On environment, DeSantis charts a pragmatic path
On a map, the quarter-mile-long breakwater resembles a raised eyebrow along Islamorada’s coastline. Up close, though, it’s a crumbling barrier that’s no longer up to the job of protecting this island from erosion.
“This is where it really gets bad,” says Pete Frezza, Islamorada’s environmental resources manager, gesturing past a locked green gate to a submerged section where the water is ankle-deep.
Mangroves grow on both sides of the breakwater, which was built in the 1960s from rocks and other material dredged from the ocean. Behind it is a public park and a marina lined with boats, many occupied by retirees who live on board. Even at low tide, the barrier is easily overtopped, says Mr. Frezza. “It’s no longer functional.”
But help is on the way for Islamorada, a community of 6,500 in the low-lying Florida
