Over the years, there have been several fish kills and reports of plumes of potential chemicals leaking into the bay, mainly as the result of booming construction in South Florida.

On Tuesday, North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham hosted the Coastal Mayors of Biscayne Bay breakfast meeting to discuss ideas and policies recently implemented to mitigate pollution in the bay.

“If we look out behind us, we can see something like 13 municipalities. So, we all influence the water quality because the water that is in the bay is coming from all of those places,” said Latham.

Loren Parra, Miami Dade’s Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer, told NBC6 the health of the bay is “in decline.” She noted that resilience efforts have decreased over the last 5 to 10 years.

Parra said they are trying to turn that trend around by implementing new legislation like the Impervious Surfaces Ordinance which aims to filter rainwater through green spaces before it is released into the bay.

“The necessary storage, the necessary green space for us to take in increased rainfall, store it, clean it and make sure it’s in much better shape before it goes out to Biscayne Bay,” said Parra.

Key Biscayne’s mayor was also in attendance, briefing others on the efforts of the village to mitigate pollution from entering Biscayne Bay.

Mayor Joe Rasco noted that the village is down to just two septic tanks, after converting 750 buildings to sewer.

With a more optimistic outlook on the health of Biscayne Bay’s, FIU Associate Professor Tom Frankovich said it is “improving.”

“We are very fortunate to have good exchange with the Atlantic Ocean,” said Frankovich. “We’re pretty resilient to a lot of the impacts that we throw on the system.”

The marine ecology professor also noted that recent fish kills haven’t been as large or severe. A sign that conditions may be improving. He added that more work is needed in the canals that feed into the bay.

The islands were first closed before Memorial Day weekend.

Anyone trespassing onto the islands will be subject to arrest, and the Marine Patrol unit will enforce zero-tolerance measures against those seen trespassing, officials said.

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Boaters who visit the islands were advised to seek alternate destinations.

If the closure has “spoiled” your plans, here are other places to celebrate the holiday and watch the fireworks.

“The Miami Police and Parks and Recreation Departments are collaborating to raise public awareness about the detrimental impacts of littering and will enforce existing laws and regulations,” the city said in a statement. “This is a temporary measure to evaluate and restore the natural beauty in our City and our waterways.”

The decision is part of a larger effort to promote environmental stewardship and responsible recreation.

“We’re going to temporarily shut them down so we can evaluate and better safeguard our our bay and the islands,” city spokesperson Kenia Fallat said when the closure was first announced in May. “We just want people to understand that we’re not going to tolerate this. Anyone that has seen trespassing will be subject to arrest.”

Miami Police Marine Patrol Lt. Oriel Tameron said people heeded the Memorial Day warnings.

“They listened, they did not come to these islands as we can see here in the background, the islands are clean how we left them, you see the nature, you see the birds,” Tameron said.

That’s the goal: a clean and trash-free environment.

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City officials announced Wednesday that Osprey Island, Morningside Island, Willis Island, and Pace Picnic Island also known as “Teachers Island,” will be temporarily closed beginning Friday.

Anyone trespassing onto the islands will be subject to arrest, and the Marine Patrol unit will enforce zero-tolerance measures against those seen trespassing, officials said.

Boaters who visit the islands were advised to seek alternate destinations.

“The Miami Police and Parks and Recreation Departments are collaborating to raise public awareness about the detrimental impacts of littering and will enforce existing laws and regulations,” the city said in a statement. “This is a temporary measure to evaluate and restore the natural beauty in our City and our waterways.”

The decision is part of a larger effort to promote environmental stewardship and responsible recreation.

“We’re going to temporarily shut them down so we can evaluate and better safeguard our our bay and the islands,” city spokesperson Kenia Fallat said. “We do know Memorial Day is coming up. We just want people to understand that we’re not going to tolerate this. Anyone that has seen trespassing will be subject to arrest.”

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The vantage point of the video, obtained Friday by NBC6, is the dock directly behind 78-year-old Carlos Guillermo Alonso‘s home in Coral Gables.

“This was an unthinkable tragedy and our hearts break for Ella and her family,” Alonso’s attorney, Lauren Krasnoff, said in a statement. “We hope this video helps to shut down some of the awful and unfounded rumors going around about Bill, who is absolutely devastated.”

Alonso is seen untying the 42-foot Boston Whaler a little after 3 p.m. on Saturday and taking it out into the water.

Then, at around 4:30 p.m., Alonso is seen returning to the dock behind his home. He then ties the boat to the dock.

