+About Us

The Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition (BBMHC) is a group of independent volunteers (our “Steering Committee”) committed to promoting a healthy Biscayne Bay. We collaborate with local government agencies, academic institutions, businesses and nonprofits in order to achieve our goals.

+ Government Policy & Recommendations

1. Establish Permanent Biscayne Bay Restoration Authority using working groups to:
   • Serve as collaborative entity and advocate for Biscayne Bay health and restoration
   • Restore Water Quality
   • Develop Restoration Action Plan
   • Implement best fast tract option of a TDML, BB MAP or RAP
   • Development of mechanics to support/implement Summits
2. Develop and Implement a Public Outreach & Education Campaign that will:
   • Identify and leverage local leadership
   • Deploy effective messaging
   • Communicate
     • Drinking water risks
     • Importance of Resilience
     • Bay Health Report Card Updates with data points across time
3. Encourage Short-term Actions that Promise Results, such as:
   • Model municipal ordinances that can be implemented and shared with other local municipalities.
   • Authorization of Dedicated Funding for a Biscayne Bay Enhancement Trust Fund: Example: Biscayne Bay License Plate.
   • Other shovel-ready innovative engineering infrastructure projects to enhance support living shorelines and coastal resilience

+ Infrastructure & Public Works

1. Create Reasonable Assurance Plan (RAP), Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP), or equivalent
   • Establish regional water quality goals and pollution reduction targets
   • Implement plan
   • Restoration projects
2. Prevent nutrients and trash from exiting stormwater systems
   • Identify and address existing nutrient and trash hotspots
   • Cleaning of storm drain systems
   • Implement storm drain pollution prevention technologies
3. Address canals as large conveyors of pollution
4. Fix sewer and septic systems
   • Increase sewer fees
   • Upgrade outdated infrastructure
   • Transition off septic
5. Prioritize living shorelines and living seawalls over traditional seawall replacements

+ Education & Outreach

The Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit Education and Outreach Committee recommends to the Miami-Dade County Biscayne Bay Task Force and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners to pass or execute policy related to the following motions for resolutions and ordinances:

1. Declare Biscayne Bay an Environmental Health Emergency.
2. Increase the budgets for the enforcement of current laws that protect Miami Dade County coastal communities, Biscayne Bay and associated spoil islands.
3. Approve an environmental education grant agreement in the amount of $2 million to focus on Biscayne Bay Health.
4. Create the Biscayne Bay Marine Health Community Coalition to help advance all sustainable programs in support of Biscayne Bay Health in Miami Dade County.
5. Create a committee focused on education and volunteer opportunities related to Biscayne Bay Health.
6. Mandate an environmental sustainability best practices for all events on public properties.
7. Mandate an oil spill kit on every recreational maritime vessel.

+ Research & Research Needs

1. Conduct a socioeconomic study of Biscayne Bay ecosystem services.
2. Secure “bold” institutional support for research coordination, implementation and application including interdisciplinary research and data infrastructure:
   • Create “a world-class research and monitoring system for a world-class city” that is proactive, preventative,anticipatory and equitable.
3. Prioritize Biscayne Bay research and monitoring using a community resilience lens and quality of life outcomes:
   • Public health-focused research and monitoring outcomes – examples: increased temporal and spatial frequency of nearshore and real-time monitoring of contaminants of concern, beach closures, infrastructure failure incl. septic, metals, water quality (nutrients, coliform) and circulation/dispersion of those contaminants from the source; relate to hospitalizations and other health indicators; pollution affecting consumed recreational/commercial fish
   • Economic-focused research and monitoring outcomes – examples: toxic algae/pathogens/water quality and perception e.g., translating real-time monitoring to communication campaigns – SE Florida is open for business and your health is not at risk; value of recreational fisheries and water quality/bacteria impact; real estate/property values, hospitality and tourism industry and water quality/bacteria impact; direct BB-based jobs e.g., ecotourism, water taxi
   • Recreation-focused research and monitoring outcomes (interrelated with economy and health) – examples: plastics and polluted water destroy aesthetics and ability to connect with nature; quality time spent kayaking, snorkeling, paddle boarding, boating with friends and family depend on good water quality, to view productive seagrass and benthic/marine organisms and how these organisms are affected by pollution; management plan that connects coastal habitat degradation and loss with waterway/shoreline access
4. Create a Living laboratory for Bay health:
   • Train and inspire the next generation of scientists, eco-engineers and environmental stewards through sustainable/resilient policies, business practices, etc.