OCEAN TO EVERGLADES Water is the beating heart of Florida. STORIES Yet, as we tackle the many environmental That’s why Ocean Conservancy, with generous threats facing this state, one thing has support from VoLo Foundation, produced LAKE OKEECHOBEE become clear: Florida’s water environments this report and accompanying online story are deeply interconnected. platform at www.ocean2everglades.org. We believe that we need to tell this story. We need FLORIDA BAY There is no separating the ocean from the to find solutions. And we need to build a better Everglades; no separating the fresh water future. BISCAYNE BAY from the salt water. They are all part of the same system, and their health is intertwined. The solutions to Florida’s water issues require SEA LEVEL RISE To address the harmful algal blooms and sea bold and decisive action. We can reduce grass die-offs plaguing Florida’s bays and nutrient pollution from fertilizer and runoff. coasts, we must restore the Everglades. And We can address carbon emissions. We can to restore the Everglades, we must consider restore our wetlands and waterways. And the current and future impacts of sea level we can use creativity and innovation to solve rise, climate change and changing ocean all of these pressing challenges. Conserving conditions. From the ocean to the Everglades: and restoring the natural wonders of Florida’s we’re all in this together. ocean and Everglades depend on it.

This is our vision. Now let’s get to work.

Janis Searles Jones Chief Executive Officer Ocean Conservancy

Front cover: © Paul Marcellini Inside front cover: © Mac Stone To understand the natural wonders of Florida, and the ills that plague it... But all of that changed. LAKE OKEECHOBEE you have to follow the water and learn its story. People decided to drain and The journey a drop of water takes reengineer South Florida’s wetlands today is radically different than it was and waterways for land development, with a pristine Everglades—and the agriculture, and water supply. natural areas that depend on that water are suffering as a result. A massive dike was built along Lake Okeechobee’s southern rim, stopping water from flowing south. Not nearly enough clean water is sent Canals were dug connecting Lake south to feed the Everglades, Florida Okeechobee to existing rivers so Bay, Biscayne Bay and the Gulf of water could be diverted to the Atlantic Mexico. Starved for clean, fresh water, © Paul Marcellini © Planet Labs Inc. Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. these environments are in serious jeopardy.

SOUTH FLORIDA SOUTH FLORIDA Historically, rain that fell in These shallow waters moved WATERFLOW A WATERFLOW central Florida worked its way slowly across the flat terrain of TODAY through the winding rivers and South Florida, flowing less than Lake Kissimmee lakes of the Kissimmee River a foot per minute on average – system, eventually arriving in barely perceptible to the human Lake Istokpoga Lake Okeechobee. eye. Northern canal system WE NEED TO CLEAN The waters of Lake Okeechobee It was a river of grass; a Herbert Hoover dike would then overflow its southern natural wonder unlike any THE WATER AND Lake Okeechobee Southern canal system rim, spilling into the Everglades. other. Water in the Everglades flowed SEND IT SOUTH. in a vast “sheet” of water across Tamiami Trail the landscape. Everglades GULF OF MEICO ATLANTIC OCEAN GULF OF MEICO ATLANTIC OCEAN At the very southern edge of Florida, the Everglades empties into a FLORIDA BAY spectacular natural playground: Florida Bay and the surrounding Florida Keys. An army of A declining passionate Florida Bay Floridians from reflects all of Where the Everglades meets The Florida Reef Tract extends Coral reef tourism supports Immense seagrass beds all walks of life the damage Florida Bay’s salt water, vast over 300 miles from St. Lucie 70,000 jobs and billions of provide food for manatees and refuse to accept we’ve done to mangrove forests thrive. Inlet to the Dry Tortugas dollars in economic activity in sea turtles, nursery habitat a Florida Bay and the Everglades Mangrove forests can be and across the Florida Keys, Florida. for fish and shrimp, and rich among the most productive making it one of the largest feeding grounds for wading reef tract that’s in in decades environments in the world. coral reef tracts on the planet. birds. decline. past. But as we work to restore They are fighting the Everglades, Not all is well, though, with this to restore the Florida Bay will be natural paradise. As the flows © Benj Drummond Everglades and a beneficiary of of clean, fresh water have been save the place that recovery. stifled and the health of the Everglades has declined, so has they love. the health of Florida Bay and the B Florida coral reef tract. F B Starved of clean fresh water, Florida Bay began experiencing a dramatic decline in the 1970s. Seagrass die-offs and dead FLORIDA BAY’S zones have become a common © Mac Stone occurrence. FUTURE IS WORTH Nutrient pollution also flows into FIGHTING FOR. the bay and beyond, destroying Acres of Florida Bay seagrass percent coral cover in areas water quality, contributing to habitat that perished in 2015 of sea floor that used to have harmful algal blooms, and © Mac Stone from water quality degradation 50 percent coral cover 40,000 6 harming corals offshore. Biscayne Bay is the great marine “front yard” of Miami. But the bay’s health is in But when people started The fresh water from the BISCAYNE BAY decline and needs restored freshwater flows from the Everglades to recover. destroying and draining large canals isn’t clear or clean. parts of the Everglades, all of This water is no longer that changed. naturally filtered through wetlands. Instead, the canals Biscayne Bay was let bursts of dirty, unfiltered Historically, Biscayne Bay was a unique, clear-water tidal estuary transformed. fresh water flow straight into fringed by extensive mangroves that received massive amounts the bay. of pure fresh water filtered through the Everglades. Now, not nearly enough fresh FLORIDA water makes its way south Oyster beds have entirely disappeared in the bay. BISCAYNE Water slowly percolated through springs, tidal creeks and through the Everglades and Seagrass beds struggle to BAY mangrove forests that surrounded the Bay. into Biscayne Bay. Biscayne Bay’s waters are now survive, and large areas odf sometimes even saltier than the bay’s floor near canals Fresh groundwater from the underground Biscayne aquifer the open ocean. Today, much are barren. Redfish, which bubbled up directly through the bay’s seafloor. of the fresh water that does were historically abundant reach the bay flows through in Biscayne Bay, all but vanishewd by the late 1950s. 13 human-made canals. © Felix Mizioznikov

