Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition
2024 Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit
On May 20, 2024, we held the 5th bi-annual Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit at Jungle Island. We had over 500 attendees representing a wonderful cross-section of interests and expertise, from government and business to science, academia, and community/non-profit.
Watch Session Recordings Below
The successful execution of the summit was made possible through the generous financial contributions of various sponsors. We extend our gratitude to the Title Sponsors:
Miami-Dade County,
The Brady Hunter Foundation, and
Ferguson Waterworks. Additionally, we acknowledge the support of the Mangrove Level Sponsors, including
Brizaga,
Florida International University (FIU), and the
University of Miami. Special thanks are also due to the five Commissioner Sponsorships provided by Commissioner Raquel Regalado, Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, Commissioner Kevin Cabrera, Commissioner Eileen Higgins, and Commissioner Micky Steinberg. We also recognize the vital contributions of sponsors at the Coral, Manatee, and Non-Profit levels.
Opening Sessions
- Opening Remarks by Louis AguirreOpening Remarks by Louis AguirreOpening Remarks by Louis AguirreOpening Remarks by Louis AguirreOpening Remarks by Louis Aguirre
Opening Remarks by Louis Aguirre.
- Opening Remarks from Dave DoeblerOpening Remarks from Dave DoeblerOpening Remarks from Dave DoeblerOpening Remarks from Dave DoeblerOpening Remarks from Dave DoeblerOpening Remarks from Dave Doebler
Opening remarks by BBMHC Chair, Dave Doebler.
- Message from Mayor Daniella Levine CavaMessage from Mayor Daniella Levine CavaMessage from Mayor Daniella Levine CavaMessage from Mayor Daniella Levine CavaMessage from Mayor Daniella Levine Cava
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Message from Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
- Biscayne Bay History, Advocacy and ProgressBiscayne Bay History, Advocacy and ProgressBiscayne Bay History, Advocacy and ProgressBiscayne Bay History, Advocacy and ProgressBiscayne Bay History, Advocacy and ProgressBiscayne Bay History, Advocacy and Progress
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Biscayne Bay History, Advocacy and Progress by Dr. Julia Wester.
- 2019 Coalition Building Meeting2019 Coalition Building Meeting2019 Coalition Building Meeting2019 Coalition Building Meeting2019 Coalition Building Meeting2019 Coalition Building Meeting
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Emerging Science: A Panel Conversation.
- The Plan for Reasonable Assurance PlanThe Plan for Reasonable Assurance PlanThe Plan for Reasonable Assurance PlanThe Plan for Reasonable Assurance PlanThe Plan for Reasonable Assurance Plan
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The Plan for Reasonable Assurance Plan (RAP) with Pamela Sweeney.
- Chief Bay Officer Conversation.Chief Bay Officer Conversation.Chief Bay Officer Conversation.
Chief Bay Officer Conversation with Irela Bague and Loren Parra.
- Update on Septic to Sewer ConversionUpdate on Septic to Sewer ConversionUpdate on Septic to Sewer Conversion
Update on Septic to Sewer Conversion with County Commissioner Raquel Regalado.
Morning Breakout Sessions & Awards
- Effective Governance and the Bay: A Panel Conversation
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Effective Governance and the Bay: A Panel Conversation, Bloom Balroom
Learn about the 2023 Biscayne Bay Economic Study with Dr. Grace Marie Johns and panel discussion with County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, Adam Blalock, Adam Gelber, Alexis Calatayud and Irela Bague.
- Community Engagement and Outreach
Community Engagement and Outreach, Bayview Room.
Talks include:
- Grassroots advocacy: How a Neighborhood Association is spearheading a more Sustainable future for it's community
- The Ripple Effect: Engaging young minds, preserving our waters
- Engaging students in Bay stewardship
- Climate of Art: Beyond the Surface - A Deep Dive into Water
- Habitat Health: Problems and Solutions, Manatee Room
Habitat Health: Problems and Solutions, Manatee Room.
Talks Include:
- Quantifying wave energy reduction of nature based & hybrids solutions
- Elucidating factors underlying variation in bleaching response on reefs around Biscayne Bay during the 2023 heatwave
- Trends in Biscayne Bay seagrass ecosystem health
- Reimagining City of Miami's waterfront
- Innovation from the Private Sector
Innovation from the Private Sector, Seagrass room.
- Miami and Biscayne Bay's opportunity to lead the new Blue Economy
- Financing coastal resilience with blue bonds
- Role of businesses for the future of Biscayne Bay
- Beyond concrete: Living Seawalls for eco-driven coastal resilience
- Awards
Awards
Lifetime of Service Awards given to: Craig Grossenbacher, John Ricisac and Joan Browder. Harvey Award given to the Founder and Co-Chair of BBMHC, Luiz Rodrigues.
- Community Wins
Community Wins Video
Watch as we celebrate our Community's wins for Biscayne Bay.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions & Closing Ceremony
- Law Enforcement and Regulation of Commercial Activities
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Law Enforcement and Regulation of Commercial Activities, Manatee Room.
How do we ensure that the Bay is enjoyable and safe for all humans (boaters, paddlers, swimmers) and the ecosystem (marine life, birds and seagrass)?
- Water Quality Science
Water Quality Science, Bayview Room.
