THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE DIVISION RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
Approval of this item supports the Commission’s Value of “Encouraging investments in renewable energy, sustainable practices and environmental protection” Goal 4: Educate the public about the fragile South Florida ecosystems, impacts of severe weather, sea level rise, and climate change, with special emphasis on the coral reef ecosystem and Goal 5: Support and seek local, state, and federal funds for coastal management of coral reefs through collaboration with other governmental jurisdictions.
Approval of this recognizes reimbursement received by County’s Environmental Monitoring Laboratory (EML) from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for analytical services performed in support of the State’s coral reef conservation program. In Fiscal Year 2018, the Florida FDEP received state appropriations to implement a regionally coordinated coral reef conservation program with emphasis on coastal water quality monitoring, coral reef surveys, and analysis of coral reef disease. The appropriation was significant as it was pursued as a legislative priority of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and priority recommendation of the Coastal Oceans Task Force representing Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties.
The County’s EML was contacted by the State with regards to the County’s ability to provide analytical support for a regionally coordinated coastal water quality monitoring activities. Upon review of the County’s capabilities, certifications, and fee structure, the EML was solicited to perform these services, to include nutrient analyses, chlorophyll a, and turbidity for 100+ stations along the four-county shoreline, the first such regionally-coordinated coastal water quality monitoring effort focused on coral reef health.
The analytical data obtained from samples collected at specific sites are aimed to better understand the environmental factors that influence coral reef health and are ultimately expected to inform and direct regionally-coordinated coral reef conservation strategies. The value of this effort is significant as coral reefs protect many marine species, act as natural barriers to coastal storms and assist in protecting the coastal communities. Further, coral reefs and their protected species provide attractive settings for our local residents and tourism. The need for such an effort has become increasingly pressing as climate and anthropogenic stressors are contributing to widespread disease and mortality across the entire southeast Florida reef tract, which currently lacks a regionally-coordinated conservation plan or strategy. This monitoring, and the recently approved establishment of a coastal conservation area encompassing the monitoring areal, constitute significant positive progress in this direction and a productive partnership among state and local governments in support of reef conservation. |