Once every three years, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) must conduct a comprehensive review of all water quality standards for the state. This review is called a Triennial Review— AND IT’S HAPPENING NOW!
Miami Waterkeeper is taking this opportunity to raise concerns about turbidity impacts on coral reefs — and we need you to join us!
A huge plume of sediment produced during the Port of Miami dredging project. This suspended sediment eventually settled on corals and smothered them.
Here’s the deal:
- FDEP has a water quality standard for turbidity, but it’s currently too high and still allows corals to be smothered during construction projects like dredging
- Miami Waterkeeper thinks that this standard should be lower (more strict) in waters with corals and seagrass
- FDEP has drafted a much better standard that will do more to protect our reefs and we need you to tell them you think this new standard is important!
Want to help protect our reefs? Make a public comment!
On Wednesday, November 6, 2019, at 9 am, FDEP will be hosting a workshop at Nova Southeastern University’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography (8000 N. Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL) where you can raise your concerns about turbidity impacts on corals. Simply click HERE and download our list of suggested talking points for help on what to say.
We need you to show up and speak up for our coral reefs!
Corals are experiencing a myriad of threats from warming oceans, water pollution, ocean acidification, disease, coastal construction, and more. Imposing stricter standards on turbidity would allow us to address a factor threatening corals that is more immediately within our control. Dredging disasters, like that which happened in the PortMiami expansion project, could be avoided with more protective turbidity limits.
Can’t make it to the in-person comment? We encourage you to send an email to FDEP asking for stronger water quality protections for our corals.
FDEP Contacts:
Originally published at https://www.miamiwaterkeeper.org/triennial_review_of_surface_water_quality_standards_public_comment