Talks include:
- FIU’s effort to increase data transparency and accessibility for Biscayne Bay
- Connecting the dots: Enhancing usefulness of water quality testing data
- Multi-year, high-frequency water quality characterization of Biscayne Bay, Florida
- Biscayne Bay Hydrodynamic and Salinity dynamics with BBOM: Biscayne Bay Operational Model
- Arts and the Environment
Arts and the Environment, Seagrass Room.
An artist panel talk that addresses the influence Biscayne Bay has had on our practice, including a short informative slide show of our work, moderated by Kate Fleming. The presentation will give the audience a view into what artists are thinking about at the present moment living in Miami.
- Investing in the Bay: The money that drives nature-based solutions and adaptation
Investing in the Bay: The money that drives nature-based solutions and adaptation, Bloom Ballroom.
Private Equity, Institutional investment and the idividual investors - this is the money that drives nature-based solutions, resilient coastlines and adaptation.
Join us for a moderated panel with Morgan Stanley, Overlay Capital and Conservation International, as we discuss the benefits and the return on investing in Biscayne Bay.
- Restoration and Resilience, Manatee Room.
Restoration and Resilience, Manatee Room.
Talks include:
- Scars can heal: A story of propeller scar restoration within seagrass meadows.
- Participatory mangrove restoration
- Improving coastal resilience of South Florida using oysters in innovative nature-based solutions to restore Biscayne Bay
- Citizen science benefits coral reefs and community members alike.
- Art for the Bay: Inciting eco-Action through sculpture
Art for the Bay: Inciting eco-Action through sculpture, Seagrass Room.
Biscayne Bay critically needs coral restoration, yet public awareness of the consequences of inaction remains limited. This session challenges viewers to confront the climate crisis by incorporating reliefs of flora and fauna from our Miami environment into sculptures.
- Marine Debris - Preemptions and Leave No Trace Workshop
Marine Debris - Preemptions and Leave No Trace Workshop, Bayview Room.
Talks include:
- Strategy to Preempt Statewide Plastics Preemptions
- Leave No Trace - Idea Generation Workshop
- Restoring and re-creating nature to save Miami’s blue heart: A joint Miami Waterkeeper and Miami-Dade County panel discussion
Restoring and re-creating nature to save Miami’s blue heart: A joint Miami Waterkeeper and Miami-Dade County panel discussion, Bloom Ballroom.
Restoring natural systems can increase the resilience of built environments. In this session panelists will explore the relationships and interconnectedness of the Everglades and urban waterways.
- Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder Engagement, Manatee Room.
Talks include:
- Against the current: Experiences and perceptions of fishers along the Miami River
- Public preferences for coastal adaptation: the case for hard structures and nature-based solutions in Miami
- Urban Paradise in Biscayne Bay: A path toward resilience during climate crisis
- From the ground up: Revitalizing Miami's underutilized spaces through green infrastructure and community engagement
From the ground up: Revitalizing Miami's underutilized spaces through green infrastructure and community engagement, Seagrass Room.
The workshop aims to address the need for innovative green infrastructure solutions to mitigate flooding, safeguard water quality, combat urban heat, and enhance environmental health in historically vulnerable communities.
- Crossing The Line- How smarter land use in Miami-Dade County supports Biscayne Bay’s recovery and how you can help.
Crossing The Line- How smarter land use in Miami-Dade County supports Biscayne Bay’s recovery, Bloom Balroom.
How we use our land is directly connected to the fate of Biscayne Bay. Increasing pressure to sprawl outside the urban core and new policies expanding permitted uses in the Biscayne Bay watershed create new risks to Biscayne Bay recovery, and availability of Everglades restoration lands.
- Reducing pollution before it gets to the Bay
Reducing pollution before it gets to the Bay, Bayview Room.
Talks include:
- Addressing stormwater pollution in the new Impervious Surface Ordinance
- Productive Floating Wetlands: A Cost-Effective Strategy for Enhancing Water Quality in Biscayne Bay
- Update on County Marine Debris Working Group
- Plastic Free Cities: Empowering youth & businesses to stop plastic pollution
- Bay Conservation Science
Bay Conservation Science, Seagrass Room.
Talks include:
- Great hammerhead resource-use patterns in an identified nursery
- Influence of Climate Change on the Physical Parameters of Biscayne Bay.
- The birds are here, but how do we protect a nesting rookery?
- The History of the Aquatic Preserves to celebrate our 50th anniversary combined with a new Community project: The Flow - It’s all Connected, A Water Quality Movement we can all work on together!
The History of the Aquatic Preserves to celebrate our 50th anniversary, Manatee Room.
This Panel will explore the significance and History of the 50th Anniversary of the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves. We hope the trailblazing community efforts undertaken back in the early 70s to fix the Biscayne Bay water quality and health crisis of that time will help inspire us again, 50 years later.
- The Bay is for Everyone
The Bay is for Everyone, Bloom Ballroom.
This session explored some of the benefits and opportunities Biscayne Bay offers underserved populations and will address the barriers people with disabilities and minority groups often experience in accessing or experiencing all that the Bay has to offer.
- Closing Remarks
Closing Remarks, Bloom Ballroom.
Closing rermarks and takeaways from BBMHC Chair, Dave Doebler.