October 15, 2026
5:30 PM
GET YOUR TICKET
IMAGINE IF THIS WAS
THE LAST STAGHORN
You helped protect one of the last staghorn coral populations left in Florida.
Our 8th Annual State of the Water will gather to collectively imagine – what if this were the last staghorn coral left in Florida? Would our values or our decision-making be different? Would we act to save it?
While the theme is hyperbole – it’s not by much, as this coral has been declared functionally extinct in Florida, and the dredge ships are still circling. Dive into the actions Miami Waterkeeper is taking to safeguard our reef – and join our mission to save the last staghorn corals.
VIEW SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIESEvent Details
Thursday, October 15, 2026
5:30 – 8:30 PM
Rusty Pelican, 3201 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne, FL 33149
Business casual attire
Hors d’oeuvres and drinks
#WaterWin: Army Corps Withdraws Its Port
Everglades Dredging Application
For more than ten years, Miami Waterkeeper and a coalition of conservation organizations fought to protect Florida’s Coral Reef from what NOAA called “the largest impact to coral reefs permitted in U.S. history.” On April 15, 2026, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers withdrew its state permit application for the Port Everglades Expansion Dredging project — the most significant progress in over a decade of advocacy.
This pause is a critical opportunity — but it’s not the finish line.
More than 35,000 people signed petitions calling on regulators to stop the dredge. Alongside legal advocacy from Earthjustice, scientific testimony, and coalition organizing with the Center for Biological Diversity, Florida Wildlife Federation, and the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association, this community made itself impossible to ignore.
Learn More: Stop the DredgeWhat You Can Expect at the State of the Water
An evening built around the people, science, and organizing that made this win possible:
Great company, drinks, and food while connecting with the advocates, scientists, and reef defenders behind the Stop the Dredge campaign
Keynote address by Miami Waterkeeper Dr. Rachel Silverstein on the State of the Water — and what stopping the Port Everglades dredge means for South Florida’s future
Presentation of the Porter Prize, honoring a local environmental champion who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in protecting South Florida’s waterways
Sponsor State of the Water
At Miami Waterkeeper, you’re not an event sponsor — you’re a partner.
By sponsoring State of the Water, you become a member of the PartnerSHIP program. This is our community of major donors whose year-round support enables us to quickly pivot and respond to water crises, from pollution spills to policy proposals, as they arise. Together, we fight for clean water through science, advocacy, and education — from reefs to wetlands, courtrooms to classrooms, protecting the water and what makes South Florida unique.
PartnerSHIP members receive complimentary tickets to State of the Water, an exclusive VIP pre-event reception, behind-the-scenes access to our work throughout the year — on the water, in the field, and beyond — and recognition in State of the Water event materials and our annual impact report.
To learn more, contact Helen Quinn at helen.quinn@miamiwaterkeeper.org.
Learn more about our PartnerSHIP program here.
Honorary Keeper ($100,000+)
Seahorse level ($50,000+)
Manatee level ($25,000+)
Dolphin level ($15,000+)
Sea Turtle level ($10,000+)
Coral level ($5,000+)
Starfish level ($2,500+)
Watch a recap of our 2025 State of the Water event below
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THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS PARTNERSHIP CREW
PartnerSHIP list as of 6/1/2026
Honorary Keeper ($100,000+)
Anonymous
Bruce and Diana Rauner
Seahorse level ($50,000+)
Manatee level ($25,000+)
Bethany and Robert B. Millard
The Barry S. Sternlicht Foundation
Ellen and John Levinson
The Frankel Family
The Mailman Foundation
The Newman Family
The SeamLev Foundation
Dolphin level ($15,000+)
The Charlsemead
Foundation
Laurie and Andy Okun
Reiter and Soman Family
Jenny and Nick Semaca
Aviva and Aaron Stauber
Paula Tolliver
Robin and H Jordan Weitz
Sea Turtle level ($10,000+)
The Alvarez Family Fund
Jaleh and Jeffrey Bast
Roger and Leslie Baumann
Bisnow Family
Cristina and Mark Crofton
Dedrick Family Foundation
Fritz-Veloso Family
The Gardner Family Foundation
Jen Kaplan
Philip Kushlan
Leomi Foundation
Leslie Miller
Amanda Perwin and Seth Cassel
Judd Rosen
Schwedel Family
Brandon and Kara Yarckin
Coral level ($5,000+)
Susan and Rob Askew
Julia and Till Bechtolsheimer
The Diamond Family
Liz Greig and Jason Extein
Marcello Fernandes & Family in memory of Kellie Henley
Charles Hammel
Valerie Hernandez and
Gildas Durand
The Benjamin and Gloria Joannou, Jr. Family Conservation Fund
Cindy Lerner
Ashley Litwin and Anton Diego
Mark Mason Family
Lisa and Victor Mendelson
Ernesto Morales
Michelle Petock and Henry Werner
The Risius Family Philanthropic Trust
The Toni Schrager Team
Estelle Silverstein
Harris and Amy
Siskind
Tracy Slavens and Daniel Schwartz
The Stokes Family
The Szajman Family
Amy Taylor
Steven and Rochelle Weinstein
Starfish level ($2,500+)
