Channel Key Banks Wildlife Management Area

Located just north of Duck Key at Mile Marker 61, Channel Key Banks Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is an idle speed/no wake area that protects large, contiguous, interconnected, shallow seagrass and hard-bottom habitats that support diverse sponge assemblages, queen conch, reticulated sea star, and coral populations. The banks and associated channels are difficult to locate and susceptible to boat groundings. This is an underrepresented habitat type within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary that separates Florida Bay waters from the open ocean, but is very shallow in places. Protection will reduce the occurrence of propeller scarring and other boat induced injuries. In addition, the area protects seagrass and hard-bottom habitat that support many commercially and recreationally important juvenile fish species prior to their movement to the coral reefs.

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.