Divers and snorkelers explored part of the continental United States’ only coral barrier reef Saturday, while rocking to a sub-sea concert staged to promote environmentally responsible diving and reef protection.
The 40th annual Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival took place at Looe (pronounced "Lou") Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary about 6 miles south of Big Pine Key. The sanctuary protects the waters surrounding the entire Florida Keys island chain.
Staged by the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce and Keys radio station US1 104.1 FM, the concert provided a “submerged soundtrack” for divers -- including some costumed as mermaids -- who swam among Looe Key’s colorful tropical fish, coral formations and other marine life.
“This is a fantastic combination of incredible music -- there are songs with lots of high notes to them and they sound so wonderful underwater -- with the beauty of the coral reef and mermaids, and it’s a very eye-catching experience,” said Steve Miller, executive director of the chamber of commerce. “It’s something that you’ll never forget seeing.”
Music broadcast by the radio station was piped underwater through Lubell Labs speakers suspended beneath boats above the reef. Participants swayed to a sea-focused playlist that included Jimmy Buffett’s “Bubbles Up,” the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and the themes from TV’s classic “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Little Mermaid” film.
The music was interspersed with diver awareness messages about ways to enjoy the underwater world while minimizing environmental impacts on the reef, whose rich biodiversity has inspired comparisons to an underwater rainforest.
“The conservation of the reef is one of the main things that we want to draw attention to through this, so we’re hoping that people will focus in on one of the only living coral reefs in the Northern Hemisphere,” said Miller
