Miami-Dade County releases 2026 Biscayne Bay Report Card

Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) released today the 2026 Biscayne Bay Report Card which offers both encouraging signs of ecological recovery and a stark reminder that the health of Biscayne Bay remains at risk due to the constant flow of pollutants and nutrients that are harmful for its ecosystem. In 2018, then Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava sponsored Resolution No. R‑463‑18, establishing an annual Biscayne Bay report card to develop a data‑driven assessment of the health of Biscayne Bay. The Report uses an easy-to-understand "stoplight” approach to evaluate key water quality and habitat indicators, to translate scientific findings into simple scores of green, yellow and red to indicate good, fair and poor status. 

“Now in its eighth year, the Biscayne Bay Report Card remains one of our most important tools for understanding the long-term health of our community’s ‘Blue Heart,’” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “The Biscayne Bay Report Card was created through legislation I sponsored following the first Biscayne Bay Health Summit, establishing a critical tool to help track the Bay’s health and guide restoration efforts over time. This year’s findings show that while targeted restoration efforts are making a difference in some areas, Biscayne Bay continues to face serious threats from pollution and nutrient runoff. Protecting our Bay requires action from all of us, and one simple but impactful step residents can take is avoiding fertilizer use during the rainy season from May 15 through October 31. Together, we can help preserve Biscayne Bay for future generations.” 

Despite slight improvements in a few areas that moved from “poor” to “fair,” every region of Biscayne Bay still remains in either “poor” or “fair” condition overall. Many areas—particularly in northern Biscayne Bay—continue to show high levels of nutrient and bacteria pollution that exceed established criteria, underscoring the urgent need for stronger, sustained action. Elevated nutrients and bacteria are regularly detected in canals and portions of the Bay, and over time these pollutants can harm its sensitive ecosystem.  

Everyday sources contributing to this pollution include:  

• stormwater and sediment runoff that carries nutrients and other contaminants into storm drains  
• uncollected dog waste that washes into waterways  
• the use of lawn fertilizers during the rainy season  
• trash discarded on streets or directly into canals  
• leaky or poorly maintained septic tanks  
• and improper disposal of fats, oils, and greases from homes and businesses  

The localized improvements in the northern part of Biscayne Bay are related to water quality and seagrass growth. Water clarity improved or remained stable in multiple areas, and northern Biscayne Bay—previously affected by significant seagrass loss—showed encouraging signs of ecological recovery. Also, seagrass abundance expanded in several other regions, reaching the highest coverage in some areas since 2018. 

The conclusions of the current Report Card are consistent with prior reports. It's essential to continue collecting enough data to determine trends and identify potential correlation between diverse restoration efforts and the health of Biscayne Bay, making it imperative to obtain at least a decade worth of data. 

“Biscayne Bay is not just a source of beauty and inspiration—it is also our community’s economic powerhouse, generating $64 billion each year in tourism, entertainment, boating, aquatic sports, real estate, and more,” said DERM Director and Chief Resilience Officer Loren Parra. “From Miami Gardens to Homestead, from Miami Beach to Hialeah—our communities, our jobs, and our quality of life depend on a thriving Biscayne Bay. For all these reasons, we invite everyone to think about what they can do to protect our Bay every single day.” 

Miami-Dade County remains committed to finding and implementing nutrient-reducing interventions to protect Biscayne Bay. The most significant effort underway is developing a Reasonable Assurance Plan (RAP) for Biscayne Bay, in collaboration with the state and municipal partners, to establish nutrient targets to help reduce the amount of pollution reaching Biscayne Bay. Other bay health initiatives the County is advancing include the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, piloting innovative approaches to reducing nutrients in stormwater reaching the Bay, converting septic systems to sewer, and conducting coastal restoration across the County, as well as outreach and education efforts such as fertilizer ordinance awareness, Baynanza cleanups, and boater safety programs. 

The 2026 Report Card reflects extensive work by field biologists and the scientific team in Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management. To compile the data points each year, thousands of samples are collected and analyzed from 138 water quality stations and 475 benthic habitat monitoring sites. Key indicators studied include the levels of nutrients, bacteria and chlorophyll‑a, along with water clarity and the health of seagrass and sponges. Sharing these findings with the public at large, the report is available through an interactive online format at miamidade.gov/BiscayneBay.