KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of marine protected areas

Learn the wildlife of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

FL

3,730 species have research-grade observations in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, from fish and seabirds to the life along the shore.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis2,208
  2. White Ibis Eudocimus albus1,723
  3. Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus1,670
  4. Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla1,337
  5. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias1,049
  6. Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens1,041
  7. Double-crested Cormorant Nannopterum auritum948
  8. White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala863
  9. Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum854
  10. Great Egret Ardea alba653

Plants

  1. Sea grape Coccoloba uvifera1,477
  2. Red mangrove Rhizophora mangle1,459
  3. Green Buttonwood Conocarpus erectus1,341
  4. Poisonwood Metopium toxiferum957
  5. Gumbo Limbo Bursera simaruba778
  6. Sea lavender Tournefortia gnaphalodes731
  7. Jamaican dogwood Piscidia piscipula610
  8. Black mangrove Avicennia germinans600
  9. Baycedar Suriana maritima549
  10. Pigeon Plum Coccoloba diversifolia533

Mammals

  1. White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus2,059
  2. West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus852
  3. Common Raccoon Procyon lotor471
  4. Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis410
  5. Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana359
  6. Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus159
  7. Coyote Canis latrans102
  8. Domestic Cat Felis catus77

Insects

  1. Julia Heliconian Dryas iulia702
  2. Seaside Dragonlet Erythrodiplax berenice682
  3. Florida Hammock Skipper Polygonus histrio627
  4. Cassius Blue Leptotes cassius610
  5. Mangrove Skipper Phocides batabano582
  6. Band-winged Dragonlet Erythrodiplax umbrata477
  7. Gulf Fritillary Dione vanillae448
  8. Large Orange Sulphur Phoebis agarithe443
  9. Florida Duskywing Ephyriades brunnea411
  10. Florida Purplewing Eunica tatila337

Spiders and kin

  1. Golden Silk Spider Trichonephila clavipes1,118
  2. Spinybacked Orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis876
  3. Silver Garden Orbweaver Argiope argentata497
  4. Florida Tailless Whipscorpion Phrynus marginemaculatus154
  5. Tropical Orbweaver Eriophora ravilla119
  6. Keys Bark Scorpion Centruroides guanensis92
  7. Slender Brown Scorpion Centruroides gracilis88
  8. Leucauge argyra73
  9. Gray Wall Jumping Spider Menemerus bivittatus68

Reptiles

  1. Green Iguana Iguana iguana4,017
  2. Northern Curly-tailed Lizard Leiocephalus carinatus3,669
  3. Brown Anole Anolis sagrei3,010
  4. Peters's Rock Agama Agama picticauda652
  5. Green Anole Anolis carolinensis469
  6. Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia447
  7. North American Racer Coluber constrictor426
  8. American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis425
  9. Bark Anole Anolis distichus374
  10. Common Box Turtle Terrapene carolina309

Fish

  1. Gray Snapper Lutjanus griseus1,337
  2. Great Barracuda Sphyraena barracuda1,306
  3. Bluestriped Grunt Haemulon sciurus1,090
  4. Atlantic Sergeant Major Abudefduf saxatilis1,065
  5. Atlantic Tarpon Megalops atlanticus1,056
  6. Rainbow Parrotfish Scarus guacamaia880
  7. Stoplight Parrotfish Sparisoma viride829
  8. Yellowtail Snapper Ocyurus chrysurus772
  9. Schoolmaster Snapper Lutjanus apodus678
  10. Atlantic Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleus661

Mollusks

  1. Florida Tree Snail Liguus fasciatus1,061
  2. Lettuce Sea Slug Elysia crispata441
  3. West Indian Fuzzy Chiton Acanthopleura granulata396
  4. Queen Conch Aliger gigas386
  5. True Tulip Fasciolaria tulipa342
  6. Cuban Brown Snail Zachrysia provisoria323
  7. Grey Cerion Cerion incanum273
  8. Four-toothed Nerite Nerita versicolor235
  9. Spotted seahare Aplysia dactylomela199
  10. Banded Tree Snail Orthalicus floridensis186

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with NOAA or any area's managers. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.