This site reports the results of a seven-year cooperative effort
completed in 1998, between the National Ocean Service and the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to map the
types and extent of benthic habitats within the Florida Keys. It
also announces the completion and content of two products: an
Atlas and Benthic habitats are places on or near the sea floor
where aquatic organisms live. These beds of seagrass, areas of
mud and sand, and coral reefs provide food and shelter to a rich
array of animals. Together, they form the Florida Keys coral
ecosystem. The Florida Keys are the third largest barrier reef
ecosystem in the world and the only barrier reef ecosystem in
the United States. The preservation of this ecosystem,
especially its coral reefs, is a National priority. This
ecosystem is an attractive environment for many recreational,
commercial and scientific activities, and is critical to the
tourist economy of South Florida. Precise mapping of benthic
habitats is essential for developing