Land-Bay-Reef Partnership

How to Get Involved:

Organizations: Join the LBR Partnership. Fill out this link.

Individuals: Join UPG's Volunteer Staff, and fill out the Climate Active Pledge.

Big Goals:

Miami-Dade's economy and safety depend on healthy ecosystems, but the current approaches are not succeeding. A comprehensive approach which acknowledges both the sources of problems and the needful actions to be taken.

The LBR Partnership is composed of organizations (Non-Profit, Civic, Businesses, Faith-Based, Government Agency) focused on creating new approaches to Miami-Dade County's complex environmental challenges.

Land: Remove nutrient pollution from our canal system using the land (water polishing, living shorelines, etc).
Bay: Biscayne Bay is in decline. Create solutions for its major problems. Murky Water, which is killing hundreds of acres of deep seagrass, is at the top of the list.
Reef: The newly discovered Miami Beach Reef has the promise of being a new economic engine, but it must be protected proactively to prevent damage. It will also be a new ambassador of aquatic ecosystems for Miami.

The Miami Beach Reef:

UPG has documented a reef within swimming distance of South Beach. If it is aggressively exploited, it won't survive intense human interactions. Proactive steps are necessary.

Objective:

Establish an urban marine park to preserve and celebrate the near shore coral reef located off Miami Beach’s most visited beach.

Miami Beach sits next to a beautiful and bio-diverse coral reef. Teaming with colorful tropical fish, juvenile sharks, rare corals, endangered sea turtles, and many other rare and unique fish species, the reef's proximity to the city creates an incredible opportunity to preserve, protect and celebrate the area while adding to the family friendly activities Miami Beach has to offer.

Our proposal is to create a safe, protected marine park around this unique coral reef just a few hundred yards from shore.

Project Goals:

- Preserve this imperiled ecosystem
- Provide safe access for people to learn about coral reef ecosystems
- Celebrate and promote the coral reef’s ecosystem, economic, and storm surge fighting benefits