Urban Paradise Guild urges North Bay Village leaders to back marine park to protect nearshore reef

Urban Paradise Guild presenters described a biologically rich nearshore reef off South Beach and called on North Bay Village officials to push for a phased marine‑park designation.

At the July meeting of the North Bay Village Sustainability & Resiliency Task Force, UPG speakers detailed a reef that runs roughly from the South Point jetty to about 12th Street and argued the site is both a local nursery for juvenile fish and a refuge for at‑risk corals and other species. "This reef is a very robust near shore reef," said Sam, a UPG presenter. The group showed photographs of brain coral and staghorn colonies and said researchers have documented species now listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Why it matters: presenters said the reef links to mangrove and seagrass habitat and that nutrient pollution — from stormwater, septic leakage and upstream sources including Lake Okeechobee — has degraded the bay’s capacity to support these ecosystems. Sam told the task force the reef also provides wave‑breaking benefits for shorelines and hotels. "If those waves hit a reef before they reach shore, the waves break and that absorbs a lot of the wave energy," he said.

UPG proposed starting with low‑impact measures to reduce direct damage: shift the existing swim buoy line slightly offshore so boats are less likely to anchor on corals and install vessel moorings to give boaters an alternative to anchors. "Moving them from the west side of the existing reef to the east side of the reef would impact nobody's life," the presenter said, urging a small, reversible change as an immediate step while permitting and larger park planning proceed.

Presenters cited near‑term dates and partners: they said the City of Miami Beach feasibility study on the buoy line will return to that city commission on Sept. 30, which UPG hopes will launch a formal permitting process; they also said researchers at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School have expressed interest in studying the urban corals. The group encouraged local officials to gather letters of support to speed state and federal reviews.

Commissioner Rachel, joining remotely, told the task force she would seek a village commission resolution in September to urge Miami Beach, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expedite protections. "I would love for us to pass a resolution at the Commission in September encouraging Miami Beach, FDEP, FWC, and EPA to do everything that they can do, as expeditiously as possible to create the marine park," Rachel said.

The presenters also invited residents to volunteer for UPG and highlighted a citizen‑science role: divers and shore observers can document cleaning stations and post photos to help researchers track species and parasite studies. UPG representatives said they have an AmeriCorps‑supported Climate Apprentices program and a new membership drive to support stewardship operations.

Next steps: task force members expressed support and the commission said it will consider a formal resolution. UPG asked residents and neighboring jurisdictions to submit letters of support and to join an outreach effort as the feasibility and permitting process moves forward.