The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary issues a variety of permits for activities that are otherwise prohibited by Sanctuary regulations (click here for a summary of prohibited activities Sanctuary-wide and by zone).

Permits may be issued by the Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) for activities otherwise prohibited by Sanctuary regulations if the Superintendent finds that the activity will: further research or monitoring related to Sanctuary resources and qualities; further the educational value of the Sanctuary; further the natural or historical resource value of the Sanctuary; further salvage or recovery operations in connection with an air or marine casualty; assist in managing the Sanctuary; otherwise further Sanctuary purposes, including facilitating multiple use of the Sanctuary, to the extent compatible with the primary objective of resource protection. In addition, Special Use Permits and Maritime Heritage Resources Permits are also available.

Anyone conducting prohibited activities without a valid national marine sanctuary permit or authorization may be subject to the penalties as provided under Section 307 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.

Click on one of the categories below for more information on permits for the following types of activities:

• Research/Education
• Baitfish Permit
• Special Use Permit
• Maritime Heritage Resources Permit

A variety of agencies with jurisdiction in or around the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary may have separate permitting requirements for any given activity. The issuance of a Sanctuary permit does not relieve the permit holder of his or her responsibility to comply with all other Federal, State and local laws and regulations. Click here for a list of agencies that may require additional permits within Sanctuary waters.

For more information, contact: Joanne Delaney, Permit Coordinator
Joanne.Delaney@noaa.gov

Baitfish Permits

Sanctuary baitfish permits allow the permit holder to catch baitfish within the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) using a cast net or modified lampara net. Click here to read the exact activities allowed by a baitfish permit.

Permits are issued free of charge and last for one calendar year. Baitfish permits are issued to an individual and may be used on more than one vessel, but may not be used by more than one person. Persons requesting a permit should submit their name, mailing address, and telephone number to the contact person listed below. Boat name(s) and/or documentation number(s) should also be submitted, when known.

All baitfish permit holders are required to maintain a catch log and submit this log upon expiration of their permit. A .pdf version of the Baitfish Permit Log is available here. This log should be printed, filled out, and mailed to the address indicated within 30 days of the expiration date of the permit.

For more information on Sanctuary baitfish permits, contact:

Joanne Delaney
Permit Coordinator
joanne.delaney@noaa.gov

Research and Educational Permits

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary issues permits for research and educational activities that are otherwise prohibited by Sanctuary regulations. Requests for permits are considered when the proposed activities are related to:

• research to enhance the scientific understanding of Sanctuary resources
• research related to a critical resource issue
• research to aid Sanctuary management or improve decision-making
• education to further public awareness or understanding of Sanctuary resources
• education to further wise use of the Sanctuary environment

Permit applications for research and education activities may be submitted at any time, and are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. On average, processing time for permits is 30 days, but may be longer for complicated requests or requests which include the collection of sensitive or prohibited organisms (e.g. coral species). It is advisable to submit a permit application well in advance of any planned research.

Specific application requirements and protocols can be found in the Guidelines for Submitting Applications for National Marine Sanctuary Permits and Authorizations (204 KB Acrobat PDF). The complimentary Permit Application Form (see below) may be printed and used to craft permit applications, electronically or in writing. In the future, we hope to offer a fully electronic on-line application form as well. At this time, electronic submission of permit applications, in Microsoft Word or rich text format, is preferred. Applications may be submitted to joanne.delaney@noaa.gov or brian.keller@noaa.gov.

• Permit Application Form ( PDF, MS Word, RTF)

For more information on Sanctuary research and education permits, contact:

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Submerged Cultural Resources (SCRs) Permits

NOAA is committed to protecting and preserving the natural resources within its national marine sanctuaries, and is equally committed to its stewardship and trustee responsibilities for the historical resources in these areas. Such resources are defined as those "possessing historical, cultural, archaeological, or paleontological significance, including sites, structures, districts, and objects significantly associated with or representative of earlier people, cultures, and human activities or events" (15 CFR 922.2(c))(152.6 KB Acrobat PDF).

The primary policy of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is to protect SCRs, while facilitating multiple uses of the Sanctuary which are determined to be compatible with resource protection. The Sanctuary has instituted a three-phase permitting system which addresses the survey/inventory, research/recovery, and deaccession/transfer of Sanctuary historical resources.

For more information on Submerged Cultural Resources, click here.

For more information on SCR permits, contact:

John Halas
Upper Region Sanctuary Manager
John.Halas@noaa.gov
(305) 852-7717x34

Other permitting agencies and information

The issuance of a Sanctuary research or education permit does not relieve the permit holder of his or her responsibility to comply with all other Federal, State and local laws and regulations. Specifically, some activities conducted within the Sanctuary may require permits or approval from other agencies. Agencies which may require additional permits are:

State of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Permitting Division M.S. Douglas Building 3900 Commonwealth Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 (850) 488-6058

Florida Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Resource Permitting 2796 Overseas Highway, Suite 221 Marathon, FL 33050 (305) 289-2310

NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service 9721 Executive Center Drive North St. Petersburg, FL 33702 (727) 570-5305	US Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Field Office 11420 North Kendall Drive, Suite 104 Miami, FL 33176 (305) 526-7181
National Park Service (Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks) Research Division 40001 State Road 9336 Homestead, FL 33034-6733 (305) 242-7848	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Key Deer Refuge, Great White Heron NWR, and Key West NWR) Big Pine Key Plaza Big Pine Key, FL 33043 (305) 872-2239

Baitfishing Permit Terms and Conditions

• FKNMS Baitfish log

The following activities are authorized to be conducted within the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs), as outlined by gear type and size, and SPA location, in the table below:

1. Throwing cast nets for the purpose of catching ballyhoo, balao, halfbeaks, and/or herring;
2. Using modified lampara nets for the purpose of catching ballyhoo, balao, halfbeaks, and/or herring;
3. Harvesting ballyhoo, balao, halfbeaks, and/or herring using cast nets and/or modified lampara nets;
4. Discharging chumming materials or bait for the purpose of catching ballyhoo, balao, halfbeaks, and/or herring.

SANCTUARY PRESERVATION AREA (SPA)	GEAR TYPE & SIZE ALLOWED
Newfound Harbor	Cast nets which are no greater than 500 sq. feet in area (no greater than 12’7” radius)
Sand Key Rock Key Eastern Dry Rocks Hen and Chickens Cheeca Rocks	Cast nets and/or modified lampara nets which are no greater than 500 sq. feet in area
Looe Key Sombrero Key Coffins Patch Alligator Reef Davis Reef Conch Reef Molasses Reef French Reef Grecian Rocks Dry Rocks The Elbow Carysfort Reef	Cast nets and/or modified lampara nets