The Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition is a coalition of volunteers working collaboratively with government agencies, academic institutions, businesses and nonprofits dedicated to advocating solutions for a healthy and resilient Biscayne Bay watershed. BISCAYNE BAY MARINE SUMMIT
MAY 2017
Biscayne Bay and adjoining waters are among Miami-Dade’s most outstanding natural resources: shallow, clear water, seagrass meadows and coastal wetlands provide habitat for fish and wildlife, buffer the coast against storm erosion, support boating and other water-related recreational activities, and generates over $6 billion per year of economic benefit. Most of Biscayne Bay is designated as a State Aquatic Preserve or is part of Biscayne National Park, and it has been said that Biscayne Bay is South Florida’s “Central Park.” Nonetheless, the Bay is extremely vulnerable to human activities. Due to the tremendous population growth Miami-Dade has experienced during the last few decades, the Bay is being impacted by a staggering amount of marine debris, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, motor oil and, occasionally, sewer waters. Several government agencies and community organizations have documented, for many years, the severity of this ecological adversity that threatens the health of this important natural resource. Some of these agencies / organizations, with the help from community volunteers, have organized small and large-scale cleanups of the Bay’s shoreline in order to minimize the impacts from marine debris on this delicate ecosystem. And this is why we are coordinating the first-ever Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit: to bring together non-profit organizations, government agencies from all levels, elected officials, educational institutions, as well as private businesses to work together and create a comprehensive Action Plan that will address, for the next 25 years, the health concerns of Biscayne Bay due to the impact of the continuous flow of debris and other pollutants into the Bay. The Summit’s main goal is to coordinate and share resources from all entities involved in order to work on effective solutions that will include prevention and education, engineering and design improvements, enforcement of existing laws or creation of new ones, maintenance, and waste/recycling removal processes – including community cleanups. For these reasons we need everyone’s support and involvement. Please contact Luiz Rodrigues at 786.853.1855 or at [email protected] if you are interested in participating in the Summit (location is TBA) in May of 2016 as an attendee, a panelist, a speaker, an exhibitor or a sponsor. Some of the agencies that are already involved are: Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Miami-Dade County, FIU, City of Miami Beach, City of Miami, Miami-Dade County Environmental Resources Management, Biscayne National Park, Miami Science Museum, the Environmental Coalition of Miami & the Beaches (ECOMB), Tropical Audubon Society, Perez Art Museum Miami, Florida State Representative David Richardson, Eco-Logical Solutions, and many others.