Biscayne Bay May 16

Biscayne Bay water sports safety takes center stage after teen's tragic death

Biscayne Bay May 15

‘We are devastated': Attorney of suspected boater in Biscayne Bay deadly crash speaks

“As the video shows, Bill was alone. He was not drinking. And he had no clue that he may have hit someone – he parked the boat at his home, he was calm, he didn’t clean the boat, and he did not try to hide anything,” Krasnoff said. “Bill will continue to cooperate with law enforcement in every possible way.”

The Adler family’s attorney said Friday they had no comment on the investigation.

The 15-year-old was fatally struck at around 4 p.m. while wakeboarding about a mile west of Mashta Point at Key Biscayne, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said.

On Tuesday, investigators tracked down Alonso’s boat docked behind his home in the Hammock Oaks neighborhood. He was operating the boat and was its only occupant at the time of the incident.

An FWC report doesn’t mention whether he could face charges. Officials also said Alonso was cooperating with the investigation, which is ongoing.

Over the years, there have been several fish kills and reports of plumes of potential chemicals leaking into the bay, mainly as the result of booming construction in South Florida.

On Tuesday, North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham hosted the Coastal Mayors of Biscayne Bay breakfast meeting to discuss ideas and policies recently implemented to mitigate pollution in the bay.

“If we look out behind us, we can see something like 13 municipalities. So, we all influence the water quality because the water that is in the bay is coming from all of those places,” said Latham.

Loren Parra, Miami Dade’s Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer, told NBC6 the health of the bay is “in decline.” She noted that resilience efforts have decreased over the last 5 to 10 years.

Parra said they are trying to turn that trend around by implementing new legislation like the Impervious Surfaces Ordinance which aims to filter rainwater through green spaces before it is released into the bay.

“The necessary storage, the necessary green space for us to take in increased rainfall, store it, clean it and make sure it’s in much better shape before it goes out to Biscayne Bay,” said Parra.

Key Biscayne’s mayor was also in attendance, briefing others on the efforts of the village to mitigate pollution from entering Biscayne Bay.

Mayor Joe Rasco noted that the village is down to just two septic tanks, after converting 750 buildings to sewer.

With a more optimistic outlook on the health of Biscayne Bay’s, FIU Associate Professor Tom Frankovich said it is “improving.”

“We are very fortunate to have good exchange with the Atlantic Ocean,” said Frankovich. “We’re pretty resilient to a lot of the impacts that we throw on the system.”

The marine ecology professor also noted that recent fish kills haven’t been as large or severe. A sign that conditions may be improving. He added that more work is needed in the canals that feed into the bay.

Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, of Coral Gables, is named as the boater in a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission incident report on the Saturday afternoon crash that killed the 15-year-old.

“This is the worst possible tragedy that anyone could imagine,” Alonso’s attorney, Lauren Field Krasnoff, said. “We are devastated for the Adlers, for their friends, for their family — there’s no question in our minds that this is an absolutely horrific thing that happened and we pray for and think of their family and friends during this time.”

Krasnoff said Alonso was boating by himself on Saturday. When police came to his door, he didn’t know why.

“We don’t know at this time whether (Alonso) or his boat were the boat involved in the crash,” she continued. “If his boat was involved, I can tell you he had absolutely no idea that that is what happened that day. He is as devastated as anybody could be.”

Previous coverage

Biscayne Bay May 15

Boater in fatal Biscayne Bay crash that killed 15-year-old Ella Adler identified

Key Biscayne May 15

‘A turning point': Mother of girl who was on the boat with Ella Adler speaks

The one-page report lists Alonso as the only occupant of his boat, a 42-foot Boston Whaler. It doesn’t mention whether he could face charges, and it’s unclear whether alcohol was a factor in the crash, since the section of the report that mentions whether it’s alcohol related is marked “unknown.”

In a statement Wednesday, FWC officials said Alonso was cooperating with the investigation.

“He docked his boat in plain sight, and most importantly, he’s been cooperative with law enforcement and with anybody that has needed to investigate what happened on the water that day,” Krasnoff said. “He has had no contact with the criminal system. He does not drink, and he was not drinking on that Saturday.”

According to the report, 13 other people were with Adler when she was fatally struck, including the 30-year-old man who was operating the boat she’d been on, a 42-foot Hanse Fjord walk-around.

According to the report, Adler and another girl were being towed in an area of Biscayne Bay about a mile west of Mashta Point, one on a wakeboard and the other on a wake surfboard.

They fell off at different times and locations and were in the water when Adler was struck by the other boat, which didn’t stop, FWC officials said.

Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, of Coral Gables, is named as the boater in a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission incident report on the Saturday afternoon crash that killed Ella Riley Adler.

The one-page report lists Alonso as the only occupant of his boat, a 42-foot Boston Whaler. It doesn’t mention whether he could face charges, and it’s unclear whether alcohol was a factor in the crash, since the section of the report that mentions whether it’s alcohol related is marked “unknown.”

In a statement Wednesday, FWC officials said Alonso was cooperating with the investigation.

BISCAYNE BAY BOAT TRAGEDY

Key Biscayne May 15

‘A turning point': Mother of girl who was on the boat with Ella Adler speaks

Biscayne Bay May 14

Boat of interest found in Biscayne Bay hit-and-run that killed waterskiing teen: FWC

According to the report, 13 other people were with Adler when she was fatally struck, including the 30-year-old man who was operating the boat she’d been on, a 42-foot Hanse Fjord walk-around.

According to the report, Adler and another girl were being towed in an area of Biscayne Bay about a mile west of Mashta Point, one on a wakeboard and the other on a wake surfboard.

They fell off at different times and locations and were in the water when Adler was struck by the other boat, which didn’t stop, FWC officials said.

Adler, a student at Ransom Everglades School, died from her injuries. No other injuries were reported.

FWC officials said Tuesday that a boat matching the description of the one that struck and killed Adler was in custody.

“I am pleased to report that we have a vessel in custody that matches the description given by witnesses, and the investigation is ongoing,” FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said in a statement. “As a father and grandfather, my heart is broken for the Adler family. Ella’s death is devastating for her family, friends, and the community at large. The FWC and our partner law enforcement agencies will not stop until we have all the answers and the case is solved.”

Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed the boat docked behind a house in the Hammock Oaks neighborhood in southwest Miami-Dade Tuesday. It was later towed from the home and was being brought to the FWC’s offices.

In the wake of what could be a breakthrough in the case, the Adler family released a statement Tuesday night.

“The world lost a star this weekend. Ella was beautiful and shined brightly. In her 15 years, she gave us more light than we could have ever dreamed,” the family said. “While we cope with this unspeakable tragedy, we ask the public to give us our privacy as we mourn. We also wish to extend our gratitude to law enforcement for their hard work and commitment to helping bring some closure to this horrific loss.”

Adler, a member of her school’s dance team, was an accomplished ballet performer and was a ballerina in the Nutcracker, appearing in over 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet at the Adrienne Arsht Center.

“The world lost a star this weekend,” the statement said. “Ella was beautiful and shined brightly. In her 15 years, she gave us more light than we could have ever dreamed. While we cope with this unspeakable tragedy, we ask the public to give us our privacy as we mourn. We also wish to extend our gratitude to law enforcement for their hard work and commitment to helping bring some closure to this horrific loss.”

An attorney representing the Adler family also confirmed to NBC6 that the 15-year-old’s parents were visited by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. 

“We are honored that the First Lady paid a shiva call to our family during this time of immense pain. We are touched by their support and love and we are proud to call the President and First Lady our friends for over 40 years,” the Adler family said in an additional statement. 

BISCAYNE BAY BOAT INCIDENT

Biscayne Bay May 14

Boat of interest found in Biscayne Bay hit-and-run that killed waterskiing teen: FWC

Biscayne Bay May 13

‘Magnificent dancer, special girl': Ella Riley Adler remembered after hit-and-run boat crash

Community support for the Adler family has been strong, with many paying tribute to Ella’s talents on stage and her devotion to her Jewish faith after she was struck and killed by a boat while waterskiing Saturday.

Melissa White, the mother of another child who was on the boat from which Adler was waterskiing, spoke out during a Tuesday night meeting in the Village of Key Biscayne. 

“I’m here to say thank you for being a community and supporting our family this weekend,” she said. “… For those girls that had to witness it, my hope is that they go forward and they continue to make Ella’s memory a blessing.”

A boat matching the description of what investigators are looking for was in the custody of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), authorities said Tuesday. Investigators said the boat’s owner is cooperating with the investigation. 

The boat was seen being towed away for analysis, in what may become a significant break in the investigation of the incident that occurred near Nixon Beach, the day before Mother’s Day.

FWC Officer George Reynaud emphasized the ongoing effort to solve the case. 

“FWC and our partner law enforcement agencies will not stop until we have all the answers and the case is solved,” Reynaud said.

The seizure of the boat followed leads provided by eyewitnesses, according to FWC.

