 |
HISTORY
Established in 1963, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was the first undersea park created in the United States. The park, combined with the adjacent Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, encompasses 178 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove swamps. These areas were established to protect and preserve the only living coral reef in the continental United States.
 |
|
Named for the late Miami newspaper editor John D. Pennekamp, who was also instrumental in preserving the land that would become the Everglades National Park, Coral Reef State Park now enjoys over a million visitors per year from around the world. |
