Is forward-facing sonar changing how fishing works in Florida Bay? On Friday evening a room in Islamorada will take up that question, with guides, anglers and scientists sitting at the same tables. That gathering opens a two-week run of evening events in the Upper Keys. The talks and the festival are free, they are about the bays and reef around the Upper Keys, and each one goes a layer deeper than the one before.
Here is the run, in order:
- Friday, Nov. 6: Forward-facing sonar in Florida Bay, Safe Harbor Angler House, Islamorada
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: REEF Fish & Friends on artificial reefs, Key Largo
- Monday, Nov. 16: Sponge restoration lecture, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Thursday, Nov. 19: Morada Way Art Walk, Islamorada
- Friday, Nov. 20: Mote's 4th Annual Reef Revival Fest, Bud N' Mary's Marina
The talks begin with how fish get found and work down to the habitat under them, and the festival brings everyone to the coral itself. If you go to all of them, you'll know a lot more about the water off your own dock by Thanksgiving.
Friday at Angler House: the fish, and how they get found
The Community Engagement Project on forward-facing sonar is on Friday, Nov. 6, at Safe Harbor Angler House, 80500 Overseas Hwy in Islamorada. It starts at 5:30 p.m. Florida Bay Forever lists an 8 p.m. finish, and the Islamorada Chamber calendar shows 7:30 p.m.
Andrew Jordan leads it. He's a University of Miami marine biology master's student doing an internship with Florida Bay Forever. Florida Bay Forever describes the technology as real-time scanning that lets an angler see and track individual fish with remarkable precision. As it has spread, it has raised questions about fish behavior, catch efficiency and "fair chase," the idea that wildlife should have a reasonable chance to avoid being detected and pursued.
The organizers say plainly that they aren't arguing for one side. They want guides, anglers, scientists and conservation groups to share what they're seeing and have a respectful conversation about how the technology may be affecting Florida Bay and the fisheries the community depends on. The organizer lists no ticket price, and the project's Instagram page is the contact point for anyone who wants to take part.
The timing works. The following week, Nov. 12 to 14, the All-American Backcountry Tournament runs out of Islamorada. It's a catch-and-release event for snook, redfish, bonefish, tarpon and permit, and its proceeds benefit the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. People who sit in on Friday's conversation will hear a lot about how fish get found and caught right before the backcountry gets busy.
Nov. 10 at REEF: what's underneath the fish
Talking about fish leads straight to habitat, and that's the subject four nights later in Key Largo. REEF's Fish & Friends seminar on Tuesday, Nov. 10, features Dr. Hanna Koch speaking on "Artificial Reefs in the Florida Keys." It's free at REEF's Ocean Exploration Center in Key Largo. There's a social from 6 to 7 p.m. with light refreshments, and the talk runs from 7 to 8 p.m. If you can't make the drive, REEF livestreams its seminars on Facebook and YouTube.
REEF's event page says Dr. Koch works closely with officials at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which protects more than 2,800 square miles of water around the 125-mile island chain. The talk covers her role in building the county's artificial reef program.
Some background on that program, all from 2026 local reporting:
- The summer work happened down the chain. Keys Weekly reported that the Gulfside 5 Mile, 8 Mile and 9 Mile projects total 156 structures, all offshore from the Lower Keys. On Aug. 6 alone, crews set 12 large and six smaller concrete pyramids.
- The dates. Keys News reported Gulfside 5 Mile deployed on June 9 and Gulfside 8 Mile on July 8, 2026.
- The bigger plan includes us. In May, Keys Weekly reported that the county had filed 21 permit applications covering 15 sites in the Upper, Middle and Lower Keys, on both the Gulf and Atlantic sides. Permit reviews can take 12 to 18 months.
That same May article explains why Upper Keys residents may care about this talk in particular. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection approved a county pilot project in shallow nearshore hardbottom habitat inside Florida Bay, which is the same water Friday's sonar conversation is about. The pilot will test low-relief structures meant to restore habitat complexity. According to the article, fish populations in those nearshore areas are estimated at only 30% to 40% of their 1990s levels.
Dr. Koch put it this way in that Keys Weekly story: "People are very concerned about the state of our coral reefs, as they should be, but there should be equal concern for these nearshore hardbottom communities."
Nov. 16 at Pennekamp: sponges, the next restoration target
Sponges are a big part of hardbottom habitat, and the next lecture turns to them. The Delicate Balance of Nature Lecture Series meets Monday, Nov. 16, from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. in the Visitor Center and Aquarium Auditorium at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, 102601 Overseas Hwy in Key Largo.
The speaker is Ana Zangroniz, a Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent. Her talk is "Expanding Sponge Restoration: A Pilot Project in South Biscayne Bay." Florida State Parks lists the after-hours lecture as free and notes that park entrance fees apply.
Biscayne Bay is just north of us, and the project is a pilot, like the county's Florida Bay hardbottom test. If you go to both the Nov. 10 and Nov. 16 talks, you'll hear from two people working on two shallow bays, testing early-stage ways to bring back the bottom habitat that young fish depend on.
Nov. 19 on Morada Way: a lighter Thursday
The night before the coral festival is the monthly Morada Way Art Walk, on the third Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District at 151 Morada Way in Islamorada. The Islamorada Chamber calendar lists it for Nov. 19, 2026.
Two district partners have Art Walk traditions. The Islamorada Moose Lodge opens to the public during the walk, and Islamorada Wine Co. sets up a satellite bar in the district on Art Walk nights. Florida Keys Brewing Co. is also in the district, and its beer will be at the next night's festival too.
If you're coming down from Key Largo and want dinner on the way, Coast to Coast Pizza Company opened its third location at 99625 Overseas Highway on Sept. 14, according to Keys Weekly.
Nov. 20 at Bud N' Mary's: the coral, up close
The run of evenings ends at the coral nursery. Mote's 4th Annual Reef Revival Fest is Friday, Nov. 20, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Mote's Islamorada Coral Nursery at Bud N' Mary's Marina, 79851 Overseas Highway. Mote calls it a free community event celebrating its work researching and preserving the Florida Keys reef tract.
The earlier evenings are mostly listening. This one is hands-on. Mote's listing includes:
- Tours of the land-based coral nursery on site
- Hands-on micro-fragmentation workshops
- A Kids' Zone with interactive stations where children can become "Junior Coral Scientists"
- Live music from local artists and food trucks
- Craft beer from Florida Keys Brewing Company
- A mechanical shark ride
Mote invites attendees to get an up-close look at its "resilience-focused coral restoration efforts," and the nursery tours put that work right in front of you.
I live and work down in Summerland Key, but this run of evenings is worth the drive up the Overseas Highway. If you own on the water in Islamorada or Key Largo, or you're thinking about it, and you'd like to talk about what life near Florida Bay and the reef is really like, reach out to Natallie M Liz. Let's Connect.
