Biscayne Bay Is Slowly Becoming the Ocean

Biscayne Bay is undergoing a significant environmental shift, moving towards a saltier and more acidic state, according to a 20-year record. This transformation poses a serious threat to the bay's ecosystem, including its critical role as a nursery for juvenile great hammerhead sharks, a critically endangered species. The changing water conditions also endanger the Biscayne Aquifer, the primary source of drinking water for Miami. Recent observations have noted alarming die-offs of sawfish, another critically endangered species, in South Florida waters since 2024, a phenomenon scientists link to record ocean heat. The environmental changes in Biscayne Bay are indicative of broader oceanic stress, impacting marine life and vital freshwater resources for a major metropolitan area.