Over the years, there have been several fish kills and reports of plumes of potential chemicals leaking into the bay, mainly as the result of booming construction in South Florida.

On Tuesday, North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham hosted the Coastal Mayors of Biscayne Bay breakfast meeting to discuss ideas and policies recently implemented to mitigate pollution in the bay.

“If we look out behind us, we can see something like 13 municipalities. So, we all influence the water quality because the water that is in the bay is coming from all of those places,” said Latham.

Loren Parra, Miami Dade’s Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer, told NBC6 the health of the bay is “in decline.” She noted that resilience efforts have decreased over the last 5 to 10 years.

Parra said they are trying to turn that trend around by implementing new legislation like the Impervious Surfaces Ordinance which aims to filter rainwater through green spaces before it is released into the bay.

“The necessary storage, the necessary green space for us to take in increased rainfall, store it, clean it and make sure it’s in much better shape before it goes out to Biscayne Bay,” said Parra.

Key Biscayne’s mayor was also in attendance, briefing others on the efforts of the village to mitigate pollution from entering Biscayne Bay.

Mayor Joe Rasco noted that the village is down to just two septic tanks, after converting 750 buildings to sewer.

With a more optimistic outlook on the health of Biscayne Bay’s, FIU Associate Professor Tom Frankovich said it is “improving.”

“We are very fortunate to have good exchange with the Atlantic Ocean,” said Frankovich. “We’re pretty resilient to a lot of the impacts that we throw on the system.”

The marine ecology professor also noted that recent fish kills haven’t been as large or severe. A sign that conditions may be improving. He added that more work is needed in the canals that feed into the bay.

Ella Riley Adler was identified as the teen who was struck and killed by a boat while she was waterskiing in Biscayne Bay on Saturday afternoon.

Since the tragic incident, there has been an overwhelming response from Adler’s community, including her school and ballet company she danced for.

Adler appeared in regular performances with the Miami City Ballet, including in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.

The 15-year-old was described as a well-rounded student — an active member of the Ransom Everglades School dance team, Jewish Student Association as well as the speech and debate team. She was the granddaughter of Michael M. Adler, the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium.

Ransom Everglades Head of School Rachel Rodriguez sent a statement to NBC6 Monday in response to Adler’s sudden death.

“Our hearts are broken and our community has been devastated by this tragedy. Ella shined in our classrooms and on our stages, and she embodied the mission of Ransom Everglades School,” Rodriguez stated. “We extend our deepest sympathy to her family and our prayers are with all who are mourning her loss. In this time of unspeakable pain, we have been moved by the outpouring of kindness and compassion from the Ransom Everglades community. In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to lean into our core values and provide support and care to the many students and members of our professional community who are grieving.”

A funeral service was being held Monday at Temple Beth Shalom for Adler.

Friends are also speaking out, remembering the teen as not only a talented performer, but a beloved young person.

“Special little girl. She was a great dancer. She was my daughter’s best friend. It’s a tremendous loss. She had such a bright future. Very sad, very sad,” family friend Loren Pierson said.

Fellow students described Adler as well-known and friendly.

“It’s really sad to hear. I heard she was a really nice girl and was on the dance team and had a lot of friends. I can’t imagine the pain they’re going through,” student Miles Gelber said.

The Miami City Ballet also released a statement on the teen’s death.

“We at Miami City Ballet and the Miami City Ballet School are utterly devastated by the heartbreaking news of this tragic accident. Ella Adler was not just a beloved student and a magnificent dancer who graced our stage in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker; she was an integral part of our family, radiating potential and promise whose kindness, warmth, and infectious joy were known to all,” the statement read. “Our hearts go out to Ella’s family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and adoring her. As we come together, we will profoundly grieve the loss of Ella, and hold dear the precious memories we were fortunate enough to create with her.”

A witness also provided NBC6 a photo of the immediate aftermath, which captured what appeared to be gray yacht next to a police boat. The witness said Adler had been waterskiing from the gray yacht.

Officials also said the vessel that fatally hit her was described as a light blue center console, possibly with blue or dark blue bottom paint and three or four white outboard engines. It was last seen heading westbound from Nixon Beach in Key Biscayne on Saturday afternoon.

FWC officials also confirmed to NBC6 on Sunday that the teen was not actively waterskiing when she was hit.

“She was just in the water with the board attached to her feet and wearing a life jacket,” an FWC spokesperson said.

The FWC is continuing its search for the boat and said a reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest or aiding the investigation.

Over the years, there have been several fish kills and reports of plumes of potential chemicals leaking into the bay, mainly as the result of booming construction in South Florida.

