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Molasses Reef is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). An unmanned reef light is located near the reef. On August 4, 1984, the motor vessel ''Wellwood'', a 122-meter freighter carrying pelletized chicken feed, ran aground on Molasses Reef. The total destruction from the grounding included 5,805 square meters of living corals and injury to 75,000 square meters of reef habitat. The vessel was removed by the US Coast Guard. NOAA coordinated an effort to restore damage to the reef, by placing reef modules in the injured areas to provide a substrate for new coral colonization. Biological restoration took place using transplants from Pickles Reef and the facilitation of coral larval settlement. NOAA settled a claim worth $6.275 million with the responsible parties, the ''Wellwood'' Shipping Company (owner of the vessel) and the Hanseatic Shipping Company (shipping management company), in 1986, and all payments to NOAA were completed by 2001.〔(''Wellwood'' Coral Reef Restoration Project ), accessed 12 January 2011〕 Molasses Reef is popular scuba diving and snorkeling location with numerous dive sites marked by mooring buoys. One notable site is at buoy #7 and is variously referred to as the ''Winch Hole'', ''Windlass Wreck'', or ''The Winch''. Here lies the large mechanical winch from the ''Slobadana'', a 170 foot wooden hulled schooner that sank in 1887 after only three years in service. In addition to the winch itself, various mechanical artifacts are scattered over the nearby area. Also, large coral formations with (relatively) deep channels between them make this a popular dive location. Approximate coordinates: ==Gallery== Image:Pennekamp Fish 1.jpg|A Midnight Parrotfish and a yellowtail snapper swimming on Molasses Reef Image:Pennekamp Coral.jpg|Various soft corals at Molasses Reef Image:Molasses11.jpg|Elkhorn coral (''Acropora palmata'') with white spot disease at Molasses Reef in March 2008 Image:Molasses14.jpg|Various fish species (Chubs, Blue Chromis, Sergeant majors, Bar Jacks) at Molasses Reef Image:Molasses90.jpg|The winch from the ''Slobadana'' sank on Molasses Reef in 1887 Image:Montastraea_annularis_Molasses_reef_FL.jpg|''Montastraea annularis'' at Molasses Reef, March 2008 Image:Trumpetfish Molasses Reef.jpg|Trumpetfish (''Aulostomus maculatus'') at Molasses Reef, March 2008 Image:Unknown Artifact at Molasses Reef.jpg|Unknown Artifact at Molasses Reef 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Molasses Reef」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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