In 1966, a small area of the coast of Ocho Rios was declared a protected area. This was the original study site of Dr. Thomas Goreau, a world famous marine Biologist and founder of the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory. After years of lobbying by Friends of the Sea (JA) the boundaries of this protected area was expanded in November 1999 to cover a much larger area. The extended boundaries of the Ocho Rios Marine Protected Area extend from the shoreline boundary of Mammee Bay and Drax Hall in the west, to Frankfort Point in the east and north to a depth of one thousand (1000) Metres.