Alligator Reef is a
coral reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...
located within the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary in the Florida Keys. It includes the Florida Reef, the only barrier coral reef in North America and the third-largest coral barrier reef in the world. It also has e ...
. It lies to the southeast of
Upper Matecumbe Key
Upper Matecumbe Key is an island in the upper Florida Keys.
U.S. 1 (or the Overseas Highway
The Overseas Highway is a highway carrying U.S. Route 1 (US 1) through the Florida Keys to Key West. Large parts of it were built on the for ...
. This reef lies within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).
Name
Alligator Reef is named for the ''
USS Alligator'', a ship assigned to
suppress the trade of slaves coming from the African coast in the 1820s. In November 1822, the ''Alligator'' was escorting a convoy of merchant ships when she ran aground on the shallow reef. Despite efforts to save the damaged ship, the United States sank her to prevent pirates from pillaging the remains of the boat. The
Alligator Reef Light sits on Alligator Reef. A wreck traditionally considered as the remains of USS ''Alligator'' is located 200 feet southwest of the lighthouse and can be seen by snorkelers and divers year-round; however a 1996 expedition has challenged this identification, and the wreck is probably that of another 19th c. ship.
Protection
The protected reef is located four nautical miles offshore and is trademarked by the black and white lighthouse present within the reef. Four yellow buoys designate the perimeter of the reef; as anchoring in the SPA is forbidden, there are several buoys in the SPA for mooring boats.
Anchoring on the reef is not allowed unless the anchor is fixed to the sandy bottom, as an anchor placed on the reef itself can damage and kill the coral. Tourists venture to the reef daily to relax in the serenity the reef provides. With a variety of aquatic species present, this reef is ideal for beginning snorkelers and divers; some parts of the reef lie at a depth of only eight feet. Many local dive and snorkel boats venture to the reef to provide guided instruction for beginners.
The status of a protected reef restricts any removal of aquatic life. Fishing of any kind is not permitted within the reef and the removal of any coral, sand, shells, or any form of life is prohibited.
Gallery
File:Buoys in Alligator Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area.jpg, NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploratio ...
map of Alligator Reef
File:Alligator Reef.jpg, Fish beneath the Alligator Reef Light in 2006
File:Acropora palmata Alligator Reef 20230711.jpg, Reintroduced Elkhorn coral
Elkhorn coral (''Acropora palmata'') is an important reef-building coral in the Caribbean. The species has a complex structure with many branches which resemble that of elk antlers; hence, the common name. The branching structure creates habit ...
at Alligator Reef in 2023
File:Midnight parrotfish Alligator Reef 20230711.jpg, Two Midnight parrotfish
The midnight parrotfish (''Scarus coelestinus'') is a species of parrotfish that inhabits coral reefs mainly in the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Florida.
The typical size is between 30 and 60 cm, but it can grow to almost 1 m. It has been observ ...
in 2023
See also
*
Action of 9 November 1822
References
External links
NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Maps, Florida Keys EastNOAA Navigational Chart 11449* Barbara H. Lidz, Christopher D. Reich, and Eugene A. Shinn. Systematic Mapping of Bedrock and Habitats along the Florida Reef Tract—Central Key Largo to Halfmoon Shoal (Gulf of Mexico). USGS Professional Paper 175
{{Authority control
Coral reefs of the Florida Keys