Adopt-A-Buoy Program

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

The Miami-Dade County “Adopt a Buoy” Program was initiated by the Department of Environmental Resources Management to establish a system of mooring buoys for recreational boaters to utilize to prevent boat anchor damage at popular diving and fishing sites. Miami-Dade’s reefs are located off the most highly urbanized area in the state and areas subjected to numerous stressors. The County has over 55,000 registered boaters, many of whom access and recreated over their coastal reef areas. The new program is an important protection measure for these fragile resources. The mooring buoys provide a safe way for boaters to stay in one spot to fish or dive and without causing additional damage to the site by setting their anchor. Anchors “dropped” on reefs or other benthic resources cause extensive injuries by damaging and dislodging organisms; including seagrass, sponges, soft corals, and hard corals. Damaged organisms are more susceptible to stressors and other diseases which could lead to death. The “Adopt-a-Buoy’ Program began unfunded and has been developed with extensive partner support and stakeholder collaboration. Buoy installation is in process and public outreach is underway.