ISLAMORADA — Law enforcement officers in the Florida Keys are investigating a $1 million underwater heist — of rocks.

Sometime in the past 18 months, Miami boat captain Neal Novak told investigators someone stole about 300,000 pounds of decorative live rock he had planned to harvest for salt-water aquariums and reef tanks at his aqua farm three miles offshore of Islamorada.

在过去18个月里，船长Miami 船长Neal Novak告诉调节器查人员，有人偷了它300,000磅(136077KG)已经养好的活石，这些活石本应卖给鱼友，并躺在珊瑚缸或者海水缸中，但就是在离海岸线3英里的地方Islamorada(福罗里达的一个列岛)被偷了

”As far as I know, this is a first in the Keys,” said officer Bobby Dube, spokesman for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission for more than 20 years. “We've caught people bringing in live rock, but not stealing from someone's aqua farm.”

“这是第一个案例“，在野生动物佛罗里达州委员会工作了将近20年的Bobby Dube说到，”我们正在逮捕一些售卖活石的人，但这些人并不是那个偷窃者.”

The live rock — made by placing rock on the ocean floor where it becomes home to coral and plant life — sells for about $3 per pound wholesale and $8 per pound retail, making his loss approximately $1 million to $2 million, Novak said.

“活石，放在海床养一段时间然后就可以带到家里的珊瑚缸中，大约批发价每磅(0.45kg) 3美圆，零售价约8美圆一磅,我大约损失接近一百万和两百万美园” Novak如是说

”It's a pretty good haul if someone gets away with it,” Dube said. “Unless we get a tip or lead, it will be a tough case to solve.”

”这个小偷可真是赚翻了，如果他能成功逃脱的话“ Dube说，“除非有一些线索，否则这个案件非常难破”

Novak, 51, said he is devastated.

51岁的Novak这次基本上是破产了

”I've lost my livelihood,” he said Tuesday from his home in Cutler Ridge. “I put over $100,000 into the company and now I might have to go bankrupt.”

“我的生计没了”Novak星期二在家里说，”我投资了$10万美金在我的公司，现在我不得不破产”

Novak, a captain for TowBoatU.S., said he started the live rock harvesting company in 2005. It took six months to obtain a federal permit from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a one-acre leased aqua farm.

Novak 一个船长，他2005年开始做活石生意,他用了6个月时间获得国际海洋和大气管理局发给他的联邦许可证,允许他使用一英亩的海域做活石厂

Karrie Carnes, spokeswoman for the Florida Keys Natitmenal Marine Sanctuary, where the aqua farm was located, confirmed Novak had a permit.

”It's fishy nobody saw 300,000 pounds of rock being removed,” she said.

海洋保护协会代言人Karrie Carnes,最终发证件给Novak的人,她说到”就在眼皮底下，30万磅的活石居然不翼而飞，真是不可思议”,

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is investigating along with FWC. The crime is grand larceny of farm animal aquaculture species, a third-degree felony.

司法长官对此案非常重视，因为涉案物品价值已经达到一个大案要案的级别

Novak said it took him 2 ? years to place the rock in the 20 feet of water.

Novak说，他用了两年半时间才将所有的活石放到有6米多深的海里去

The rock — a high quality Florida aquifer rock that looks like Swiss cheese — was acquired from a Homestead quarry. He bought a flatbed truck to transport the rock and a special boat designed to hold the large amount of weight. The boat also contained two salt water holding tanks to transport the live rock.

这些石头是高质量的加里亚福州活石，就像瑞士芝士，这些石头都是从采石床拿来了，他买了辆铲车用来运石头,并且还买了一个特殊的超大载量的船,船上还有两个大缸装着海水

When taken from the quarry, the rock is light yellow, white or brown. After three to five years in the clear, mostly nutrient-free water off Islamorada, the rocks turn purple and are full of life.

刚开始从采石床拿的石头是淡黄色，白色或者是灰色，在这两到五年里，Islamorada清切的海水让这些石头变成粉红色,并带着大量的生命

”Coralline algae, feather dusters, sponges — all kinds of life grow on them,” Novak said.

海藻,海绵，所有生物都附在那，Novaku

The last time he checked on the aqua farm was about 1 ? years ago, when he took a sample.

上一次他检查活石的时间已经是一年半之前

”I should have checked on them more, but I had to care for my parents,” he said.

“我应该经常检查一下,但我不得不照顾我的双亲”他说到

In the meantime, he set up his home for the sale of the live rock, purchasing five tanks that could hold a total of 1,400 gallons of salt water. He planned to sell the harvest on the Internet or to pet stores and other aquarium suppliers.

同时,他已经在家里设置了5个能容纳 5600L的缸来装活石,然后打算在互联网或宠物袋,还有水族店出售这些活石

Novak said he never thought anyone would steal 150 tons of submerged rock in an area used by recreational divers near about seven other aqua farms.

他从来没有想过,会用人用一些普通的潜水器材,将150吨的活石从海里偷走,而且附件还有另外7个活石陪育场

He discovered the theft May 13, when he and his wife made the trip to the aqua farm to begin the harvest. The rocks were not insured.

在五月13号,他和她的太太去收割活石的时候发现,要知道,这些石头都是没有买保险的

”About 30 to 50,000 pounds are left, basically just rubble left in the sand,” he said. “That's all I have left of five years of work. It's financially ruined me.”

“大约还有30磅到5万磅,剩下的大多数是碎石”,他说到,”我这五年的投入全完了,这次的事件彻底将我打跨”

Anyone with information about this case should contact FWC, the Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers of the Florida Keys. Tipsters may remain anonymous and may receive a reward if their information leads to an arrest. Tips can be submitted online at www.tipsubmit.com or called in to the Crime Stoppers hot line at 1-800-346-TIPS.

如果任何人知道相关的信息或者线索,请到举报到福利罗州,电话热线是1-800-346,或者在网上 www.tipsubmit.com 举报

Novak站在死石前面的照片，这些石头都是准备放在海里陪育个3,5年

Novake设定好的缸，准备放海里捞上来的活石，赚一笔,但现在梦已破碎

就在离这个灯塔附件，就是活石养殖场

经过海水洗礼3,5年后，死石就会变成一块真正的活石，附带大量的藻和微生物