Waterways that are used for boating (both for recreation and commercial fishing) are increasingly being constrained out of concern for boater safety, the habitat and habitat-dependent stocks and wildlife. In Southwest Florida, a primary species of concern is the West Indian manatee, which is currently listed as an endangered species....
Many of the coastal counties in Florida have active artificial reef
deployment and monitoring programs. These reef systems have been
shown to be an important destination for the marine recreational boating
industry, as well as for the for-hire commercial sector (i.e., six-pack charter
vessels, guide boats, party/head boats, and dive...