Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper Inc

IN 2023, BISCAYNE BAY WATERKEEPER (D/B/A MIAMI WATERKEEPER) BUILT ON OUR REPUTATION BY NAVIGATING CHALLENGES, SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONTINUING OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING OUR PRECIOUS WATERWAYS AND FINDING LOCAL RESILIENCY SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES. WE UPDATED OUR MISSION AND VISION TO BETTER REFLECT THE WORK WE DO AND THOSE WE SERVE. THE MISSION OF MIAMI WATERKEEPER IS NOW TO PROTECT SOUTH FLORIDA'S WATERS BY ADVOCATING FOR RESILIENT SOLUTIONS GROUNDED IN SCIENCE, ROOTED IN NATURE, AND DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A VISION FOR A RESILIENT SOUTH FLORIDA THAT IS A GLOBAL LEADER IN CLEAN WATER SOLUTIONS, WHERE THRIVING COMMUNITIES AND NATURE COEXIST. SINCE 2010, MIAMI WATERKEEPER HAS DEFENDED THE RIGHT TO USE AND ENJOY CLEAN WATER. WE ARE RECOGNIZED IN THE COMMUNITY AS A TRUSTED SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND A LEADING VOICE AND ADVOCATE FOR BISCAYNE BAY AND ITS SURROUNDING WATERSHED. OUR WORK IS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE WE EMPLOY A MULTI- FACETED APPROACH THAT INCLUDES SCIEN

IN 2023, BISCAYNE BAY WATERKEEPER (D/B/A MIAMI WATERKEEPER) BUILT ON OUR REPUTATION BY NAVIGATING CHALLENGES, SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONTINUING OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING OUR PRECIOUS WATERWAYS AND FINDING LOCAL RESILIENCY SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES. WE UPDATED OUR MISSION AND VISION TO BETTER REFLECT THE WORK WE DO AND THOSE WE SERVE. THE MISSION OF MIAMI WATERKEEPER IS NOW TO PROTECT SOUTH FLORIDA'S WATERS BY ADVOCATING FOR RESILIENT SOLUTIONS GROUNDED IN SCIENCE, ROOTED IN NATURE, AND DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A VISION FOR A RESILIENT SOUTH FLORIDA THAT IS A GLOBAL LEADER IN CLEAN WATER SOLUTIONS, WHERE THRIVING COMMUNITIES AND NATURE COEXIST. SINCE 2010, MIAMI WATERKEEPER HAS DEFENDED THE RIGHT TO USE AND ENJOY CLEAN WATER. WE ARE RECOGNIZED IN THE COMMUNITY AS A TRUSTED SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND A LEADING VOICE AND ADVOCATE FOR BISCAYNE BAY AND ITS SURROUNDING WATERSHED. OUR WORK IS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE WE EMPLOY A MULTI- FACETED APPROACH THAT INCLUDES SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, ADVOCACY, COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, AND WHEN NECESSARY, LEGAL ACTION. THROUGH OUR EFFORTS, WE PROTECT A HEALTHY WATERSHED AND A VIBRANT COASTAL CULTURE IN SOUTH FLORIDA FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. MIAMI WATERKEEPER FOCUSES ON THREE MAIN AREAS: CLEAN WATER, ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION, AND SEA LEVEL RISE RESILIENCY. FIRST, WE TACKLE ISSUES OF POLLUTION TO ENSURE CLEAN WATER THROUGHOUT THE BISCAYNE BAY WATERSHED, FROM THE EVERGLADES TO OUR CORAL REEFS. SECOND, WE PROTECT THE ECOSYSTEMS THAT DEPEND ON THAT CLEAN WATER, INCLUDING CORALS, SEAGRASSES, AND MANGROVES. FINALLY, WE FOCUS ON SEA LEVEL RISE RESILIENCY, WHICH IMPACTS ALL AREAS OF OUR WORK. WE EMPLOY A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO EACH FOCUS AREA: SCIENCE AND RESEARCH EVERYTHING WE DO STARTS WITH SCIENCE. WE ANALYZE EXISTING RESEARCH AND LEAD LARGE-SCALE NOVEL RESEARCH PROJECTS TO FILL IN KNOWLEDGE GAPS. WE ALSO VISIT OVER 30 LOCATIONS ACROSS MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD COUNTIES EVERY WEEK TO COLLECT AND ANALYZE WATER QUALITY FROM YOUR FAVORITE WATERWAYS AND BEACHES, SO THAT WE CAN INFORM THE PUBLIC IN REAL-TIME ON WHERE IT'S SAFE TO SWIM AND ENJOY THE WATER. IN 2023, WE ENHANCED OUR WATER QUALITY TESTING CAPACITY WITH THE ADDITION OF AERIAL AND UNDERWATER DRONES TO OUR POLLUTION REPORTING AND RESPONSE PROGRAM. THIS UPGRADE NOT ONLY AUGMENTED OUR ABILITY TO DETECT POLLUTION BUT ALSO EMPOWERED US TO VISUALLY DOCUMENT POLLUTION INCIDENTS AND HOLD THOSE RESPONSIBLE ACCOUNTABLE. ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES OF 2023 WAS THE CONFIRMATION OF THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF THE PORTMIAMI PHASE III DREDGING PROJECT ON OUR CORAL REEFS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. OUR RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY, DATING BACK TO 2014, LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR THIS CRUCIAL REVELATION, SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE TRAGIC LOSS OF LIKELY MILLIONS OF CORALS AND THE DEGRADATION OF 278 ACRES OF REEF HABITAT. THIS REPORT NOT ONLY UNDERSCORES THE URGENCY OF OUR MISSION BUT VALIDATES OUR RESEARCH AND CATALYZES EFFORTS FOR THE MITIGATION AND PROTECTION OF OUR REEFS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND RESILIENT SOLUTIONS THAT ARE GROUNDED IN SCIENCE, ROOTED IN NATURE, AND DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY. POLICY AND LEGAL ADVOCACY BACKED BY SCIENCE, WE DEVELOP POLICY GOALS TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY. FROM GRASSROOTS TO GRASSTOPS, WE ENGAGE THE PUBLIC, GARNER THEIR SUPPORT, AND WORK WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND GOVERNMENT TO INSTILL LEGISLATION THAT ENSURES CLEAN WATER AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY. WHEN NECESSARY, WE PURSUE LITIGATION AGAINST VIOLATIONS OF KEY ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, LIKE THE CLEAN WATER ACT AND THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. ONE OF OUR "WATER WINS" FROM 2023 INCLUDES THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) PROPOSING UPDATES TO ITS RULES FOR EVALUATING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AT ALL NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS - AN OUTCOME DIRECTLY INFLUENCED BY OUR EFFORTS AT SOUTH FLORIDA'S TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. THESE CHANGES NOW REQUIRE NRC STAFF TO WEIGH CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE WHEN THEY RE-LICENSE PLANTS FOR LONGER OPERATING TERMS. ANOTHER "WATER WIN" FROM 2023 WAS THE RESULT OF MIAMI WATERKEEPER RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED CANCER RISK FROM EATING FLORIDA SEAFOOD AND DISPROPORTIONATELY HARMING TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND THE FISHING COMMUNITIES WHO DEPEND ON IT. IN 2023, THE EPA AGREED WITH US, FINDING FLORIDA'S STANDARDS OUTDATED. THEY ORDERED STRICTER RULES TO PROTECT OUR WATERS, AND ON DECEMBER 1ST, THE EPA PROPOSED NEW RULES BASED ON THE LATEST SCIENCE. IF APPROVED, THE PROPOSED RULES WILL PROTECT THE HEALTH OF FLORIDIANS AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE WATER IN WHICH WE FISH AND RECREATE. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH OUR WORK ALWAYS COMES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. WE MAKE IT EASY FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE HEARD THROUGH OUR ADVOCACY PLATFORM; WE PROVIDE TRAINING ON HOW TO OBSERVE AND REPORT POLLUTION THROUGH OUR 1,000 EYES ON THE WATER PROGRAM; WE DEVELOP HIGH SCHOOLERS INTO ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS THROUGH OUR JUNIOR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM; WE EDUCATE YOUTH THROUGH FLOATING CLASSROOMS AND YOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION (YEA) DAYS; AND WE ENGAGE VOLUNTEERS IN HABITAT RESTORATIONS, KAYAK CLEANUPS, AND SHORE-BASED MARINE DEBRIS CLEANUPS. IN 2023, WE SAW RECORD NUMBERS FOR OUR PROGRAMS THE INCREASING ENTHUSIASM FROM YOUNG LEADERS LOOKING