| | Science | Fisheries | Management |
|---|
| 1970 | | - Rock shrimp splitter invented (1969)
- First trawlers work Cones & Steeples areas (1969)
| |
| 1977 | Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution scientists explore the Cones, describe Oculina bioherms (Avent et al., 1977) | | |
| 1981 | - Scientists describe geology of shelf–edge reefs and how Oculina bioherms form (Milliman, 1981).
- HBOI dives describe coral ecology (Reed, 1981).
| | |
| 1984 | | - Modified Lathram machine for peeling rock shrimp.
- Large Gulf boats move east and target fishery
| OHAPC, 315 km², closed to trawls and dredges. 
|
| 1986 | | Gag grouper landings off Canaveral = 50,000 lbs. 
| |
| 1991 | - Gag grouper landings off Canaveral = 70,000 lbs.
- Rock shrimp landings off Canaveral = 40 million lbs.
| | |
| 1994 | | | OHAPC Marine Protected Area closed to bottom fishing |
| 1995 | Four NURC–sponsored submersible dives made at Jeff’s Reef 
| Gag grouper landings off Canaveral drop to 700 lbs. | |
| 1997 | Reef restoration structures deployed in OHAPC by Koenig et al. 
| | |
| 2000 | | | OHAPC expanded to 1,029 km², closed to bottom fishing |
| 2001 | NOAA’s Islands in the Stream Expedition — submersible and ROV dives in the OHAPC (Koenig et al. 2004) | - 1.5 million lbs. rock shrimp landed in Canaveral
- 30,000 lbs. gag grouper landed off Canaveral
| |
| 2002 | First multibeam map inside OHAPC and Oculina GIS created | | |
| 2003 | - NURC ROV dives ground–truth multibeam map
- Brooke (2003) describes Oculina reproductive biology
| | Closure extended indefinitely |
| 2005 | NURC multibeam survey and ROV dives | | SAFMC posts Oculina Closed Area Evaluation Plan |