"Black Skimmer" Photo Credit: Leon Stein
Have you been enjoying our changing headers? Want to showcase one of your Lagoon photos? Then email the MRC by clicking here! Please use landscape orientation! |
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MRC's LID Conference is Coming!
October 21 & 22, 2021
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Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure (GI) represent the most progressive trends in stormwater management to protect water quality. This conference will cover the full range of LID/GI tools including comprehensive land use planning, manual creation, engineered design and construction of green roofs, infiltration devices, cisterns, and bioretention areas.
We have an exciting lineup of expert speakers who will speak on a variety of topics that cover the full spectrum of LID/GI from comprehensive land use planning and development to designing and evaluating innovative treatment designs. Presentations will be followed by facilitated discussion to integrate LID and build a better future for our coastal community.
Register today to be a part of this groundbreaking conference!
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MRC is pleased to introduce our new Development Director, Ken Parks, who was brought in to build our donor stewardship program. Ken was recently hired to replace Kate Zehnder, who left MRC to pursue a medical career. We will all miss Kate, who did an incredible job engaging the community and establishing a system for tracking donors, volunteers, and supporters. Kate's groundwork set the stage for Ken to hit the ground running!
Ken is continuing his career of stewarding responsible community development resources to improve our planet. Like many of us here who’ve been around a bit, Ken recalls his youth along Florida’s Space Coast, experiencing the former abundance of the Indian River Lagoon. He believes that we possess the right stuff it will take to restore this place to its former wonder, even while we are exploring the next great frontier, space.
Ken is an avid outdoors person who spends a few hours a week volunteering at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge; is a former U.S. Navy photojournalist who loves snapping photos of our world; is the father of two grown wonderful sons; and has been a mentor to many other people working to find their place in our great world. What we do together, is our greatest work, he believes. Ken looks forward to working with all of you in advancing the powerful and lasting mission of MRC.
I hope you will have a chance to talk to Ken as we work together to develop MRC's vision for the next 30 years. Email Ken at [email protected].
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August Lunch & Learn Webinar
Low Impact Development
with Joanie Regan
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Join us for our August Lunch & Learn Webinar! This month we will be hearing about the idea and methodology behind restoring rain's natural path. The implementation of Low Impact Development (LID) is a fundamental aspect of protecting and restoring the Indian River Lagoon. Log on to hear how LID is implemented, can reduce stormwater run off, and beautify our communities. |
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Macroalgae in the Banana River |
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Thank you to an amazing volunteer and member, Sedgwick Simons, for sending in this great video of a recent snorkeling trip in the Banana River! There are two different types of macroalgae in video, which is replacing seagrasses in the Lagoon. Although macroalgae can filter and absorb nutrients and provide some habitat for shrimp and crabs, it has little nutritional value and it can attract toxins. For example, the manatee deaths in 2013 were attributed to a toxic algae growing on gracilaria, the red pigmented macroalgae.
If you have amazing images or videos of of our incredible ecosystem, we would love to share them! Please email [email protected] to share your videos.
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North Atlantic right whale mother and calf. Credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #20556-01 |
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Talks Continue Between the U.S and Canada to Reduce
North Atlantic Right Whale Mortalities
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On Thursday, June 10th, officials from NOAA fisheries and Oceans Canada met to continue the dialogue on how we can work together to protect the North Atlantic right whale. Protecting and conserving these whales is especially important given the rate of population decline that we have seen in recent years. With the whales moving into more Northern waters off of the Northern U.S and Canada, it is critical that the United State and Canada are working together to implement effective protections for these whales.
MRC's N.A. Right Whale Conservation Program recently entered a partnership with The Ocean Foundation of the Pew Charitable Trust to continue to research and test ropeless fishing gear with the goal of eventually supporting policy that helps reduce entanglement, one of the largest killers of marine mammals.
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MRC is Smiling thanks to you! |
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We here at MRC would like to thank our Mystery Amazon gift-giver(s) for the laboratory electronic balance (digital scale) and for the shredder that both arrived this week. Our LagoonWatch Coordinator, Kara, had added the electronic balance to our Amazon.com Wish List several months ago as something that would help in making up her water quality testing chemicals. It will be well-used! The shredder will also see plenty of use in the various admin tasks we all are always doing here at the Lagoon House.
We greatly appreciate the incredible generosity of our members. So this is our shout-out to all of you anonymous (and known) MRC supporters! We could not do what we do without you and your continued support!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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4th Location Added for this Year's
International Coastal Cleanup!
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We are excited to be partnering with Keep Brevard Beautiful (KBB) and the Ocean Conservancy for this year's International Coastal Cleanup. The International Coastal Cleanup began 30 years ago when communities rallied together with the common goal of collecting and documenting the trash littering their coastline.
This year's event will be hosted on Saturday, September 18th from
8am-12pm.
The 4 clean up sites along the Lagoon will be:
- Melbourne Causeway
- Eau Gallie Causeway
- Pineda Causeway
- 520/W. Cocoa Beach
To register you or your group, please click the button below!
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Cocoa Beach Reggae Family Fun Day
to benefit MRC!
Saturday, July 31, 2-8 pm
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Come see Leesa and the MRC team at Bula's Summer Party, a family-friendly event being held at the Cocoa Beach Aquatic Center on Saturday, July 31, from 2 - 8 pm. The event features music by Selector Longenecker, DJ C-Lioness, Rob D of Part One Tribe, games, volleyball, a playground, free kayak tours with Kayak Vibes, local vendors, food, prizes, and FREE KAVA drinks! Swimming will be available at the Aquatic Center pool for $4.50 per person. Donation Dub Yoga begins at 6 p.m. Please bring your own yoga mat. The suggested donation amount is $10-$15.
Profits from the event will go directly to the Marine Resources Council (savetheirl.org) to help Save The Indian River Lagoon. Funds are raised through attendee donations and raffle ticket sales.
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The Lagoon House will remain closed to the public through the summer for our camp. We are still here doing the hard work of saving the Lagoon and we can be available by telephone if you need us.
Stay safe Lagoon Lovers!
Call us at 321-725-7775 to schedule an appointment.
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July 19 - Summer Camp Week 7
July 26 - Summer Camp Week 8
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