Miami Waterkeeper (formerly Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper) defends, protects, and preserves Biscayne Bay and surrounding waters through citizen involvement and community action. MWK works to ensure swimmable, drinkable, fishable water in South Florida for all.
Our mission is to protect South Florida’s watershed through citizen engagement and community action, ensuring swimmable, drinkable, fishable water for all. As a Miami-based 501(c)(3), we are dedicated to protecting Biscayne Bay and the surrounding waters. We educate the public about the importance of clean water to our local ecology, culture, and economy. Through our work, we hope to ensure a clean and vibrant South Florida watershed and coastal culture for generations to come.
Launched in 2011, MWK is the first Waterkeeper in South Florida and is the only advocacy organization solely dedicated to protecting Biscayne Bay and its surrounding watershed.
What's the meaning behind the Miami Waterkeeper logo?
The outline of the circle in our logo is the outline of the Miami Circle, which is a Tequesta archaeological site at the mouth of the Miami River and Biscayne Bay. The site is a perfect circle measuring 38 feet across with 24 holes or basins cut into the limestone. The site was discovered in 1998, and is thought to be between 1700-2000 years old. Shell tools, dolphin skulls, turtle shells, and shark teeth were found inside the circle, indicating that this circle is one of the first known interactions of humans and the water in the Miami area. As we focus on both wildlife, water, and the human inhabitants of South Florida, the circle has meaning for Miami Waterkeeper. The animals found inside of our logo are native to Biscayne Bay and the surrounding waters, including some listed on the Endangered Species Act.
What is a Waterkeeper?
Your full-time Miami Waterkeeper is part investigator, scientist, educator, and legal advocate, functioning as a public spokesperson for our Bay, protecting your right to clean water and empowering you to defend your waterways too. Your Waterkeeper also patrols the Bay, responding to citizen complaints of pollution, monitoring water quality to defend your local waterways, and bringing polluters to justice.
Miami Waterkeeper is a registered member of the internationally recognized Waterkeeper Alliance and is one of nearly 300 independent Waterkeeper organizations working for clean water around the world. The origins of the Waterkeeper movement date back to 1966, when commercial and recreational fishermen came together to save the Hudson River in New York. Their outspoken, citizen-led advocacy ensured that laws were enforced and that their river, livelihood and the health of their families were protected.
In 1999, Waterkeeper Alliance was founded to support these Waterkeeper groups. Today, Waterkeeper Alliance is one of the world’s fastest growing environmental organizations, with nearly 300 Waterkeeper organizations patrolling rivers, lakes and coastal waterways on six continents.