On Tuesday, North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham hosted the Coastal Mayors of Biscayne Bay breakfast meeting to discuss ideas and policies recently implemented to mitigate pollution in the bay.

“If we look out behind us, we can see something like 13 municipalities. So, we all influence the water quality because the water that is in the bay is coming from all of those places,” said Latham.

Loren Parra, Miami Dade’s Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer, told NBC6 the health of the bay is “in decline.” She noted that resilience efforts have decreased over the last 5 to 10 years.

Parra said they are trying to turn that trend around by implementing new legislation like the Impervious Surfaces Ordinance which aims to filter rainwater through green spaces before it is released into the bay.

“The necessary storage, the necessary green space for us to take in increased rainfall, store it, clean it and make sure it’s in much better shape before it goes out to Biscayne Bay,” said Parra.

Key Biscayne’s mayor was also in attendance, briefing others on the efforts of the village to mitigate pollution from entering Biscayne Bay.

Mayor Joe Rasco noted that the village is down to just two septic tanks, after converting 750 buildings to sewer.

With a more optimistic outlook on the health of Biscayne Bay’s, FIU Associate Professor Tom Frankovich said it is “improving.”

“We are very fortunate to have good exchange with the Atlantic Ocean,” said Frankovich. “We’re pretty resilient to a lot of the impacts that we throw on the system.”

The marine ecology professor also noted that recent fish kills haven’t been as large or severe. A sign that conditions may be improving. He added that more work is needed in the canals that feed into the bay.

The young girl was identified as 15-year-old Ella Riley Adler, who was a student and an accomplished ballet performer, according to Ransom Everglades Head of School Rachel Rodriguez.

Officials said the boating incident happened near Nixon Beach in Miami-Dade County around 4:30 p.m.

The girl had been waterskiing before she was struck by a vessel, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said.

On the condition of anonymity, NBC6 spoke to a witness who offered a firsthand account of the tragic incident.

The witness also provided NBC6 a photo of the immediate aftermath, which captured what appeared to be gray yacht next to a police boat. The witness said the victim was waterskiing from the gray yacht.

According to the witness, the girl was in the water when she was struck by a large center console fishing boat. They said boat that hit the victim did not appear to swerve or slow down. Following the collision, the witness said they heard distress signals and screams over the radio coming from the yacht.

Officials also said the vessel that fatally hit her was described as a light blue center console, possibly with blue or dark blue bottom paint and three or four white outboard engines. It was last seen heading westbound from Nixon Beach in Key Biscayne.

FWC officials also confirmed to NBC6 on Sunday that the girl was not actively waterskiing when she was hit.

“The victim was waterskiing. And at the time of the impact, she was not actively waterskiing. She was just in the water with the board attached to her feet and wearing a life jacket,” an FWC spokesperson said.

The witness described the yacht as urgently blaring its horn while circling back to the girl.

The FWC says a reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest or aiding the investigation.

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call the FWC’s hotline at 888-404-3922.

This is a developing story. Check back with NBC6 for updates.

The boating incident happened near Nixon Beach in Miami-Dade around 4:30 p.m., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the girl, whose identity has not been released, was waterskiing when she was struck by a vessel that left the scene, FWC stated.

Officials say the vessel that fatally hit her was described as a light blue center console, possibly with blue or dark blue bottom paint and three or four white outboard engines. It was last seen heading westbound from Nixon Beach in Key Biscayne.

FWC officers are asking any witnesses or anyone with information to contact the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. 

This is a developing story. Check back with NBC6 for updates.

Eric Rodriguez, 24, was arrested Wednesday on charges of boating under the influence/manslaughter and vessel homicide/operating in a reckless manner, Miami-Dade jail records showed.

The crash happened shortly before 11 p.m. back on Sept. 23, 2023.

According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrest report, Rodriguez, of Miramar, had been “recklessly operating” his 26-foot Sea Hunt vessel, “traveling at a high rate of speed, in the dark, white it was raining” when the crash happened.

GPS data from the boat showed it had been heading north in the Instrcoastal Waterway in Biscayne Bay from the Miami Marine Stadium at Virginia Key, trevalling in and out of a channel at about 46 mph in an area where the maximum speed allowed is 30 mph, the report said.

After passing the 79th Street Causeway, Rodriguez “failed to maintain his vessel in the channel, did not identify a channel marker ahead of him and struck red channel marker #20,” the report said.

One of the passengers, Justin Sosa, hit the back of his head on the channel marker and was thrown to the back of the boat and ejected from the impact, the report said.

