What Can Boaters Do?

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, many people will flock to stores to purchase decorations for their homes and yards. Food and drinks will be bought by the plenty to keep refrigerators full for visiting friends and family. Gifts will be purchased on a whim, hoping the recipient will make use of them.

Right off the shores of Florida’s East Coast is the only coral reef system in the continental United States of America. Stretching almost 350 miles, the Florida Coral Reef reaches as far north as the St. Lucie inlet down to the Dry Tortugas, past the Florida Keys.

Earlier this summer, reports came flooding in of dead fish floating on the surface of Biscayne Bay and washing up on its shores. Concerned citizens reported these sightings to their local government and environmental organizations, who confirmed their fears: what they were seeing was the beginning of Miami’s fourth major fish kill.

Greenwashing is the deceptive practice of presenting an exaggerated or false image of environmental responsibility or sustainability efforts, often to mislead consumers or the public. The climate crisis of the 21st century has led to increased pressure for companies to be held accountable for their contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, waste production, and destruction of natural resources.

Greenwashing is the deceptive practice of presenting an exaggerated or false image of environmental responsibility or sustainability efforts, often to mislead consumers or the public. The climate crisis of the 21st century has led to increased pressure for companies to be held accountable for their contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, waste production, and destruction of natural resources.

During a SeaKeepers coastal cleanup this month, a few volunteers came walking over carrying a large square object that seemed to be made of netting or wire. They had pulled it out of the shallow water at Morningside Park, a large park in Miami that borders Biscayne Bay where SeaKeepers holds cleanups once a month.

South Florida is notorious for its long rainy season and the street flooding that accompanies it, whether it's a short rainstorm or a hurricane passing by. This flooding destroys cars and homes, and can make it very difficult for some people to navigate their neighborhoods.

“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” is the mantra preached to adults and children alike in an attempt to reduce the amount of trash ending up in our ocean. However, when recycling fails, as it often does, what is there to do?

When we talk about ocean pollution, plastic usually takes the spotlight, and reasonably so. It has been reported that plastic was found in the deepest part of our ocean- the Mariana Trench- and is present on shores and beaches around the world. Plastic pollution is a huge threat to our ecosystems, as it can entangle marine organisms or be ingested by them, possibly leading to starvation and death.

Today, the mantra, “reduce, reuse, recycle,” is recognized by most people and even is part of the curriculum taught in schools to children as young as 9 and 10. In the face of an intensifying environmental crisis and increasing anxiety surrounding climate change’s acceleration, we view this being commonplace in education as a good thing.