There are many ways to help Biscayne Bay. You can start with how you treat your own yard
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Biscayne Bay on the Brink
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Do you want to help Biscayne Bay? Last year’s fish kill led to an increase in the number of volunteers signing up for beach cleanups and water quality monitoring programs around Miami-Dade. But there are many ways to get involved, from learning how to spot pollution and report issues to picking up trash in the county’s many canals:
▪ Respect the fertilizer ordinance: The county in April approved an ordinance banning the use of fertilizers during the rainy season, from May 15 through Oct. 31. Fertilizer washes out of lawns and ends up in the bay, fueling algae blooms that can kill seagrass and lead to low dissolved oxygen, the cause of last year’s fish kill.
▪ 1,000 Eyes on the Water: Miami Waterkeeper, a water quality nonprofit, wants people to learn how to detect and report pollution. Its volunteer-based 1,000 Eyes on the Water program offers free training on water quality basics and teaches participants how to spot pollution and how to report it. The idea is to generate awareness and create a network of people who are always paying attention to what happens in and around the bay.
▪ Junior Ambassador: Miami Waterkeeper offers this program for high school students to learn about environmental advocacy and also do fun stuff like dune restoration efforts, fishing tournaments and beach cleanups.
▪ International SeaKeepers Society: Do you own a boat and want to help scientific research that focuses on solutions for Biscayne Bay? SeaKeepers connects privately owned boats with marine conservation and academic research around the bay. Boat owners donate time on their vessels for the benefit of science and conservation.
▪ Keep Biscayne Beautiful is a program organized by Biscayne National Park and the Biscayne National Park Institute to inspire people and organizations to get involved in cleanup events.
▪ Baynanza: Organized by the county, the annual event is the largest shoreline cleanup in Miami-Dade, bringing together thousands of people and hundreds of partner organizations. Baynanza happened on Nov. 6 this year.
▪ Ocean Conservancy: This nonprofit ocean advocacy group organizes International Coastal Cleanup efforts all over the country but it also has training on how to set up your own beach cleanup project and many other resources for people who want to help Biscayne Bay.
▪ VolunteerCleanup.org: This website makes it easier to find cleanups happening near you. Just enter your ZIP Code and see events taking place around your neighborhood.
▪ Surfrider Foundation: What to volunteer for cleanups and other events to help the bay? Email: volunteercoordinator@miami.surfrider.org
But you don’t need to sign up for a group cleanup or join a nonprofit. There are things you can do every day to help the bay:
▪ Dispose of your own trash properly and pick up trash when you see it.
▪ Always secure loose items and trash while on boats.
▪ Report pollution and fish kills in Biscayne Bay to baywatch@miamidade.gov.
▪ Pick up your dog poop!
This story was originally published November 14, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
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