Rodriguez only stopped the boat because other passengers realized Sosa had been ejected and brought it to his attention, the report said.

They stopped and looked for Sosa while one of the passengers called 911 and marine patrol officers responded.

Sosa’s body was found a few hours later at the bottom of the bay near the channel marker, the report said.

The medical examiner later determined Sosa’s cause of death was from blunt force injuries.

Investigators who spoke with Rodriguez said he smelled like he had been drinking alcohol, and multiple empty containers were found in the boat, the report said.

Other passengers told investigators Rodriguez had been drinking vodka at Marine Stadium, the report said.

A blood sample taken six hours after the crash came back at .079, just below Florida’s legal limit of .08, the report said.

Investigators said the boat didn’t have a spotlight, and no one was at the front of the boat to act as a lookout.

“The direction in which he was traveling meant that the lights on shore would have made it even more difficult for him to see objects in the water while operating the vessel at a such a high rate of speed through the darkness,” the report said. “The defendant was operating his vessel that night with a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of his passengers and for others in the water, and while he was impaired by alcohol.”

In bond court Thursday, Rodriguez’s attorney told a judge he’d surrendered him to FWC on Wednesday to face the charges. Rodriguez’s bond was set at $55,000, and he was ordered not to have alcohol.

Over the years, there have been several fish kills and reports of plumes of potential chemicals leaking into the bay, mainly as the result of booming construction in South Florida.

On Tuesday, North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham hosted the Coastal Mayors of Biscayne Bay breakfast meeting to discuss ideas and policies recently implemented to mitigate pollution in the bay.

“If we look out behind us, we can see something like 13 municipalities. So, we all influence the water quality because the water that is in the bay is coming from all of those places,” said Latham.

Loren Parra, Miami Dade’s Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer, told NBC6 the health of the bay is “in decline.” She noted that resilience efforts have decreased over the last 5 to 10 years.

Parra said they are trying to turn that trend around by implementing new legislation like the Impervious Surfaces Ordinance which aims to filter rainwater through green spaces before it is released into the bay.

“The necessary storage, the necessary green space for us to take in increased rainfall, store it, clean it and make sure it’s in much better shape before it goes out to Biscayne Bay,” said Parra.

Key Biscayne’s mayor was also in attendance, briefing others on the efforts of the village to mitigate pollution from entering Biscayne Bay.

Mayor Joe Rasco noted that the village is down to just two septic tanks, after converting 750 buildings to sewer.

With a more optimistic outlook on the health of Biscayne Bay’s, FIU Associate Professor Tom Frankovich said it is “improving.”

“We are very fortunate to have good exchange with the Atlantic Ocean,” said Frankovich. “We’re pretty resilient to a lot of the impacts that we throw on the system.”

The marine ecology professor also noted that recent fish kills haven’t been as large or severe. A sign that conditions may be improving. He added that more work is needed in the canals that feed into the bay.

The answer is — a private island that’s one of the most exclusive celebrity-occupied neighborhoods in the United States.

Indian Creek, also known as Billionaire Bunker, is a man-made, 300-acre barrier island in Biscayne Bay — home to some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and business.

Paul George, Historian for the History of Miami Museum, spoke to NBC6 on the history of Indian Creek and told us the development initially came about during the real estate boom of the 1920s.

It was created as an Italian-Mediterranean community in terms of style, George said.

Indian Creek Village did not become a municipality until 1939; in which the area then received its own police force and marine patrol — through the Indian Creek Village Police Department.

Today, the island holds dozens of homes, a country club, golf course and of course, a few high-profile residents.

“The centerpiece was a golf course and a clubhouse, and that’s what you always see when you come to the island,” George explained. “That becomes the first of everything there.”

In October, Bezos had purchased a mansion in Indian Creek for $79 million, just two months after buying a neighboring estate for $68 million, according to Bloomberg News.

The island village is reportedly only accessed by a two-lane bridge closely monitored by armed guards.

Bezos will now be joining other A-list celebrities like NFL legend Tom Brady, singer Julio Iglesias as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

Tom Brady moved to Indian Creek back in 2020 with then-wife Gisele Bündchen and their children.

Julio Iglesias is reportedly one of the neighborhood’s longtime residents, purchasing his first Indian Creek home back in 1979.

Ivanka Trump and her husband became residents in 2021, reportedly purchasing a home previously owned by Iglesias as well.

Over the years, there have been several fish kills and reports of plumes of potential chemicals leaking into the bay, mainly as the result of booming construction in South Florida.

