ST PETERSBURG, FL – A controversial bill that would have made it easier for developers to destroy seagrasses and replace them with unproven seagrass mitigation banks has died in the state legislature. Ocean Conservancy, the nation’s oldest marine conservation non-profit organization, opposed SB 198 / HB 349, saying it was bad for the environment, further threatens manatees, and threatens our water quality. The following statement was issued by Jon Paul “J.P.” Brooker, director of Florida Conservation at Ocean Conservancy, in response to the bill’s demise:

“We applaud the state lawmakers who took a stand and refused to advance this bill. The seagrass mitigation banking legislation would have allowed for the destruction of wild seagrasses. The uncertainty of the effectiveness and the extensive loss of seagrass that already is occurring are more than enough reasons for this bill to die in the state legislature.

The loss of these critical seagrasses has contributed to the record manatee die-off in Florida. Manatees, which require around 100 pounds of seagrass per day per individual, are simply starving to death as seagrass becomes scarcer and as they travel further to forage and become stressed due to cold and other ecosystem factors.”

More than 2 million acres of seagrass can be found along Florida’s coastline and estuaries. They provide ecological services worth more than $20 billion a year. Seagrasses also reduce coastal erosion, improve water quality, and act as a food source for manatees and juvenile fish.

Indian River Lagoon has lost 58% of its seagrass since 2009, Sarasota Bay lost 18% between 2018 and 2020, and Tampa Bay has lost 13% since 2012. Ocean Conservancy says protecting and conserving established seagrass beds by improving water quality and enhancing or expanding existing seagrass beds by planting new seagrasses are the highest priorities.

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Jon Paul “J.P.” Brooker is available for virtual interviews and in-person interviews in Cocoa Beach/Brevard County upon request.

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit http://www.oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.