Offshore wind projects dominate federal fish habitat conservation work

Florida Politics reported on how a surge of offshore wind consultations is pulling NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast habitat experts away from Florida projects — even as the controversial Port Everglades dredge looms as a top priority. NOAA advisory panel chair Cindy Cooksey noted it carries “the largest amount of impacts to coral and hard bottom habitat ever authorized for U.S. waters,” more than 150 acres, echoing Miami Waterkeeper’s warning that the project would dredge “directly adjacent to or on top of the Florida reef tract.”