Protect Urban Coral Reefs in Miami

In September 2020, the Miami Chapter learned that Disney Cruises and MSC Cruises was planning an expansion of Berth 10 in PortMiami. The port expansion project would not only relocate endangered, federally protected coral to an inappropriate, unequivalent location; but also possibly displace the wildlife that have made this urban coral reef a home. The project would in no doubt destroy one of the last remaining thriving urban coral reefs in South Florida. 

The riprap boulders in Berth 10 are home to numerous coral species, including the federally listed mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata). Notably, the 2019 Natural Resource Coral Survey found approximately 2,225 hard and soft coral colonies greater than 10 centimeters in height on the riprap. Of these, only a portion are proposed for transplant. The corals are currently located in water less than 10 feet deep, but will be relocated to offshore waters that are approximately 30 feet deep. The use of an offshore reef as mitigation for nearshore destruction is unacceptable and does not meet the standard for in-kind mitigation. Such mitigation fails to adequately consider the biodiversity impacts of habitat destruction.