TO GET INVOLVED WITH OUR ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO GROW, WITH OVER 90 APPLICANTS FOR THE JUNIOR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM - SO WE ACCEPTED OUR LARGEST COHORT EVER WITH 35 JUNIOR AMBASSADORS AND SEVEN (7) JA LEADERSHIP BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE 2023-2024 ACADEMIC YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY CLEANUP INITIATIVES, WE REMOVED A STAGGERING 6,996 POUNDS OF MARINE DEBRIS FROM BEACHES, BAYS, RIVERS, AND COASTAL AREAS THIS IS AN IMPRESSIVE INCREASE FROM THE 2,362 POUNDS OF TRASH REMOVED THE PREVIOUS YEAR. BY MOBILIZING AND EDUCATING RESIDENTS, OUR CLEANUP EFFORTS HAVE EXPANDED IN BOTH SCOPE AND IMPACT. FINALLY, WE ARE PIONEERING INNOVATIVE DESIGNS TO COMBAT HEAT, IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, AND MITIGATE FLOODING WHILE IMPROVING HABITAT - SHOWCASING THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE ACTION IN BUILDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS. THIS WORK FOCUSES ON ONGOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND IS AIDED BY AN INTERACTIVE ONLINE COMMUNITY INPUT TOOL THAT SOLICITS NOMINATIONS OF SITES FOR REVITALIZATION WITH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN UNDERUTILIZED PUBLIC SPACES, SUCH AS PARKING LOTS, SWALES, AND CANAL BANKS. ORGANIZATIONAL RECOGNITION ELEVATE PRIZE IN 2023, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & WATERKEEPER, RACHEL SILVERSTEIN, PH.D., WAS ANNOUNCED AS A WINNER OF THE ELEVATE PRIZE. BEYOND THE UNRESTRICTED FUNDING PROVIDED TO MIAMI WATERKEEPER BY THE ELEVATE PRIZE FOUNDATION, RACHEL JOINED AN INCREDIBLE COHORT OF 12 NONPROFIT LEADERS WHO HAVE BEEN RECEIVING TAILORED RESOURCES FROM THE ELEVATE TEAM FOR TWO YEARS. THE ELEVATE PRIZE IS AN ANNUAL AWARD AND SIGNATURE PROGRAM OF THE ELEVATE PRIZE FOUNDATION THAT RECOGNIZES LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE FOR THEIR IMPACT -- PROVIDING FUNDING, GREATER VISIBILITY, AND TAILORED RESOURCES TO HELP EXPAND AND AMPLIFY THEIR WORK. THE ELEVATE PRIZE FOUNDATION WORKS TO MAKE GOOD FAMOUS BECAUSE, "WHEN WE AMPLIFY THE VISIBILITY OF THOSE CREATING SOCIAL IMPACT, EVERYONE CAN BE INSPIRED TO BE PROBLEM-SOLVERS AND AGENTS FOR CHANGE." THE ELEVATE PRIZE FOUNDATION WANTS TO INCREASE THE VISIBILITY AND AWARENESS OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE LITERALLY CHANGING THE WORLD. THE TEAM IS CREATING A PLATFORM WHERE AUDIENCES CAN FIND, FOLLOW, AND CELEBRATE THEM, JUST AS THEY CAN FOR ATHLETES, ACTORS, AND REALITY TV STARS. WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE RACHEL BE NAMED AN ELEVATE PRIZE WINNER AND INCLUDED IN THE COHORT OF INCREDIBLE CHANGE-MAKERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE. KNIGHT FOUNDATION ALSO IN 2023, MIAMI WATERKEEPER LAUNCHED A NEW ERA OF GROWTH AND IMPACT, ACCELERATED BY A 5 MILLION INVESTMENT OVER SIX YEARS FROM THE JOHN S. AND JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION. THE INVESTMENT WILL ALLOW US TO EXPAND OUR ABILITY TO INFORM AND ENGAGE RESIDENTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA IN DEVELOPING CLIMATE RESILIENCY SOLUTIONS BY LEVERAGING CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES AND DIGITAL TOOLS. RECOGNIZING MIAMI'S POTENTIAL TO SERVE AS AN INCUBATOR FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS, WE AIM TO IMPLEMENT AND SCALE EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS. WE PIONEER INNOVATIVE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES THAT CAN BE REPLICATED IN OTHER REGIONS GRAPPLING WITH SIMILAR CLIMATE-RELATED ISSUES, INSPIRING AND GUIDING COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE TOWARD SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FUTURES.