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.
Positive News
The U.K. government is backing a global moratorium on deep-sea mining, after dozens of scientists warned of the grave consequences of seabed exploitation for our oceans. The welcome policy shift puts the U.K. on a growing list of at least 20 countries calling for a pause on commercial deep-sea mining, joining Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Sweden in advocating to protect our oceans from the risky practice. 🌊 | Source: The Guardian
