Research on reef fish spawning aggregations in the Florida Keys spans several decades and illustrates the parallel evolution of technology and collaboration among research partners. Over time, advances such as hydroacoustic surveys, remote video monitoring, telemetry arrays, and autonomous underwater vehicles have greatly enhanced the spatial and temporal resolution of aggregation studies. Despite these innovations, maintaining long-term, standardized datasets across the region remains a persistent challenge. Shifting management priorities and inconsistent funding have led to uneven sampling intensity among aggregation sites, resulting in data gaps—particularly in long-term biomass and behavioral trends. Here, we synthesize the historical and ongoing research on fish spawning aggregations throughout the Florida Keys, detailing focal species, geographic coverage, participating partners, and the suite of technologies employed through time. We also describe how select datasets, such as those from Riley’s Hump and Western Dry Rocks, have directly informed fisheries management actions. Finally, we identify opportunities to strengthen data continuity, standardization, and integration of emerging technologies to advance adaptive management of these critical reproductive habitats.