Creating New Marine Sanctuaries

Creating New Marine Sanctuaries

Our Ocean Legacy:

Our nation is intrinsically connected to and immensely reliant on the ocean and the coastal ecology. All citizens - whether they reside in the country’s farmlands or mountains, in its cities or along the coasts - are affected by the sea. Our grocery stores and restaurants are stocked with seafood and our docks are bustling with seaborne cargo and other activity.

Additionally, millions of visitors flock to the nation’s shores each year, creating jobs and contributing substantially to the U.S. economy through one of the country’s largest and most rapidly growing economic sectors: tourism and recreation.

The offshore ocean area under U.S. jurisdiction is larger than its total land mass and hosts great biological diversity and a frontier for exciting exploration and effective education. The importance of our oceans and coasts cannot be overstated; they are critical to the existence and well-being of the nation and its people. Yet, as the 21st century dawns, it is clear that these invaluable and life-sustaining assets are vulnerable to the activities of humans.

Unfortunately, our ever-improving technologies have enabled us to exploit and significantly alter the marine environment to meet society’s escalating needs. Pollution runs off the land, degrading coastal waters and harming marine life. Many fish populations are declining and some of our ocean’s most majestic creatures have nearly disappeared.

Along our coasts, habitats that are essential to fish and wildlife and provide valuable services to humanity continue to suffer significant losses. Non-native species are being introduced, both intentionally and accidentally, into distant areas, often resulting in significant economic costs, risks to human health, and ecological consequences that we are only beginning to comprehend.

Creating New Florida Marine Sanctuaries:

Florida in particular depends on healthy oceans. Our oceans are home to endangered right whales and manatees, threatened species of sea turtles, and most of the shallow water coral reefs of the continental United States. They provide recreational and commercial fishing for millions of anglers and draw tens of millions of tourists to Florida each year, forming the basis of our vibrant economy.

Very few of Florida’s vital ocean areas are currently protected: The Florida Keys have a national marine sanctuary; Biscayne Bay is a national park; the Ten Thousand Islands are a state aquatic preserve. But many other areas are not protected from pollution or destructive activities like dredging, offshore oil drilling, and unsustainable fishing.

Save Our Shores! Florida advocates a plan that would create a series of underwater marine sanctuaries much like the national parks and forests system we already have on land. These marine sanctuaries would control all activities occurring within a certain area, including oil and gas drilling, bottom trawling and dredging. Sanctuaries can also heal damaged oceans and help to restore fish populations.

There are several coastal areas that we propose should be first in line for new marine sanctuary status:

   1. An area along the Georgia-Florida border that is critical habitat for calving northern right whales, whose world-wide population has dwindled to an estimated 300-350.
      
   2. The Occulina Banks off the east coast of Florida where unique cold-water corals slowly grow and shelter a unique underwater ecosystem.

   3. The Big Bend Seagrass area, which stretches for approximately 100 miles along the curve of Florida’s peninsula where it joins the panhandle. The area is habitat for at least two endangered or threatened fish species, several endangered or threatened turtle species and the endangered Florida manatee.

   4. The area just north of the existing Everglades National Park on the western Gulf coast, including the Ten Thousand Islands area, which contains an immense variety of unique sea life.

We are currently working to build support amongst our elected officials, supporters, and key constituencies like recreational fishing groups, charter boat captains, and commercial fisherman for policies that will protect unique places off of Florida’s coast while still allowing the public to enjoy this amazing resource. 

To become a member of Save Our Shores! Florida, click here.

To contact your elected officals, simply follow the link below and enter your address. You’ll be able to send an e-mail or a printed letter to your senators, representatives, and the Governor.   Contact your elected officials.

Credits:
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.
An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century.
Final Report.
Washington, DC, 2004
ISBN#0–9759462–0–X

Environment Florida
Our Ocean Legacy
Web Link

Photo by Sanjoy:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjoy/

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Cold Snap! Manatees Need Your Help

Cold Snap! Manatees Need Your Help

The current cold snap is having a negative effect on Florida's fish and marine wildlife as temperatures dip below normal.

The Florida manatee is one of the species being impacted by the extremely cold weather, as ocean surface temperatures dip into the 50s. Exposure to water temperatures below 68 degrees for long periods can cause a condition called manatee cold-stress syndrome, which can result in death.