EVERGLADES FORT LAUDERDALE WETLANDS PEMBROKE PINES HOLLYWOOD DORAL HIALEAH We can heal Biscayne redirect fresh water out diffuse, and the water is MIAMI BEACH Bay if we restore the of canals and back into filtered. SOUTH MIAMI MIAMI HELPING Everglades and the coastal wetlands around VIRGINIA KEY natural freshwater flows the bay. In the bigger picture, BISCAYNE the bay depends on. we need to move far KEY BISCAYNE When fresh water returns more water from Lake BAY MEANS Everglades restoration to these wetlands, Okeechobee southward. RESTORING THE includes the “Biscayne the wetlands recover, BISCAYNE BAY ATLANTIC Bay Coastal Wetlands the flows into the bay ONE THING IS CLEAR: EVERGLADES. © Francisco ACUATIC PRESERVE OCEAN Project,” an effort to become steady and Sea level rise is happening today. Seawater is being seen and felt all over the SEA LEVEL RISE Everglades. Rising seas regularly flood south Florida’s cities and towns. South Florida’s balance between fresh water and saltwater is in constant 1913 1923 1933 1943 1953 1963 1973 193 1993 2003 2013 South Florida’s extremely This upends the entire flux. The lines between ocean and low elevations make the wetland ecosystem, Everglades are sometimes blurry. 11.2 inches Everglades ground zero as including plants and wildlife. 2015 sea levels rise. Some Everglades species But the harsh consequences of sea are abandoning their historic As saltwater from rising ranges due to sea level rise. level rise are becoming more apparent seas encroach into coastal Even slightly deeper water each year. freshwater wetlands, interferes with Roseate peat collapses, brackish- spoonbills’ ability to feed Key West Sea Level We can change our course and protect water pools appear, and in the shallow waters of 1913 mangroves move inland. Florida Bay. © Mac Stone South Florida and the Everglades. Source: Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level, Data from NOAA.

Sea level rise makes life The “sunny day” flooding S difficult for the people of caused by sea level rise E South Florida, too. will become more extreme F every year, requiring major THIS IS OUR During “king tides,” the building renovations and streets in Miami and other billions of dollars spent on CHALLENGE. communities flood with new infrastructure. saltwater, even on perfectly sunny days with no rain. In Even when areas aren’t FRESH WATER BRACKISH MI SALT WATER THIS IS OUR the aftermath of king tide yet flooded aboveground, events, pollutants flush sea level rise can have OPPORTUNITY. from the streets into coastal huge, unseen impacts waters, closing beaches and underground. causing a health risk. © Mac Stone WELLS ABOUT US

OCEAN TO EVERGLADES Ocean Conservancy, with generous financial support from VoLo Foundation, created this report and accompanying online story platform at www.ocean2everglades.org, to tell an urgent and compelling story – the story of the connections between Florida’s ocean and Everglades environments. The fates and futures of these environments are deeply intertwined, and we cannot save one without saving the other. We aim to bring Floridians together to help conserve and restore Florida’s water environments, and we invite you to join us in this effort.

TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE:

WWW.OCEAN2EVERGLADES.ORG WWW.OCEANCONSERVANCY.ORG WWW.VOLOFOUNDATION.ORG

© Paul Marcellini © 2019 Ocean to Everglades Ocean Conservancy is working with you to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. TOGETHER, WE CREATE SCIENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHY OCEAN AND THE WILDLIFE AND COMMUNITIES THAT DEPEND ON IT.