Tavernier, Florida, United States

Conch Reef

Conch Reef sits on the outer reef tract off Tavernier and is best known to divers as the location of NOAA's Aquarius Reef Base, the only operational underwater research laboratory in the world. The yellow habitat module is moored on a sand patch at 19 metres at the foot of the reef wall and is sometimes occupied by saturation aquanauts. The reef itself is a two-tier site: a shallow Sanctuary Preservation Area on top in 6 to 12 metres and a deep wall that drops from 18 metres to 30 metres at the edge of the reef tract. The wall is covered with barrel and rope sponges, deep-water gorgonians and black coral on the deeper sections. Divers regularly see goliath grouper, large schools of horse-eye jacks, queen triggerfish, hogfish, hawksbill turtles, eagle rays in winter, and the occasional reef shark. Currents along the wall can be brisk and visibility frequently exceeds 20 metres. Two distinct profiles make this site popular for two-tank trips.