100 Corals for 100 Seasons!

Since preserving the environment has been a top priority for us at the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, we recently completed our own coral reef restoration project, an incredibly unique task that’s gone unheard of at any Super Bowl in the last 54 years, as a part of our Ocean 2 Everglades environmental initiative.

For us at the Committee, the idea was to connect with the best partners out there who could help us create a legacy in addition to breaking the NFL record in hosted Super Bowls.

Rodney Barreto, chairman, Miami Super Bowl Host Committee

For the MSBHC coral restoration project, members of FORCE BLUE – a nonprofit organization that bridges Special Operations veterans with marine conservation efforts – the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science program and the Frost Museum of Science. Collective efforts to plant 100 staghorn corals at Rainbow Reef offshore of Key Biscayne on Thursday, June 13 were crucial as a way to celebrate the centennial NFL season.

From now until Super Bowl Week (January 27 to February 2, 2020), the MSBHC and its partners will be monitoring the coral colonies’ growth; the ultimate goal is for them to act as an abundant feeding source and habitat for our marine species.

We are more dedicated than ever to fostering the growth of new colonies of coral reef that will flourish over the course of the next seven months leading up to Super Bowl LIV, as well as activating other projects that promote the sustainability of our community. Let’s shift our drive into high gear in order to leave the right kind of ecological footprint on South Florida!


Connect To Your Customers & Grow Your Business

Click Here

16 COMMENTS

  1. This is wonderful news. In another area where the Super Bowl Committee can have a HUGE impact is changing the dynamic of single-use plastic disposables (cups, lids, straws, cocktail stirrers, utensils, plates, etc) at the dozens of official Supoer Bowl events, the hundreds of satellite events, the Super Bowl experience outside the stadium and, of course, the BIG GAME DAY.

    Community organizations Surfrider Foundation, VolunteerCleanup.org and DebrisFreeOceans have plenty of practical guidance to offer.

    Single use plastics don’t go away. They go somewhere and take hundreds of years to breakdown. Unfortunately, so much ends up in our marine environment where it is creating an ecological time bomb for our future generations..

  2. It is great to see an entity with high visibility step forward to protect the coral reef and bring attention to it. We have such an incredible precious resource that needs to be brought to the forefront so it is appreciated by all – not just those of us who are fortunate to get out there on the water.

  3. Keep up the good work. It’s great to know there are people here in Miami doing positive things for our community.

  4. Cheers Rodney! Thank you for focusing on preserving our environment. Our beaches are beautiful & should be a priority! This is one of the reasons all the visitors come from allover the world to our city. Keep up the great leadership !!

  5. The South Florida environment is crucial to the quality of life that this area is famous for and which makes this area an exciting place to live. The marine life is vital to South Florida future. Thank you for adding the quality of life to all that live here. Way to go!

  6. Rodney, Thank you for all you do for the environment. The Barreto Family has led the way in many areas. Your sister Nancy is a good friend of mine and is also an example. Thanks again for bringing this to the Forefront.

  7. Can’t agree more with the activities of FORCE BLUE. For those interested in supporting similar efforts, please review the work of the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo. They have been doing this for years with local volunteers and planted over 1,000 corals on Looe Reef a few weeks ago.

  8. This is truly a great story, bringing this project to the attention of your readers is great. I’m happy to see, that great efforts are being made to help and to improve our waterways and wild life. I went to school with Rodney”s older brother, Richard and He loopks just like him.

  9. Force Blue clearly is breaking ground here with this wonderful collaboration between highly specialized former troops and Science.
    MSBHC’s goal of preserving our environment by spearheading the planting of 100 staghorn coral at Rainbow reef is a step in the right direction toward stemming the decline of our living coral and aiding the resurrection of coral communities.

  10. Bravo to Rodney for his leadership on environmental issues and for his unwavering support for protecting and preserving our natural environment. This State has for far too long miserably failed in its duty to protect our precious natural environment in Florida. This must change for numerous reasons that completely outweigh the alternative. One example, how about our health and the health of our children?

  11. Glad to see the focus on the unique and wonderful environment in and around Biscayne Bay. Most people don’t even realize what it looks like under the water, but it is fantastic. It would be good to look at the sea grass situation in the Bay itself and maybe plant some mangroves around the spoils islands and causeway islands, as well. Keep up the good work. Even though we no longer live on the Florida east coast, the southeast Florida coastal area is dear to our hearts.

Comments are closed.