On Tuesday, North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham hosted the Coastal Mayors of Biscayne Bay breakfast meeting to discuss ideas and policies recently implemented to mitigate pollution in the bay.

“If we look out behind us, we can see something like 13 municipalities. So, we all influence the water quality because the water that is in the bay is coming from all of those places,” said Latham.

Loren Parra, Miami Dade’s Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer, told NBC6 the health of the bay is “in decline.” She noted that resilience efforts have decreased over the last 5 to 10 years.

Parra said they are trying to turn that trend around by implementing new legislation like the Impervious Surfaces Ordinance which aims to filter rainwater through green spaces before it is released into the bay.

“The necessary storage, the necessary green space for us to take in increased rainfall, store it, clean it and make sure it’s in much better shape before it goes out to Biscayne Bay,” said Parra.

Key Biscayne’s mayor was also in attendance, briefing others on the efforts of the village to mitigate pollution from entering Biscayne Bay.

Mayor Joe Rasco noted that the village is down to just two septic tanks, after converting 750 buildings to sewer.

With a more optimistic outlook on the health of Biscayne Bay’s, FIU Associate Professor Tom Frankovich said it is “improving.”

“We are very fortunate to have good exchange with the Atlantic Ocean,” said Frankovich. “We’re pretty resilient to a lot of the impacts that we throw on the system.”

The marine ecology professor also noted that recent fish kills haven’t been as large or severe. A sign that conditions may be improving. He added that more work is needed in the canals that feed into the bay.

The video posted by Only in Dade Saturday showed the leak near Northeast 30th Street in Edgewater.

In response to the video, Miami Commissioner Sabina Covo said Miami-Dade County’s chief bay officer and Miami’s Public Works Department were “actively addressing environmental concerns.”

A preliminary investigation by both the city and county found the problem is stemming from a seawall that’s owned by the city and appears to be failing and falling into the bay.

A spokesperson for the county’s Division of Environmental Resources Management said the preliminary investigation, conducted Sunday, found a linear crack in the seawall, which could have caused lime rock and sand to flow into the bay and causing the plume seen in the video.

The city will have to fix the seawall and the county is responsible for cleaning up the bay. Crews were expected to be out again looking at mitigation efforts.

“What is happening is that the bay right there is falling forward,” Covo said. “Unfortunately right now it’s falling apart.”

Some residents were skeptical about nearby construction projects that could be contributing factors. Miami-Dade Police confirmed Monday that its Illegal Dumping Unit is also looking into the case.

“It could be a combination of sources,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference at PortMiami. “People do dump. They dump on the land, illegal dumping, they dump in the water, and they seem not to be mindful for the impact this will have.”

A new impact study revealed Monday Biscayne Bay’s $64 billion economic output. Levine Cava stressed that potential bad actors need to be held accountable.

“We have to make sure construction sites have proper barriers to not allow silt and garbage to go into the water,” she said.

The county wants people to call its hotline at 305-372-6955 to report any environmental concerns.

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The crash happened Tuesday afternoon not far from the Black Point Park and Marina.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the 39-foot Contender boat was traveling at a high rate of speed when it lost control ejecting the three passengers on board.

Three people had to be airlifted to local hospitals from the scene and on Wednesday, two friends confirmed that the man who was driving the boat died from his injuries.

The man, identified by the FWC as 41-year-old Michael Garcia, was a husband and father of three, the friends said.

Garcia was taking the boat out for a test drive and was looking into potentially purchasing it from the owner, who was also on board, the friends said.

A passenger who was on the boat at the time of the crash said the boat lost power at some point, causing it to lose steering and suddenly turn, violently throwing the men overboard.

The passenger said the owner, who was taken to Jackson South Medical Center, suffered a broken rib and another person was treated at the scene.

Footage from the scene Tuesday showed a center console boat with major damage, including a portion of its stern flooded with water. Debris could also been seen in the water nearby.

A good Samaritan who came across the wrecked boat said he did what he could to help the victims.

“Two of them were laying on the deck and one was laying on the post and I checked up on every person to see how they were doing and one wasn’t responding and gave them all the water and waited until police showed up,” Kenneth Rodriguez said.

Mike’s family members and friends said they weren’t ready to comment on the incident on camera but said they were heartbroken by his loss.

FWC officials said they’re investigating the crash.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said crews responded to the crash around 2 p.m. not far from the Black Point Park and Marina.

Three people had to be airlifted to local hospitals from the scene. Their identities and conditions were unknown.

