Turtle Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area
At 2.5-square miles in size, Turtle Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area protects important nearshore, interconnected habitats within the Upper Keys including individual and aggregated patch reefs, seagrass beds and shallow hard-bottom communities. High relief coral reef habitats in this area historically contained large populations of ESA-listed staghorn, elkhorn, and star corals. Currently contains remnant ESA-listed staghorn coral populations and one of the only known fused staghorn colonies. In addition to the natural resources, historical resources in the area that are also susceptible to anchoring damage will be protected. This area is an existing Pennekamp Coral Formation Zone, which prohibits harvest of spiny lobster and deployment of traps.
Special regulations apply here. Learn more about what activities are allowed in this type of zone.
A summary of all sanctuary regulations is available online. For the full text of sanctuary regulations, see 15 CFR 922 Subpart P.