The Aquatic Preserve Program is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Resilience & Coastal Protection, the mission of which is to protect Florida’s coastal and aquatic resources.
The mission of the Aquatic Preserve Program is to protect and maintain the natural conditions of aquatic preserves for future generations.
Established by state statute, the Aquatic Preserves are submerged lands of exceptional beauty which are to be maintained in such a way that "their aesthetic, biological, and scientific values may endure for the enjoyment of future generations." The first aquatic preserve was established in Estero Bay in 1966. In 1975 the Florida Aquatic Preserve Act was passed and the existing preserves were brought under a standard set of management criteria.
Today, Florida is fortunate to have 41 aquatic preserves, encompassing more than two million acres. All but four of these "submerged lands of exceptional beauty" are located along Florida's 8,400 miles of coastline in the shallow waters of marshes and estuaries. Florida’s Aquatic Preserves Program plays an important role in maintaining good water quality, diversity of wildlife through valuable estuarine nursery areas, and an enhanced quality of life for millions of residents and visitors. These waters are ours to enjoy and ours to protect.
Long-Term Goals:
There are six local aquatic preserves: Lemon Bay, Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor, Cape Haze, Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass and Estero Bay. The local aquatic preserve offices are: the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves (CHAP), located in Punta Gorda; and the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve (EBAP), located in Fort Myers Beach.
