Carysfort Reef

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Carysfort Reef
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Carysfort Reef (Caribbean)
Location
Location Caribbean
Coordinates 25°13′03″N80°12′53″W / 25.21750°N 80.21472°W / 25.21750; -80.21472
Country United States
Geology
Type reef

Carysfort is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the east of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). The reef is northeast of The Elbow. The Carysfort Reef Light is near the center of the SPA. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The reef is named after HMS Carysfort, which ran aground there (but did not sink) in 1770. Several charts and other publications of the late 18th and early 19th centuries spelled the name of the reef as "Carysford", with some sources giving the ship's name as Carysford, but "Carysfort" was standard for the reef by the middle of the 19th century. [4]

The reef is one of the most dangerous on the Florida Reef tract which parallels the Florida Keys. Of the 324 ships that were known to have wrecked on the Florida Reef from the beginning of 1833 through 1841, 63 did so on Carysfort Reef. The United States Lighthouse Board reported in the 1850s that "Carysfort Reef picks up twenty percent of all the wrecks between Cape Florida and the Tortugas, a space of 200 miles (320 km)." A well-known early wreck, discovered in 1939, is that of HMS Winchester, which was driven onto the reef in 1695 by a hurricane. Only eight of the 350 crew aboard survived the wreck. [5]

After the United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1821, it began building lighthouses along the Florida coast. A survey of the Florida Keys in 1823 identified the need for a navigational light at Carysfort Reef, but construction of a lighthouse on the exposed reef was considered impractical, and the surverors recommended that a lightship be stationed there. The Caesar served as a lighship at Carysfort Reef from 1826 until 1830, and was replaced by the Florida, which was stationed at the reef from 1831 to 1852, when a lighthouse was finally built on the reef. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carysfort Reef Light</span> Lighthouse in Florida, US

Carysfort Reef Light is located east of Key Largo, Florida. The lighthouse has an iron-pile foundation with a platform, and a skeletal, octagonal, pyramidal tower, which is painted red. The light was 100 feet (30 m) above the water. It was the oldest functioning lighthouse of its type in the United States until it was decommissioned in 2015, having been completed in 1852. The light last installed was a xenon flashtube beacon. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Reef</span> Coral barrier reef along the Florida Keys

The Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. It lies a few miles seaward of the Florida Keys, is about 4 miles wide and extends 270 km (170 mi) from Fowey Rocks just east of Soldier Key to just south of the Marquesas Keys. The barrier reef tract forms a great arc, concentric with the Florida Keys, with the northern end, in Biscayne National Park, oriented north-south and the western end, south of the Marquesas Keys, oriented east-west. The rest of the reef outside Biscayne National Park lies within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Isolated coral patch reefs occur northward from Biscayne National Park as far north as Stuart, in Martin County. Coral reefs are also found in Dry Tortugas National Park west of the Marquesas Keys. There are more than 6,000 individual reefs in the system. The reefs are 5,000 to 7,000 years old, having developed since sea levels rose following the Wisconsinan glaciation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looe Key</span> Coral reef in the Florida Keys, US

Looe Key is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the south of Big Pine Key. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). Part of Looe Key is designated as "Research Only," an area which protects some of the patch reefs landward of the main reef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Dry Rocks</span> Coral reef in the Florida Keys, US

Eastern Dry Rocks is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies seven miles southeast of Key West and one mile east of Sand Key light within the Key West National Wildlife Refuge. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molasses Reef</span> Coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Molasses Reef is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Elbow (reef)</span> Coral reef in the Florida Keys, US

The Elbow is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the east of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). The Elbow is southwest of Carysfort and east of Dry Rocks reefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dry Rocks</span> Coral reef in the Florida Keys, US

Dry Rocks is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies east of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The reef lies within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). It is close to Grecian Rocks and The Elbow.

Grecian Rocks is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the east of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

French Reef is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies 11 km southeast of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. French Reef is northeast of Molasses Reef. Part of the reef lies within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA), which is 37 ha in area. A number of caves and arches in a spur and groove formation are included in the SPA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickles Reef</span> Coral reef in the Florida Keys, US

Pickles Reef is a small coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Key Largo, to the south the Key Largo Existing Management Area and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Unlike many reefs within the Sanctuary, this reef is not within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

Conch Reef is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Plantation Key. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). Adjacent to the SPA is a "Research Only" zone and the Aquarius underwater laboratory is at the center of the zone. Outside of these zones is Conch Wall, a deep wall reef.

Davis Reef is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Plantation Key. This reef lies within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

Alligator Reef is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Upper Matecumbe Key. This reef lies within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

Coffins Patch is a shallow coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Bamboo Key. This reef lies within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

Sombrero Key is a coral reef in the Florida Reef. It lies to the south of Vaca Key.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Key</span>

Rock Key is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southwest of Key West, within the Key West National Wildlife Refuge. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sand Key (reef)</span> Coral reef in the Florida Keys, US

Sand Key is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southwest of Key West within the Key West National Wildlife Refuge. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

9-foot Stake is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the south of Key West, and is west of Marker 32 reef. Unlike many reefs in the Sanctuary, it is not within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).

Snapper Ledge is a small coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Key Largo, to the south the Key Largo Existing Management Area and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Unlike many reefs within the Sanctuary, this reef is not within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). It is near Pickles Reef. Since 2009, the Coral Restoration Foundation has used Snapper Ledge as a nursery site to grow Elkhorn coral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turtle Reef</span> Coral reef in the Florida Keys, US

Turtle Reef is a coral reef situated at the northern extremity of the Turtle Rocks shoal, and located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the east of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Unlike many reefs within the National Marine Sanctuary, this reef is not within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). The reef is north of Carysfort Reef.

References

  1. ↑ "Florida Keys East - National Marine Sanctuary Map". NOAA. November 1930. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Carysfort Sanctuary Preservation Area". floridakeys.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  3. ↑ "Map of Carysfort Sanctuary Preservation Area". floridakeys.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  4. ↑ Dean 1982, p. 23.
  5. ↑ McCarthy 1990, p. 49; Dean 1982, pp. 23–24.
  6. ↑ Dean 1982, pp. 23–24; Viele 1996, pp. 36–40.

Sources

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