Table 21. Excerpts of the anecdotal and historical chronology of events that affected the marine 
environment of the Florida Keys from 1714 to the present prepared by The Nature Conservancy 
(text as found in draft document except for minor editing) [DeMaria (in press)] (cont.). 
Year(s) 
Event 
1982 
1983 
1983-1984 
1984 
1985 
Around 1982, John Stevely (Sarasota Sea Grant agent) and wife encounter a 
pea soup green algae bloom at Rabbit Key that allows for less than six inches of 
visibility. 
Many shrimp boats are being sold due to fishing regulations. 
Ricordia coral on top of Looe Key. By 1985/86, the Ricordia moves out of the 
direct flow of water moving over Looe Key and into the areas where there is 
cooler water. 
Hot weather and warm water, sponge dieoff bayside of Grassy Key and Long 
Key (yellow and wool sponges). 
July, coral bleaching observed in the lower Keys from Looe Key to Western Dry 
Rocks. 
Start of seagrass die off west of Sandy Key. Diadema (sea urchin) dieoff in 
Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean (lasted a year). 
Area of green water observed in Plantation Yacht Harbor and near the Coast 
Guard Station. 
Juvenile conch released at Pennekamp. 
Water clarity becomes noticeably bad; corresponds to the completion of the 
new bridges. 
Water clarity in the shallow water area starts to decline. Prior to 1983, water 
along Keys described as ‘gin clear". 
State fishery council is formed. 
Army Corps of Engineers starts to draw down the L-31W canal due to increase 
in water going into Shark River Slough. 
Longsnout butterfly fish become displaced; move to deeper water. Crinoids 
disappear from the shallow waters off the lower Keys. 
Disappearance of crinoids on the reef in the Lower Keys. 
Freighter Mini Laurel grounds at Molasses Reef. 
Beginning 1984, there is a 4% loss of coral cover at Looe Key and Key Largo. 
Queen conch declared a protected species. 
South Florida Water Management District changes to a more natural way of 
water control management. 
Hurricanes Elena and Kate cause the fragmentation of corals, especially 
staghorn and elkhorn varieties. 
Approximately 750 full-time Keys' commercial crawfishers. Cubans represent 
50% in Key West, 5% in the lower Keys, 15% in the middle Keys, and 20% in 
the upper Keys. 
Sponge disease/blight hits the Mediterranean. 
Conch moratorium (the taking or harvesting of conch is prohibited). 
The productive shrimping area moved to the west. It used to start at Smith 
shoals. Now the productive shrimp area starts at New Ground, northwest of 
Marquesas. 
A brown, slimy, grass-like algae bloom observed all throughout the water 
column at Tortugas. 
Large areas of seagrass die off observed in western Florida Bay. Also, a change 
in the kind of algae blooms is observed. 
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