Collecting live specimens is an important and often
difficult aspect of many research projects carried out in a laboratory setting.
The Keys Marine Laboratory staff can collect marine specimens for visiting
researchers prior to their arrival, hold the collected organisms for pick-up
and transfer to a investigator’s home institution, or ship them via
Federal Express or air freight throughout the United States and to some locations
overseas. Contact KML with your collection needs and before submitting any
collection request form (this form MUST be filled out before any animals
will be collected or shipped).
Research
which involves the harvest of any regulated marine species in Florida must
be accompanied by a Special Activity License (SAL) from the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Marine Fisheries. Small scale
collection may be covered by a Florida recreational fishing license (details),
which can be purchased here. Collecting of species which are out of season,
exceeding bag limits or collecting individuals which do not meet minimum size
requirements requires the SAL. Contact Lisa Gregg at the Division of Marine
Fisheries to get an application for a SAL. Allow at least 3 months for the
SAL application to be processed.
Permits
from the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are
required for scientific work which involves altering the seabed in some way
(permanent stakes for transect
lines, etc.), deploying non-permanent experimental apparatus on the seabed,
and taking hard corals or live rock. Contact Joanne Delaney or Dr. Brian D.
Keller at the FKNMS if you are uncertain if your work in the sanctuary requires
a
permit.
Allow
at
least 30 days for processing of the permit application.
- Email:
joanne.delaney@noaa.gov
brian.keller@noaa.gov
- Phone:
(305) 743-2437 x25 (Dr. Keller)
