Healthy Habitats and Oceans (H2O) Program

CMA focuses on the journey from the aquifer to the ocean, connecting the water, animals and humans that rely on healthy coastal resources and habitat.

As one of the leading coastal conservation organizations in the USA, CMA holds first-hand knowledge of the damage that marine debris causes to marine species’ populations. A component of our organization’s mission, which promotes the conservation of endangered marine animals to gain protections for larger coastal regions, involves rescuing individual animals from marine debris entanglements during our research efforts. These efforts are often in vain, as many of these entanglements lead to mortality. As a major focus of our work is endangered species protection, our team is seeking to prevent these losses, which are unsustainable for the recovery of these imperiled species.

CMA is now running a marine debris educational program, Healthy Habitats and Oceans (H²O), with a specific focus on how endangered marine species are impacted by this pervasive threat. We hope to draw attention to the increasing threat of marine debris by outreaching to citizens, and youth in particular, throughout the state of Florida. CMA has acquired a 27’ bus that is used as a mobile learning unit to visit elementary through high schools and attend community festivals along the east and west coasts of Florida and Georgia. Our team presents educational programs instructing these audiences on preventing land-based litter and derelict fishing gear from reaching the ocean. Visits to schools are supplemented with an optional beach-clean up in the following weeks to cement lessons learned while on our educational vehicle.

Educating the public to promotes awareness

CMA’s past experiences in educating the public on marine issues lead us to the conclusion that often people are simply unaware that their actions affect conservation. Once a citizen is informed and aware, they often implement changes for the betterment of the environment. CMA is expecting broad-based benefits to the marine system along the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Coast from Georgia to Florida through a reduction in beach/boat littering and discarded fishing gear. In addition to the coastal system, this program will enrich participating students by infusing them with a sense of community and purpose. Furthermore, festival participants benefit through the understanding that they are able to become actively involved in conservation efforts through simple behavioral change.