Hands Across the Sand
is coming to a beach near you - February 13
Hands Across the Sand is a statewide event organized to protest oil drilling off the Florida coastline. This is an opportunity to show opposition to oil drilling as close as 3 to 10 miles off our coast. This movement will be made of people from all walks of life and will cross political affiliations. This is not about politics it is about protection of our shoreline, our tourism, our valuable properties and our way of life.
Suggested dress - wear black to resemble an oil slick
Click here to find an organized event near you
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Court orders Florida to set limits on fertilizer and animal waste pollution in state waters – dates set for public hearing
Background - A federal judge in Tallahassee approved a historic consent decree which requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set legal limits for the widespread nutrient poisoning that triggers harmful algae blooms in Florida waters. The ruling comes 13 months after five environmental groups filed a major lawsuit to compel the federal government to set strict limits on nutrient poisoning in public waters. (Learn more about the court settlement)
The opposition is organized to fight water pollution controls
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson is siding with the polluters to fight against cleaning up polluted waters. Instead of working to make the publics water cleaner and safer, Bronson is spending tax dollars to help special interests like the Florida Pulp and Paper Association and Big Agriculture block the clean water settlement. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services filed a motion to intervene in the case on the polluters side.
Show your support for water quality standards.
Meeting locations and dates:
February 16, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Capitol East
1355 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32301
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (new session) 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
February 17, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Orlando Universal
7800 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819
1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (this session has been extended 1.5 hours) 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (this session will begin 30 minutes later than originally planned)
February 18, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport
1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33405
12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. (this session will begin 1 hour earlier than originally planned) 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (this session will begin 1 hour earlier than originally planned)
Click here to signup for meeting
Meeting information: http://www.epa.gov/
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More Florida Coral in Danger of Extinction
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces decision to consider adding 7 Atlantic and 75 Pacific coral species to the Endangered Species List.
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The NMFS published their findings to proceed with a review to determine whether 82 species of coral warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The action was taken in response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). The petition asserts that the species are being affected by dredging, coastal development, coastal point source pollution, agricultural and land use practices, disease, predation, reef fishing, aquarium trade, physical damage from boats and anchors, marine debris, and aquatic invasive species. The petition contends that synergistic threats of ocean warming, ocean acidification, and other impacts affect these species, stating that immediate action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations to levels that do not jeopardize these species.
The seven species of Atlantic coral under consideration are found along the entire Florida reef tract stretching from the Dry Tortugas to Martin County and include: Mountainous Star Coral, Rough Cactus Coral, Lamarck’s Sheet Coral, Pillar Coral, Elliptical Star Coral, Boulder Star Coral and Montastraea franksi.
Deadline for public comment is April 12, 2010
NMFS has opened a 60 day public comment period to solicit information from the public, government agencies, the scientific community, industry, and any other interested parties on the status of these 82 coral species.
Click here to learn about the public comments period
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Upcoming Reef Rescue Events
March 13, Turtle Days at Gumbo Limbo Environmental Center, Boca Raton
http://gumbolimbo.org/ee/home/
May 1, Annual Kayak-a-thon Fund Raiser for Reef Rescue
http://www.kayakathon.com/
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Keep in touch with breaking news at the Reef Rescue Coral Reef Blog
Recent entries:
Juno Beach project kills endangered sea turtle
http://reefrescue.wordpress.
Coral in Florida Keys suffers lethal hit from cold
http://reefrescue.wordpress.
Feds too busy to review habitat protection for Palm Beach staghorn reefs
http://reefrescue.wordpress.
Say ‘no’ to shark fin soup campaign launches in China
http://reefrescue.wordpress.
Palm Beach County Reef Rescue
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL75cv6zJQFjX15ojOIIz9AjnbqH4asHJTYSDhnGnYr7rJZRha1NcNTirj2xPcId158vkz5Hw-wXgOfrlztj8Zr8jLFFCfuEN6PyV44ZlpMRmJ68xbtFL9vzxNiG7xDs_HJvm/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
