Introduction

The Maritime Industry and Coastal Construction Impacts (MICCI) Focus Team was formed to address coastal construction and maritime industry activities that have the potential of impacting our coastal habitats and coral reefs. Activities such as vessel anchoring and groundings, infrastructure installation (e.g., cables, pipelines, and outfalls), beach nourishment, and dredge and fill operations in and around coral reefs and coastal habitats can adversely affect these sensitive ecosystems.

In cooperation and partnership with marine industries, universities, regulatory agencies, governmental and non-governmental environmental agencies, the aims of this focus team’s local action strategy are to protect reef systems from impacts associated with maritime industry and coastal construction projects and activities; develop and encourage more environmentally protective coastal development and construction practices that better protect marine and estuarine habitats; develop and implement marine and estuarine habitat restoration; and encourage compliance with regulatory requirements by increasing monitoring during project construction and encouraging appropriate enforcement actions.

This strategy will allow the MICCI Focus Team to promote effective measures to minimize or alleviate damaging impacts to our coral reefs and marine habitats.

Goals and Objectives

The key goals and objectives of the MICCI Focus Team are:

• Evaluate existing coastal construction and marine industry practices and their potential (or documented) impacts, develop alternative or innovative methods and processes that significantly minimize or eliminate impacts to marine habitats,
• Compile and/or develop appropriate procedures for response to reef impacts, and reef restoration and monitoring,
• Review existing regulations and suggest modifications or promote new regulations (as appropriate), and
• Encourage compliance with existing regulations

Team Membership

The MICCI Focus Team is comprised of representatives from 18 member organizations, which include:

• Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department
• Coastal Planning and Engineering, Inc.
• Coastal Systems International, Inc.
• Cry of the Water
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - State Navigator 
• Florida Fish & Wildlife Research Institute
• Martin County
• Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management - Local Navigator
• National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University - Non-Agency Navigator
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Habitat Conservation Division - Federal Navigator
• Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management
• Port of Miami
• Surfrider Foundation
• Tetra Tech EC, Inc
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• US Coast Guard

The Navigators listed above are the primary points of contact for the MICCI Focus Team and are responsible for representing SEFCRI and the MICCI Focus Team within their agencies and/or to stakeholders.

Project Examples

The MICCI team is working to implement 27 projects over the course of five years. These projects include identification and evaluation of State and Federal rules for relevance, effectiveness, and level of compliance and effort; the development of regional standard operating procedures for rapid response to and restoration of impacted coral reefs; identification of innovative technologies, construction practices, and procedures to minimize coral reef impacts.

You may view all 27 of the MICCI team’s projects by visiting http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/programs/coral/ and clicking on the SEFCRI Local Action Strategy.

Anticipated 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 which protect coral reefs and increased compliance with existing regulations