Footage showed a center console boat with major damage, including a portion of its stern flooded with water. Debris could also been seen in the water nearby.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said they’re investigating.

No other details about the crash have been released.

Check back with NBC6 for updates.

Plastic and its microparticles are an emerging issue. FIU scientists are beginning a detailed analysis of their behavior once they reach the water by means of modeling techniques.

“The idea of developing such a model is to provide a simulation model that was able to be used for management actions, different options to reduce the inflow of pollutants, or study what would happen if there is a sudden discharge of pollutants somewhere within the bay,” explained Reinaldo Garcia, Research Professor at FIU’s Southeast Environmental Research Center.

This model was successfully validated in previous studies related to the bay’s water salinity and its interaction with terrain, currents, and meteorological conditions.

Henry Briceño, another Research Professor at the Southeast Environmental Research Center, added, “We’ll be able to say where the most important sources of plastics are in the watershed, how do they get into the bay, how fast they get here, how they move within the bay, and how they leave the bay. That’s what the model is going to do.”

Now, the research is analyzing the currents and its patterns, while studying how they diverge due to rainfall or drought during the year.

“We are going to use drifters with GPS installed so that we can track different drifters at different points and at different times during the tidal cycles so that we can track where these drifters go,” Garcia explained.

This study will take close to two years and should help identify plastic discharge areas, their trajectories and enable authorities to manage the issue of plastic discharge along the watershed.

Garcia continued, “The managers can use the model to study different scenarios to see where the plastics can go or see different control to the inflows, where they can be more critical to the water quality within the bay.”

Another crucial task will be to collect water samples at various depths and in different sectors within Biscayne Bay.

“We have to go to specific places in the bay, collect water samples, and measure what kind of plastics or microplastics are in those samples,” said Piero Gardinali, the Associate Director for the Institute of Environment at FIU. “Information on the size, how much of these plastics we have, and then whether they’re floating, whether they’re in the water column, or whether they’ll sink at the bottom.”

The BBLAST Project will require time, effort, and collaboration among various branches of science. It’s only a part of the formula to address such an issue.

In our next story, we’ll see what about the role our communities play.

It’s a problem that began in the 20th century with the creation of the first synthetic plastics from oil byproducts. Today, they are found in rivers, lakes, beaches, oceans, and even in polar ice.

“They degrade and then there are small particles which come out of that. And, those particles are called microplastics when they are smaller than 5 millimeters,” said Henry Briceño Research Professor of the Southeast Environmental Research Center at Florida International University. “So, these microplastics are not only here in the bay, they are everywhere. They are in the sediments.”

FIU Student Assistant Estefany Carvajal added, “In our oceans, we have things such as filter feeders that filter the water and that’s how they feed. So, if these microplastics are dissolved in our oceans and in our waters, things that eat those filter feeders will make that microplastic bioaccumulate up the food chain. Actually, we consume them already. We consume about a credit card’s worth of microplastics in around a week.”

According to the Plastic Oceans International Organization, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic is poured into the oceans every minute of the day. The interaction with climate and the environment breaks down plastic waste such as bags, bottles, or textile fibers, into smaller pieces yielding particles that end up in the sea.

These contain additives such as forever chemicals that, according to the CDC, could even cause certain types of cancer.

“These microplastics are not only present in the water and at the seabed, but they are also found in various organisms,” Briceño continued. “Those microplastics bioaccumulate in those organisms when they go from little, you know, snail to fish to humans. So, we are consuming microplastics and those chemicals are not good for our health.”

The scientific community calls it the invisible pollutant due to the technological limitations for its detection.

Maria Donoso — the UNESCO Chair at FIU’s Southeast Environmental Research Center — tells NBC6, “We are beginning to work on what will be the standards, such as for various microplastic components. When they exceed a certain magnitude, this amount becomes hazardous for humans or for aquatic animals, even birds that also feed on these animals.”

Scientists from Florida International University, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, have taken on the challenge of identifying the main sources of plastic pollution in Biscayne Bay through a project called BBLAST.

Henry Briceño added, “It’s a two-year project. What we plan has two main issues that we are going to be dealing with — how plastics move within the bay. Where do they come from? Where do they go? How do they stay? Where do they accumulate? So, it’s not only here in the bay, but also the coral reef and the ocean. They go all the way.”

After a few months of preparations, the research is currently in its initial phase.

How will they be able to trace back the origins of plastic waste in our local waters, and what can be done to prevent it? We’ll explore those topics in our upcoming stories on — ‘Planet in Crisis: Solutions.’