Florida Keys Reef Lights
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The Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation was started in 2001 by Tom W. Taylor, Jerry Wilkinson, Brenda Altmeier, Jim Clupper, Dan Gallagher, Gail Swanson, Hibbard Casselberry and Jack Burrie, to help save and preserve the six reef lighthouses that mark the 3rd largest reef in the world. The mission includes establishing a regional lighthouse museum and archive; promote preservation; support the Un
06/08/2026
Today is World Ocean Day. The theme this year is 'Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet'. Did you know that all six of the reef lights, and four of the unmanned reef lights, fall within protected areas of the Florida Keys?
Five of the six reef lights, and three of the unmanned lights, fall within the boundary of the NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and one reef light, and one unmanned light, falls within the Biscayne National Park Boundary.
05/10/2026
Happy birthday to Augustin Fresnel! Born May 10, 1788, the French engineer and physicist revolutionized lighthouses with his improvement on the lens.
05/04/2026
Today marks the anniversary of the death of Jefferson Beale Browne in 1937. Born on June 6th, 1857 in Key West, Mr. Browne got his first job after graduating high school as the assistant lighthouse keeper at Fowey Rocks. While stationed there, 1878 to 1879, Mr. Browne used the down time to study the law. He eventually received a degree from the University of Iowa. Browne was elected to the Florida Supreme Court in 1916, served from January 2, 1917 to January 1923 as Chief Justice and from January 1923 to May 20, 1925 as an Associate Justice. He also wrote a history of Key West, 'Key West: The Old and the New' which was published in 1912.
Jefferson Browne died on May 4, 1937 and is buried in the Key West Cemetery, Lot 170, Tract 7.
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