Abstract
Biscayne National Park (“BNP”), a national marine park encompassing a portion of Biscayne Bay, off the coast of Miami-Dade County, has experienced degradation of its coral reefs, declines in population of several recreationally targeted fish species, and declines in size of individual fish. In 2002, the National Park Service (“NPS”) together with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (“FWCC”), initiated a process to develop a new management plan addressing environmental issues in BNP and replacing the park’s original management plan completed in 1983. Many different stakeholders were invited to participate in the development process for the new general management plan (“GMP”). The proceedings became contentious when the NPS proposed no-take marine reserves in three of five alternative versions of the GMP. The inclusion of a marine reserve in the GMP and in the subsequent BNP fishing management plan (the “FMP”) spawned from the GMP discussions, became the focal point of conflicts in both planning processes. This thesis provides an in-depth review of the deliberative process of developing these plans and the complex history and relationship between different overlapping jurisdictions of governance relevant to BNP. It also provides a discourse analysis of the media coverage of the development of both plans between 2002 and 2020 (n = total 52 articles), and how print media framed the issues pertaining to the causes, impacts, stakeholders, and solutions in BNP, with a particular focus on the treatment of the proposed marine reserve within park borders. Media was analyzed for tone, depth and quality of coverage in the context of how it may have impacted public perceptions, including providing the public with a better understanding of relevant environmental concerns, and an understanding of marine reserves and the role they might have in necessary management actions. Together, this provides a foundational understanding of the complex governance process, broad public discussion of these issues, and the positions of critical stakeholder groups with varying levels of power in relation to policy decision-making. This foundation will be critical for considering future policy changes in the park, potential pitfalls in the stakeholder process, and key stakeholder and public perceptions relevant to the future of BNP.