Imagine diving into the crystal-clear waters offshore of Miami, only to find yourself surrounded by a scene of devastation. A moonscape. The water, once teeming with life, is clouded with sediment, and vibrant coral reefs are now buried beneath a layer of sand. This is the grim reality made manifest by the PortMiami dredging project that occurred from 2013 to 2015. The project resulted in catastrophic damage to adjacent coral reefs, triggering legal action by Miami Waterkeeper and co-plaintiffs. Despite the dredging company’s initial attempts to downplay the environmental impact, subsequent scientific research uncovered extensive coral mortality, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has now released a report that supports our finding that millions of corals were likely killed and at least 278 acres of the Florida Reef Tract were severely impacted.
Secure marine protections and honor Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture.
The Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) contain some of the last wild and healthy ecosystems in the world’s ocean. PRI is home to resilient coral reefs, threatened and endangered wildlife, endemic species found nowhere else on Earth, and the waterways of ancient and modern Indigenous voyagers.
PRI is a complex and interconnected ecosystem that highlights the interdependence of pelagic, nearshore, and terrestrial species, including sharks, rays, whales, turtles, sea birds, and fish. In order to ensure the continued health of the land and nearshore areas that are already a part of PRI, we must secure the protections for this area and demonstrate this support across various communities.
Only One has joined forces with the community-driven Pacific Remote Islands Coalition (PRI Coalition) to call on U.S. President Joseph Biden to expand and protect some of the last wild and healthy ecosystems in the world’s ocean. The expansion would also bring the U.S. to successfully protect 30% of their ocean before 2030.
