Stop Dredging Waters Off Miami That is Causing Damage & Harm to Coral Reefs

Please sign and share this petition nationwide on all media sites in an attempt to urge the Army Corps of Engineers not to dredge the waters off Miami that is causing the local roal reefs undue damage and destruction. The coral reefs are already vulnerable due to the current climate changes and pollution issues.

Divers from the government agency plunged into the bay near the Port of Miami, only to report findings of numerous corals that are dying due to this new dredging project that is scheduled through the end of July. The project is intended to the expansion of a shipping channel to meet the needs of future supersized cargo ships. The problem is that this project is destroying and damaging fragile corals, causing environmentalists concerns that this plan will lead to a rapid deterioration of reefs across South Florida.

The staghorn corals under the federal Endangered Species Act is a crucial concern but many other species of coral have been affected. The Caribbean and Florida are rapidly in danger of losing their coral reefs and this new project has gained great criticism due to violation issues of the Endangered Species Act and the permit issued by the State Department of Environmental Protection; concerns of pollution, acidification and overfishing. Climate change and higher ocean temperatures has also affected the color, life and destruction of reefs.

Coral reefs are crucial for the environment and the animals that live within the bay waters near the Port of Miami. They also serve as crucial wave buffers during tropical storms, defending and protect nearby beaches and homes along the Florida shores. The dredging project can destroy as much as 90 percent of Florada's coral, and the staghorn coral is in grave danger, according to reports by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Environmentalists are fearful that these continual dredging projects will cause more harm and destruction to the coral reefs along the Port of Miami. Additionally, Broward County is also hoping to expand its shipping channel at Port Everglades with considerably more staghorn than Miami. They express their concern with the Army Corps project plans that will continue to affect and destroy much of the coral reefs and their beauty. You can read the full story at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/08/us/despite-protections-miami-port-project-smothers-coral-reef-in-silt.html?ref=topics&_r=2. Help us in our efforts to stop this dredging project that is destroying the natural beauty and existence of the coral reef at and near the Port of Miami by signing and sharing this petition.