pulled out. A good rule to remember is: if the buoy is pulled underwater, you must let out extra scope. On rough days, add extra scope to the pick-up line to improve the ride of your vessel in rough seas and reduce wear on the buoy system.
- Sailboats should not leave up large sails as steadying sails when on a buoy; this puts too much strain on the eyebolt.
- Inspect the buoy your boat is tied to; you are responsible for your vessel. Check that it is holding as intended and inspect the buoy. Report problems to any of the Sanctuary offices or Sanctuary patrol.
- If there are no buoys available, anchor only in sand, NEVER IN CORAL. Always check to be sure that your anchor is not dragging and your anchor chain is not contacting coral.
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary assumes no liability for the use of the mooring buoys.
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 a 12 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
For informatuion on the care and maintenance of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary mooring buoys, check out the Mooring Buoy Page
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 or 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!
