In Florida, several agencies at various levels of government have jurisdiction over damages to natural resources on submerged lands in state waters. Response and recovery for natural resource damages is managed according to the type of resource, type of damage and location of the incident.

As the state's lead trustee for coral reef resources, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is charged with response and recovery for coral reef injuries on sovereign submerged lands. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, county governments with reefs in their jurisdiction, and federal agencies assume roles in response to coral reef injuries, depending on the specifics of the event.

The Florida Reef Tract spans more than 330 nautical miles from the Dry Tortugas to Stuart. In the Florida Keys, the DEP Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas manages natural resource damages in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Coral reef resource damages within Biscayne National Park and the Dry Tortugas National Park are managed by the National Park Service, in accordance with the Park System Resource Protection Act.

Beyond these protected areas, the northern extent of the Florida Reef Tract extends from the northern border of Biscayne National Park to the St. Lucie Inlet, along mainland Florida's Atlantic Coast. In this region, the DEP Coral Reef Conservation Program, through its Reef Injury Prevention and Response Program, is responsible for leading response to, and management of, coral reef and hard bottom injuries resulting from vessel impacts such as grounding, anchoring, and cable drag events. Response and management includes coordinating with fellow trustee agencies to ensure timely and effective measures are taken to minimize coral reef injuries.

A primary goal of the Reef Injury Prevention and Response Program is to develop and implement management actions that prevent coral reef injuries associated with commercial and recreational vessels using tools created through the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative and other local action strategies. Where damages to reef resources do occur, the goal is to ensure that appropriate and adequate restoration and/or mitigation is carried out on impacted coral reef resources and that those responsible for damages are held accountable.

In 2009, the Florida Legislature passed the Coral Reef Protection Act to increase protection of coral reef resources on sovereign submerged lands off the coasts of Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties.

• 403.93345 F.S. Coral reef protection.

To report a vessel grounding or other coral reef injury in southeast Florida call: (786)385-3054.