News Release

Biscayne National Park to receive funding from the Inflation Reduction Act

NPS Photo

News Release Date: March 5, 2024

Homestead, FL. – Biscayne National Park will receive $1,118,881 in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to protect and restore coral reefs in the park.  

Live coral cover across Interior Region 2 (IR2) parks, including Biscayne National Park, has declined by as much as 90% in the last 30 years. Park reefs provide habitat essential for commercially and recreationally important species, offer shoreline protection, and contribute heavily to the tourism economy. Loss of live coral leads to reduction in the reef ecosystem’s ability to provide these critical ecosystem services.

The park will use this funding to implement the region-wide coral reef resource stewardship strategy (RSS) to increase protection and management of park reefs. Funded actions aim to increase overall coral ecosystem health and resilience to climate change and other environmental concerns.  These projects infuse much-needed funding in putting people to work in addressing critical ecosystem needs to restore healthy and resilient park lands while benefiting communities surrounding parks.    

“We are excited to receive this funding which will help the park continue focusing on coral disease intervention, coral population enhancement, maintenance and expansion of the park’s mooring buoy network, restoration of storm damaged corals, removal of marine debris from park reefs, and management of invasive species. By increasing the health of park resources, we are not only able to work on critical environmental issues, but also support meaningful visitor experiences” stated Park Superintendent Penelope Del Bene.

This is part of an overall $195 million investment from the Inflation Reduction Act announced last week to prepare parks across the country to be resilient to climate change. These investments are incredibly timely, as healthy ecosystems, wildlife and native plant habitats, and cultural resources are threatened by climate change and many other environmental challenges.    

 This announcement is a promise to future generations. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the National Park Service is working to address the impacts of the climate crisis, including intensifying drought, wildfires, flooding and legacy pollution in national parks and other public lands. These resources will serve parks and communities across the United States with forward looking impact.   

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Department of the Interior is implementing more than $2 billion in overall investments to restore our nation’s lands and waters, guided by a new restoration and resilience framework to support coordination across agency restoration and resilience programs and drive transformational outcomes.  

Climate change is an overarching influence over national parks. This Inflation Reduction Act funding is a long-term opportunity to make significant investments in our nation’s lands and waters in the fight against climate change. This work will also advance America the Beautiful, the Administration’s initiative to restore and conserve 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. 

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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 429 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

 About Biscayne National Park.  Within sight of downtown Miami, Biscayne National Park protects a rare combination of subtropical islands, mangrove shoreline, biodiverse coral reefs, and 10,000 years of human history.  The park is ninety-five percent water and encompasses the northernmost Florida Keys.  Most of the park is only accessible by boat.  Home to a vast array of species, visitors to Biscayne might encounter sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, stingrays, and the West Indian manatee.  To learn more please visit https://www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm  For regular updates from the park follow us on https://www.facebook.com/BiscayneNPS and https://www.instagram.com/biscaynenps/