Underwater music show in the Florida Keys promotes awareness of coral reef protection

BIG PINE KEY, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of divers and snorkelers listened to an underwater concert that advocated coral reef protection in the Florida Keys. Saturday’s Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival also spotlighted eco-conscious diving. It took place at Looe Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary located about 6 miles south of Big Pine Key. Established in 1990, the sanctuary protects 3,800 square miles of waters including the barrier reef that parallels the 125-mile-long island chain. Participants swam among Looe Key’s colorful marine life and coral formations while listening to water-themed music piped undersea through waterproof speakers suspended beneath boats above the reef.