WRE News: PortMiami Dredging Creates $200 Million Crisis for Coral Reefs

Miami, FL – September 17, 2023 – A 2013 project by the Us aehq to deepen Port Miami in Florida has had a catastrophic impact on coral reefs.
A recent report from Noaa revealed that 278 acres of coral reef have been permanently lost, far exceeding the initial estimate of 3.3 acres. The extensive damage has raised concerns about accountability and financial penalties for Miami-Dade County, which was the project’s local sponsor. The NOAA report indicates that compensatory mitigation is essential for the recovery of the ecosystem, potentially costing Miami-Dade over $200 million, according to estimates. While Miami-Dade County has not commented on its financial responsibility, environmental advocates like Rachel Silverstein, head of Miami water keeper, hope to see the funding directed towards coral restoration efforts. They believe this could be a transformative opportunity to scale up coral reef restoration to industrial levels, given the significant damage inflicted. The report emphasizes the need to integrate lessons learned from the PortMiami project into future dredging projects to protect Florida’s coral reefs, especially with new phases of dredging planned for PortMiami and ongoing efforts at Port Everglades.