Baseline Studies needed on Virginia Key prior to Ultra

By Rumya Sundaram
Contributor

Ultra Music Festival is scheduled to occur on Virginia Key for the first time on March 29-30, 2019.  There has been much concern regarding the effects of sound, pollution, and environmental damage which could be caused by Ultra, especially in proximity to the critical wildlife habitat found on Virginia Key.  The Village of Key Biscayne, helped by the Key Biscayne Citizen Science Project, is working with local scientists and stakeholders to conduct baseline studies before, during, and after Ultra to determine if any insult to the environment has occurred as a result of the festival. The following is a memo sent on January 28, 2019 from Rumya Sundaram, Citizen Science Coordinator at the Key Biscayne Citizen Scientist Project, to Andrea Agha, Village Manager for the Village of Key Biscayne:

MEMO

With Ultra Music Festival beginning in approximately two months, it is imperative that we begin the various baseline studies on the varying and sensitive parts of Virginia Key’s ecology as soon as possible. Some information will be obtained via literature research and public data from FWC and other organizations (e.g. manatee boat strikes), new data will be collected via baseline research before, during, and after Ultra. Altogether, we plan to gather data and information regarding the following areas:

• Ambient sound within the estuary
• Effects of sound on fish
• Sound measurements in the estuary during Ultra
• Water quality before, during, and after Ultra
• Bird ecology including presence, and nesting and feeding habitat
• Fisher Island Bird Count data (to begin February 1st)
• Manatee boat strikes
• Effects of sound on manatee presence
• Possible changes in seagrass cover
• Possible degradation of coral
• Drone footage and land-based surveys of sensitive areas before, during and after Ultra (vegetation, sand dunes, mangroves, seagrass, etc.)
• Any other relevant data

Current expected costs include:

• Baseline study including acoustic array in Biscayne Bay both for ambient sound and measurements during Ultra, studies of the effects of sound on fish, and decibel measurements in neighboring locations (proposal attached, EX. 1). $36,000.00
• Baseline study of water quality before, during, and after Ultra, and drone and land-based surveys of sensitive areas (proposal attached, EX. 2). $5,200.00
• Baseline study of bird feeding and nesting habitats and presence of shorebirds before and after Ultra (proposal attached, EX. 3). $5,000.00
• TOTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT $46,200.00