(Florida Today, Laurilee Thompson, 04/15/2021) Aging infrastructure and changing weather patterns demand climate-smart solutions to mitigate the impact of rising seas and increased flooding on existing infrastructure, public lands, and private property. New technology is available that incorporates natural systems to combat flooding and erosion and should be used to help save the Lagoon. Click…
(WPTV, Jay Cashmere, 04/13/2021) An alarming spike in manatee deaths has both state and federal investigators probing the case. In all of 2020, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission report 637 deaths for the year. In just the first four months of 2021, at least 613 manatees died. Dr. Edith Widder, co-founder of ORCA, Ocean…
(WFIT, Jane Clary, March 23, 2021) Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology developed a novel approach to promote the growth of good bacteria in order to help clean the water of the Indian River Lagoon. This water treatment involves strategically placing mesh bags filled with recycled bottle caps to act as a habitat for…
(Florida Today news, Jim Waymer, March 9, 2021) Manatees are slowing starving to death in the Indian River Lagoon. Biologists suspect that the lack of sea grass in the Indian River Lagoon may be the cause. Recently, 13 carcasses were counted by an observer along the shores of the Manatee Cove Park. Florida Wildlife officials…
(Floridatoday.com, Jim Waymer, March 8, 2021) Florida Atlantic University’s marine biologists have studied the white spotted eagle ray in the Indian River Lagoon uncovering very interesting insights into the ‘sounds’ the rays make. The research is “first to characterize up close what habitat white spotted rays use in Florida while also identifying areas of potential…
(CityofCapeCanaveral.org, Feb. 21, 2021) “At the February 16, 2021 City Council Meeting, Resolution 2021-03 unanimously passed, which henceforth bans all applications of glyphosate-based herbicides in favor of less impactful non-glyphosate alternatives at all City of Cape Canaveral-owned facilities and properties by both Staff and contractors. This amounts to about 50 acres of land area, much of…
(Savethemanatee.org, Patrick Rose, Feb. 17, 2021) This article states that massive losses in seagrass coverage resulted in manatee deaths the Indian River Lagoon. The Fish and Wildlife federally managed Manatee Recovery Program is underfunded and neglected, leaving manatees and manatee habitat to suffer the effects of habitat overdevelopment. This resulted in staffing reductions and no…
(HometownNewsBrevard.com, Wendy Scheuring, Feb. 12, 2021) Baffle boxes are underground structures made up of chambers that trap debris, trash, and other pollutants from storm water that flows off of streets and into storm drains after heavy rains. They “remove between 60-75% of nitrogen and phosphorus out of the water column, depending on the site location.”…
(News.fit.edu, Ryan Randall, Feb. 15, 2021) What are the possible effects of enhanced seawater exchange between the IRL and coastal ocean? Florida Tech’s Restore Lagoon Inflow research project is a multi- year study funded by the State of Florida to answer this question and others. The project will provide important data analysis to help local…
(News-press.com, Chad Gillis, Feb. 10, 2021) Septic tank conversion will help water quality. Damaging nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorous, have greatly polluted Florida waterways over the years. These nutrients cause blue-green algae blooms. The blooms cause aquatic life and grasses to die. Water runoff containing these damaging nutrients from farms and urban areas flow into the…
