| Looe Key | |
|---|---|
 Map of Looe Key from NOAA Navigational Chart 11445 | |
  Looe Key (Caribbean) | |
| Location | |
| Location | Caribbean |
| Coordinates | 24°32′55″N81°24′21″W / 24.54861°N 81.40583°W |
| Country | United States |
| Geology | |
| Type | reef |
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.
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The reef is named after HMS Looe, which ran aground on the reef and sank in 1744.
In August 1994, RV Columbus Iselin, a research vessel owned by the University of Miami, ran aground on Looe Key and damaged approximately 164 m2 (1,770 sq ft) of living coral and a larger area of reef framework. In 1997, the University paid $3.76 million in natural resource damage claims to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 1999, a restoration project involving placement of limestone boulders, pouring of concrete, and reintroduction of benthic species was undertaken by NOAA and its subcontractors. [1]
The key was protected as Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary in 1981 until it was incorporated into Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in 1997.
