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

EPA is holding three public hearings in Florida for public comment on the proposed rule.

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/waterscience/standards/rules/florida/

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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.
.
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/picture/2205/

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.com/2010/02/06/juno-beach-project-kills-endangered-sea-turtle/

Coral in Florida Keys suffers lethal hit from cold

http://reefrescue.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/coral-in-florida-keys-suffers-lethal-hit-from-cold/

Feds too busy to review habitat protection for Palm Beach staghorn reefs

http://reefrescue.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/feds-too-busy-to-review-habitat-protection-for-palm-
beach-staghorn-reefs/

Say ‘no’ to shark fin soup campaign launches in China

http://reefrescue.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/say-no-to-shark-fin-soup-campaign-launches-in-
china/

Palm Beach County Reef Rescue

www.reef-rescue.org