Photo Credit: Hayden Davies |
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Please send only landscape orientation (horizontal) photos that are uncropped/unedited.
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New Technology - Mangrove Anchors! |
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Great things happen when a community comes together! The homeowners at Riveredge Condominium in Titusville wanted their shoreline strong enough to protect the property from storm damage while also providing habitat and water quality improvements to the lagoon. So, they contacted MRC to create a living shoreline within an existing stone revetment. MRC staff and volunteers immediately went to work!
Because revetments are notoriously difficult to plant, MRC developed a new tool called Mangrove Anchors. Similar to Oyster Volcanoes and Reef Prisms, the Mangrove Anchors are made by wrapping the root ball of a young mangrove in eco-friendly jute and concrete. They are designed to protect the mangrove for just long enough that its roots can get a strong hold within the revetment, before breaking down. MRC commends the residents of Riveredge for creating a healthier shoreline! Where there once was a lifeless revetment, they now have a place for life to grow!
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Marine Resources Council Recognized by EFSC |
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Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) held their 34th annual Volunteer Recognition Event on May 10 to celebrate service learning on campus and in the community. Awards were given to students and faculty members who completed outstanding volunteer work, as well as community partners for outstanding contribution to student service learning. As one of EFSC's Community Partners, the Marine Resources Council took home a Supervisor as Educator Award, given by Dr. Phil Simpson, Dean of Arts and Social Sciences. Thank you, Eastern Florida State College! |
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Legal Agreement Protects Manatee Critical Habitat |
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The manatee's critical habitat is finally getting its long overdue revision! The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and Save the Manatee Club teamed up in February to file suit seeking this action, as there has not been an update to the critical habitat since 1976. On June 1, an agreement was reached with federal officials to safeguard these habitats by September 2024. |
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Conservancy Friends of Aquarina Donate $5,000 |
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Conservancy Friends of Aquarina guests assembled recently at Aquarina Beach and Country Club, Melbourne Beach, for a presentation by MRC Executive Director Dr. Leesa Souto, regarding the Indian River Lagoon report card. They then made a $5,000 annual pledge to MRC. Its 2022 donation has been received and will fund the report card; 1,000 Points of Life water testing for herbicides, and, our Lagoon Castaway Summer Camp.
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Kids for Conservation Kicks Off |
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It seems that when it rains it pours. That's why MRC, along with Ron Jon's, has kicked off its new Kids for Conservation campaign. With your support, MRC is providing hundreds of children, families, and teachers with the knowledge and gear they need to weather the storms ahead. We host classroom and community visits, lagoon castaway summer camps, virtual learning and much more. Please help us reach and inspire more children, by providing a donation by July 31, if you are able. |
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New Field Trip Added to Summer Camp! |
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Venture to the SPOIL ISLANDS in Lagoon Castaway Camp's Earth to Sky weeks! Campers will travel by boat to spend a day "marooned" on one of our lagoon's most unique features. Upon return to the mainland, campers will be rewarded with an ice cream truck!
Don't delay! Less than 20 spots remain! Dates available are from June 27 through July 1, and August 1 through August 5.
Detailed camp descriptions, daily schedules, and registration links are available on our website. If you have any further questions feel free to contact Allison McGinley ([email protected]) or Bri Forté ([email protected]). We hope to see you this summer!
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After a 30-year career in the air conditioning industry, Robert went back to school where he earned a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from Oregon State University with a focus on Ecological Restoration and Conservation Management. This career change helped to fulfill a lifelong desire to work toward restoration, conservation and protection of Florida’s wildlife and remaining natural habitats, and to educate others in these areas.
Robert started volunteering with MRC in an effort to help make a positive difference in the natural communities along the Indian River Lagoon. In 2016, he began helping with shoreline restoration and invasive plant removal. He has performed caretaker tasks at MRC’s Greenway mangrove aquaculture nursery in Vero Beach, including watering and maintenance for hundreds of red, white and black mangrove trees. Robert is a LagoonWatch monitor, where he tests the water quality within Turkey Creek Sanctuary weekly. He also collects water samples bi-weekly from multiple areas of Turkey Creek for testing and performs lab tests, as needed, at the Lagoon House. Thank you, Robert, for all that you do for MRC and our coastal community!
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Harmful Algal Bloom Fast Facts - Share the Science! |
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- Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) occur when colonies of algae grow out of control and produce toxic or harmful effects on humans, birds, marine mammals, fish and shellfish.
- Scientists can forecast HABs much like a hurricane can be forecasted. NOAA's HAB Operational Forecast System identifies whether or not an algae bloom may contain a toxic species, its location and size, potential areas it may spread to, and if it may get worse.
- A new technology called "Imaging Flow Cybots" will increase NOAA's forecasting ability. This network of automated submersible microscopes will take water samples every 20 minutes. As the sample passes a laser, a picture will be taken of any cells containing chlorophyll, which will be analyzed by a computer. The computer will identify the algae cells, count HAB cells, and alert officials when the HAB number passes a threshold.
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The Lagoon House is open to the public by appointment only
Call us at 321-725-7775 to schedule an appointment
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June 6 - Summer Camp Week 1 - Sea Perch
June 7 - Lunch & Learn - Blue World Research Institute - Cutting Into Complex Issues
June 8 - World Oceans Day
June 13 - Summer Camp Week 2 - Survivor
June 14 - Flag Day
June 19 - Father's Day and Juneteenth
June 20 - Summer Camp Week 3 - Circle of Life
June 27 - Summer Camp Week 4 - Earth to Sky
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Marine Resources Council
3275 Dixie Hwy NE, Palm Bay, FL 3905 | (321) 725-7775 | www.SaveTheIRL.org
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