KEY WEST, Florida Keys -- A new high-speed law enforcement vessel, to patrol the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, was dedicated April 11 in Key West.

The 57-foot Peter Gladding is a Teknicraft hydrofoil-assisted, aluminum-hulled catamaran powered by Detroit Diesel engines and propelled by Hamilton water jets. The $1.8 million vessel operates with a top speed of almost 50 mph and has a fuel capacity of 1,000 gallons.

It has the capability of performing an emergency stop, decelerating from 50 mph to a full stop (see video clip at lower right) in about two boat lengths.

It will primarily be used for enforcement in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, situated about 70 miles west of Key West in the Dry Tortugas National Park.

The vessel is named the Peter Gladding, in honor of a longtime Key West-based commercial fisherman and conservationist who helped establish the reserve.

The Gladding's shallow draft and low wake make it ideal for patrol in shallow coral reef, seagrass and coral reef areas. A low boarding area and state-of-the-art electronic joystick control system will allow officers to safely inspect vessels and perform emergency response. The vessel will conduct multiple day patrols with a crew of four officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"It's a boat that will reach out there," said Billy Causey. superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. "The boat can spin on a dime and move in ways that no other vessel can."

Established in 2001, the Tortugas Ecological Reserve protects 151 square nautical miles in two sections. Tortugas North encompasses 90 square-nautical-miles of deep coral reefs, and Tortugas South, 60 square-nautical-miles that includes critical spawning grounds for commercially and recreationally important species of reef fish.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 2,896 square nautical miles of critical marine habitat, including coral reef, hard bottom, seagrass meadows, mangrove communities and sand flats.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the state of Florida manage the sanctuary. Through a cooperative agreement between NOAA and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a team of 17 officers enforces sanctuary regulations, working in partnership with the NOAA law enforcement, the United States Coast Guard, national and state park service rangers and local authorities.