Protect Biscayne Bay specialty license plate design revealed

Community members and local officials, including Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (far left), unveil the winning design for the Protect Biscayne Bay plate. Courtesy of Miami-Dade County

​For years, Biscayne Bay has experienced fish kills, seagrass die-offs, and run-off pollution from fertilizers and construction of towering beachside condos. In June, an evaluation by Miami-Dade County rated a significant portion of its bayside waters — home to manatees, dolphins, and other marine life —as "poor" or "fair."

It was considered a win for Miami-Dade environmentalists when bipartisan legislation for a specialty license plate to benefit Biscayne Bay drafted by Sen. Ileana Garcia (R-Miami) and Rep. Nicholas Duran (D-Miami) was signed into law this summer. Funds from the Protect Biscayne Bay tag will benefit the Miami Foundation to support habitat restoration, pollution prevention, and environmental education and awareness.

On November 6, community members and local officials, including Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, huddled around a blue Toyota Prius on the north end of the 444-acre Deering Estate on Miami's Cutler Bay, where a crowd of reporters and residents awaited the unveiling of the winning design for the Protect Biscayne Bay plate.

The brown paper that shrouded the car's trunk was ripped away to showcase the silhouette of a Stiltsville house and mangrove against a glowing orange sunset.