When water temperatures drop, manatees gather in warm-water habitats, such as discharge canals at power plants, canal systems or springs. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking boaters to be extra vigilant in watching for manatees in shallow waters near the coast, both inland and coastal, and obey all posted manatee speed zone signs.

All boaters, including kayakers, canoers, and the public in general should avoid areas where large numbers of manatees are gathered - namely warm springs and other warm inland rivers where manatees gather during the winter. The aggregated animals should be left alone because a disturbance could scare them away from the warm-water sites, which they need to survive during the cold temperatures.

To report a dead or distressed manatee, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). 

Cold weather also can affect sea turtles. When the water temperature drops, stunned sea turtles may float listlessly in the water or wash onto shore. Although these turtles may appear to be dead, they are often still alive. It is important to report these turtles to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline as soon as possible so that care can be provided to them.

The FWC, working with the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, recovered more than 250 cold-stunned sea turtles in Mosquito Lagoon in Brevard County this past week. Sea turtle rehabilitation facilities throughout the state will house these animals until they can be released when temperatures warm.

Extended periods of unusually cold weather can also kill fish outright by cold stress or make fish more susceptible to disease. Warm-water species, including popular game fish, are particularly vulnerable to cold temperatures. Fish affected by the cold may appear lethargic and may be seen at the surface where the water may be warmer from the sun. Recreational regulations still apply with these fish, and violators should be reported.

Report dead and dying fish to the Fish Kill Hotline at 800-636-0511.

All other distressed wildlife, including sea turtles, may be reported to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). 

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Stopping Offshore Drilling

Stopping Offshore Drilling

Not On Our Beaches. 

Offshore oil drilling is not the answer to higher gas prices or a real long term solution to American energy demands. While drillers may have something to gain, we can all be sure it is at the expense of coastal residents, beach tourists, sea turtles, manatees, migratory birds, and other sensitive marine life. America needs real energy solutions, not more pandering to oil profiteers.

Oil Rigs: A Risk We Cannot Afford.

At each stage of testing, exploration, and production, the oil and gas business produces contaminated water, uses toxic drilling muds, and periodically spills oil and toxic liquids into the ocean.  Pollutants like mercury and persistent hydrocarbons contaminate fish and sea life near platforms and massive spills kill seabirds, sea turtles, fish and marine mammals.
                 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed over 100 drilling rigs and platforms and over 450 pipelines. The Minerals Management Service estimated almost one million gallons spilled during the hurricane from offshore facilities; the Coast Guard documented an estimated nine million gallons from onshore and offshore oil facilities were spilled. A catastrophic spill, one that could close down coastal tourism for weeks or months, is a real possibility.
                       
Oil drilling proponents say we have no choice, given rising oil and gas prices. They’re wrong: If our cars and trucks got an average of a couple more miles per gallon, we’d save more oil than exists off the entire coasts of Florida, California, and the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve. Instead of allowing oil companies to drill off our coasts, our congressional delegation should be leading the fight in Washington for better gas mileage and clean energy.

Let’s Stop The Rush To Drill.

The oil lobby would like us to believe that we can drill our way out of our nation’s energy problems. We’re not buying it. Opening our shores to drilling would only put our beaches and coastal waters at great risk for a small, short-term supply of oil and gas. Our congressional representatives know this, but they’re facing enormous pressure to take action against rising energy prices. Caving into the oil lobby would give them a chance to appear strong and decisive.

Unfortunately for us, though, we’d still face a long-term energy crisis while our environment and economy would face new risks due to the pollution and potential for catastrophic spills off our coast.We need to tell our leaders to stop the rush to drill and start pushing sensible choices like using less oil by increasing fuel economy and increasing funding for public transportation.

Drilling Facts:

Drilling offshore will not lower gas prices one cent. For every barrel of oil we produce domestically, OPEC will reduce output to compensate.

Offshore Drilling requires massive tax subsidies. Without tax handouts from the government, oil companies cannot get enough investors interested in new drilling projects. Let’s say NO to corporate welfare.

Even with modern technology, drilling is not safe. A “modern” rig in the Timor Sea, 100 miles north of Australia, has been spilling 2,000 barrels of oil a day for the past 3 months: enough to cover 5,800 square miles of ocean. The company responsible wants to drill within 3 miles of our beaches.

The losers here are millions of coastal residents, beach tourists, sea turtles, manatees, birds, fish, and other marine life.

Instead of investing in old, dirty technology, we should be investing in our huge potential for clean energy. We can eventually meet 100% of our needs with renewable sources. 

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