I think I speak for all of us Floridians when I say how important it is to maintain the quality of our beaches. Our passions extend beyond the shoreline though, and it’s just as important to us to maintain a superb habitat for our abundant marine life. Sea turtles, dolphins, manatees, sharks, and more depend on us. Luckily, there are several organizations that are working hard to protect our beaches and aquatic animals in Florida. As a longtime resident, I’m so thankful for their efforts. Here are a few that are going above and beyond to preserve our many pristine beaches, the waterways, and the animals that call them home.
The Surfrider Foundation has five pillars of focus. They fight for: plastic reduction, ocean protection, beach access, coasts and climate, and clean water—all things that are very important to us who live in a state that’s mostly surrounded by water. They serve as advocates for our coastal ecosystems and lead numerous campaigns, including one to reauthorize the BEACH Act which helps monitor water quality testing. They also have their own water monitoring program that’s led by the Blue Water Task Force.
For example, the Surfrider’s Space Coast chapter has 14 sites where volunteers help with water sampling, which in turn, helps ensure we’re splashing around, surfing, and swimming in clean water. There are multiple local Surfrider chapters throughout Florida, allowing Floridians and visitors opportunities to get involved with beach cleanups and other projects.
Located in Stuart on Florida’s Treasure Coast, this is an organization that’s working hard to research, monitor, and restore the Indian River Lagoon—North America’s most biodiverse estuary. One of their long-term projects is focused on the growth and survival of oysters in the lagoon and the St. Lucie Estuary. This nonprofit organization has a coastal nature center located in Stuart and visiting there is one of the best things to do when you’re in the area. They have educational programs and exhibits that allow visitors to learn about the local marine life and how to protect it. They also offer a beach cleanup program that allows beach-lovers to clean up the beach at any time that’s convenient for them, and track their data using the My Coast app.
This nonprofit organization leads the mission to help one of Florida’s most interesting marine creatures—the manatee. It was started back in the 1980s by Jimmy Buffett and former U.S. Senator and Florida governor, Bob Graham. They support manatee research, rescue, rehabilitation, and advocacy. They also offer an education and certification for ecotourism businesses in Florida that helps promote proper environmental stewardship. That seal of approval also serves as a way for visitors to know when they are booking with a responsible tour operator that is an official Save the Manatee Guardian Guide. Some of their cool fundraising initiatives involve an Adopt-A-Manatee program and an annual Save the Manatee 5K that raises money to help Florida’s manatees.
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is based in Sarasota, but also does work in the Florida Keys. They conduct research on a variety of topics that pertain to Florida’s coastlines and marine life. Some of their areas of work include studies focused on coral reef restoration, sea turtles, sharks, rays, and more. They also study issues such as red tide, algae blooms, climate change, and pollution that’s affecting our oceans. One of their missions is to educate the public about marine life, and you can visit the Mote Science Education Aquarium in Sarasota. They also have a variety of citizen science programs that teach others how to be involved in their initiatives. In addition, they are the go-to for stranded marine animals in Southwest Florida who need assistance. They have a 24-hour hotline you can call to report any animals that need help.
This organization is based in Key Largo, but has an international impact. Their mission is to protect marine life, and they do that through a community-based approach that allows everyday people to become involved in marine research. One of their biggest projects is the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. SCUBA divers and snorkelers help collect data on fish populations, marine invertebrates, algae, and more. Anyone can join REEF for free and be a part of their collaborative efforts of protecting our beaches and ocean wildlife. They also have a REEF Ocean Exploration Center for Marine Conservation in Key Largo that is free to visit and serves as a place to learn about oceans and the importance of being involved in protecting them.
This is the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation organization. They assist with tagging turtles so they can track their migrations, better understand these majestic creatures, and in turn, find ways to help protect them. They also conduct educational programs at the Barrier Island Center in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge on Florida’s east coast. This group is based in Gainesville, but their work extends to Florida’s coastlines and beyond, with some programs even focused on helping sea turtles in areas such as Costa Rica, Panama, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. They also serve a large role in advocacy and work toward being a voice for sea turtles in local, national, and international policies that affect these marine creatures.
As a part of the overarching Waterkeeper Alliance, Miami Waterkeeper conducts work to help protect the local waterways in south Florida, such as Biscayne Bay, which is home to a diverse array of marine life. One of their initiatives involves water quality testing at the area’s beaches at least once a week. They test for bacteria, and consistently report up-to-date results. They’ve also been involved in legislative advocacy to protect Florida’s coral reefs from the effects of dredging, stop sewage leaks, and help put an end to marine debris. They also do a great job of preparing the next wave of protectors of beaches and marine life through their Junior Ambassador Program.
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation protects southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems. Some of their projects involve surveying of shorebirds, water quality testing, and monitoring of sea turtle nests. They also have an environmental policy team who works on legislative issues that affect our shorelines and marine life. Their Coast Watch program offers ways for the public to get involved in helping as well. In addition to beach cleanups, they also have a variety of other volunteer projects, such as mangrove restoration. These aquatic trees with gnarled root systems are important to the shoreline and aquatic ecosystem in Florida because they improve water quality, reduce erosion, and help prevent storm impacts when hurricanes strike the coast. They also provide habitat for fish and wading birds.
The Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida is a nonprofit, citizen support organization of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). As the philanthropic partner, they also work with a variety of other organizations to help with conservation, research, education, and more. They have a few grant programs that help various conservation causes with money raised from the sale of specialty license plates, including one called “Discover Florida’s Oceans.” A portion of the revenue from this license plate helps fund programs that protect Florida’s offshore waters and marine life. They have a variety of grants that are available to other organizations, including ones focused on things such as coral reef and manatee conservation.
With headquarters in Orlando, this organization was founded by a diver who took on the role of a mermaid mascot to help children learn about how to save the seas. Their goal is to provide youth an education about the ocean. They accomplish that through programs that use arts and entertainment to instill these principles of conservation. The organization has a variety of marine life-focused art projects that kids can do at home, and their website offers step-by-step instructions. The organization has also developed lesson plans for grades K-12 that are focused on beaches and aquatic wildlife. In addition, they host a variety of kid-friendly beach clean ups, as well as events where children can meet Mermaid Elle in person.
This organization is a state-level affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, and works on strategies to educate citizens and local governments about ways they can help keep our state pristine–and one of the key ways to do that is through recycling and litter prevention. There are 40 county and city affiliates throughout Florida, and many have efforts that focus on keeping our local beaches beautiful. Some, such as Keep Flagler Beach Beautiful, offer monthly beach cleanups. Even the groups that aren’t located directly along the coast play an important role in protecting the state’s beaches and marine animals, though. Since the state is mostly surrounded by water, litter that starts in the interior of the state can find its way to the beach via connected waterways.
This is just a small sampling of the boots on the ground (and fins in the water) here in Florida that are helping protect our coastal ecosystems and marine life. Beach.com is also thrilled to be able to partner with many local beach enthusiasts in Florida during the annual Beach.com Coastal Cleanup. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all who are helping protect our beaches, waterways, and sea life here in the Sunshine State.
