Photo: Atkins
Photo: Joe Marino
Maritime Industry and Coastal Construction Impacts Focus Area
The Maritime Industry and Coastal Construction Impacts (MICCI) Focus Area was formed to address activities such as vessel anchoring and groundings, infrastructure installation (e.g., cables, pipelines and outfalls), beach nourishment, and dredge and fill operations in the southeast Florida region that have the potential of impacting our coastal habitats and coral reefs.
Purpose:
The MICCI Focus Area, in cooperation and partnership with marine industries, universities, regulatory agencies, and governmental and nongovernmental environmental agencies, aims to protect southeast Florida’s reef systems from impacts associated with maritime industry and coastal construction activities via the following goals:
- Evaluate existing coastal construction and marine industry practices and their potential (or documented) impacts.
- Develop and encourage environmentally protective coastal development and construction practices that may significantly minimize or eliminate impacts to marine habitats.
- Develop and implement marine and estuarine habitat restoration.
- Compile and/or develop appropriate procedures for response to reef impacts, and reef restoration and monitoring.
- Review existing regulations and suggest modifications (as appropriate).
- Encourage compliance with existing regulations by monitoring during project construction and notifying officials for appropriate enforcement actions.
Photo: Joanna Walczak
Crushed coral
Photo: Dave Gilliam
Pipe on coral
Photo: Dave Gilliam
Dredging near the Port of Miami is an example of a coastal construction project near our local reefs.
Photo: Captain Dan Kipnis
Projects:
MICCI projects include:
- Identification and evaluation of state and federal rules for relevance, effectiveness, and level of compliance and effort.
- Development of regional standard operating procedures for rapid response to and restoration of impacted coral reefs.
- Identification of innovative technologies, and construction practices and procedures, to minimize coral reef impacts.
See full list of SEFCRI’s MICCI projects and reports here.
Outcomes
- Modified and innovative coastal construction practices that minimize impacts to marine and estuarine habitats.
- Coordinated and consistent mechanisms for improved information transfer for protection of coral reefs.
- Improved regulations that protect coral reefs and increase compliance with existing regulations
MICCI partner organizations past and present are listed here.
Enjoy southeast Florida’s reefs and how you can protect it while fishing, diving, and boating:
Reef Injury Prevention and Response Program
View Southeast Florida’s Coral Reefs on Your Mobile Device
Marine Planner Online Mapping Tool for Southeast Florida Coral Reefs
