Yesterday we reported that building David Beckham's downtown soccer stadium would have a hidden cost: the marine life living in the FEC boat slip.
Although on its surface foul, the boat slip is actually home to some incredible animals, according to Coral Morphologic cofounder Colin Foord. "We've got lobsters, green moray eels, and phosphorescent brain coral down there, right along Biscayne Boulevard," he says.
Beckham's representatives have dismissed Foord's claims, but the marine biologist has underwater footage to prove the boat slip is its own unique habitat. Click through to see the incredible video.
See also: David Beckham's Stadium Spot Already Home to Artificial Coral Reef, Says Marine Biologist
Foord is careful to point out he's not against the stadium, even if it means filling in the boat slip. But he would like Beckham to promise to build another artificial reef nearby.
Here is Foord's short video of his Memorial Day dive at the FEC boat slip. It starts slowly, but the last 30 seconds are pretty incredible.
As you can see, the water isn't the cleanest -- several city sewers empty into the slip, after all -- but it's nonetheless home to tropical fish, spiny lobsters, and phosphorescent "urban corals."
"People should know what's down there," Foord says. "They need to be informed when deciding when to fill it or not. If the voters decide to fill it, it's a very reasonable caveat to say to the developers: 'Look, taxpayers paid all this money for this. There has to be mitigation.'"
Send your tips to the author, or follow him on Twitter.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
