Hundreds of divers and snorkelers have listened to an underwater concert that advocated coral reef protection in the Florida Keys.
The Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival, which also spotlighted eco-conscious diving, took place at Looe Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary located about six miles south of Big Pine Key.
Participants swam among Looe Key’s colourful marine life and coral formations while listening to water-themed music broadcast by a local radio station.
The music was piped undersea through waterproof speakers suspended beneath boats above the reef.
Tunes were interspersed with diver awareness messages about ways to minimise environmental impacts on the world’s coral reefs, whose rich biodiversity has led them to be called the rainforests of the sea.
While the festival’s primary purpose was to encourage reef preservation, it also afforded a singular underwater experience.
The four-hour musical event was staged by local radio station 104.1 FM and the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce.
