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June 2021
Summer is in full swing... and so is Summer Camp!
June kicked off in full swing with the start of our Lagoon Castaway Summer Camp! The next 8 weeks are going to be jam packed with engaging and immersive activities, crafts, and experiments all centered around different weekly themes.

Our first week of camp focused on mini to macro animals. Activities such as making plankton nets, observing brown and green anoles in the wild, and experimenting with a mock blubber glove to learn how North Atlantic right whales stay warm were among the camper favorites. The week culminated in a field trip to the Brevard Zoo, which allowed kids to see many of the animals they learned about up close and personal.

Week two is underway, and is focusing on the diverse habitat types around Florida and the unique species that call them home. This week we will include a tour of Turkey Creek Sanctuary as well as a field trip to Sebastian Inlet State Park!

There are still a few spots available for camp:

Week 4: June 28-July 22: Florida Past, Present, and Future - 1 Spot Left!

Week 6: July 12-16: Home is Your Habitat - 1 Spot Left!

Week 8: July 26-30: Florida Past, Present, and Future - 9 Spots Left!

Click below to register your camper before these remaining spots fill up!
MRC Partners with Community Foundation for Brevard to Establish Endowment Fund
We are excited to announce our partnership with the Community Foundation to launch our much anticipated MRC Endowment Fund!

This endowment fund will help to generate a predictable stream of income for our organization, leaving assets invested to grow in perpetuity. It offers the flexibility to both meet our immediate needs while also ensuring that assets are always preserved for the group’s long-term mission.

In a press release on June 10th, Theresa Grimison, President and CEO of Community Foundation, said “Marine Resources Council is a multi-faceted and valuable program in our community. Giving to an agency’s endowment creates the opportunity for donors to leave a lasting legacy of support. A nonprofit organization with an endowment is sending a message to its donors that the organization will be here fulfilling its mission for decades to come.”

Today we invite you to stand with us as a founding member of our endowment! Supporters can give a gift online, or leave a gift through their wills and trusts through the Community Foundation for Brevard to benefit Marine Resources Council forever while creating their personal legacy. 
MRC partners with Surfrider to Expand Bacteria Testing
MRC is partnering with Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force to expand bacteria testing in the Indian River Lagoon and its tributaries! Testing for bacteria from human and animal waste in the IRL tributaries has been a long-term goal for MRC, and we are very grateful to the estate of Wilhelmina Angel for gifting us with the monies to purchase the equipment we need to initiate the program.

MRC's goal is to have the brand new lab equipment set up and our LagoonWatch Coordinator Kara Woods regularly analyzing samples by the end of July. She is currently working on a plan for sample collection and analysis to test several locations twice monthly.

More to come on this exciting new project!
July Lunch & Learn Webinar

Bottle Caps for Nutrient Removal in the IRL

Presented by Abbey Gering
Join us for our July Lunch & Learn Webinar! Biological processes known as nitrification/denitrification occur naturally in marine ecosystems and are carried out by specific bacteria. These bacteria remove nitrogen by converting available forms of nitrogen to inert N2 gas. 

The Fox Biogeochemistry lab at Florida Tech studies these processes and is working to promote natural nutrient removal in the Indian River Lagoon by utilizing repurposed plastic bottle caps as media for the bacteria to grow on in a treatment system. Results from the treatment system have shown greater than 70% decreases in total dissolved nitrogen and greater than 90% decreases in ammonium concentrations in as little as 8 hours!

The seminar will end with a live Q&A session, but we also recommend that participants email questions in advance to MRC's Kate Zehnder at [email protected] by July 5th.

This is a free virtual event, but you must register to receive the zoom link and login information.

We will return to in-person Lunch and Learn webinars after summer camp!
New Study finds that North Atlantic Right Whales
are Getting Smaller
A new study published in Current Biology has found that the growth of North Atlantic right whales is being stunted due to entanglement in fishing gear and other human caused factors. This study compared the adult lengths of whales born in 1980 versus those born at present day, concluding that those born present day will grow to an adult length of about three feet shorter than those born in the 1980's.

By utilizing aerial drone photographs, researchers were able to observe and record this declining body size. Joshua Stuart, a postdoctoral researcher with NOAA and lead author on the paper, noted that "...there are some truly extreme examples where five- and ten-year-old whales are shorter than a typical one or two year old.”

These findings highlight the significant impact of what researchers call "sub-lethal" effects, effects that do not kill the whale outright but instead drain their energy and make them more vulnerable to other risks. The decreased body sizes and condition of these whales could impact their reproductive rate and their ability to overcome other human impacts, which could spell disaster for this already imperiled species.
Save the Date!!
MRCs LID Conference
October 21 & 22, 2021
Rockledge, FL
Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure (GI) represent the most progressive trends in stormwater management to protect water quality. This conference covers the full range of LID/GI tools, from comprehensive land use planning and manual creation to engineered design and construction of green roofs, infiltration devices, cisterns, and bioretention areas. Experts will share case studies that demonstrate cost-effective means to set and meet pollution load reductions, recharge groundwater aquifers, and prevent flooding. LID/GI design tools, policies, projects, and case studies will be shared followed by facilitated discussion to transition our community to build a better future for our coastal community. Seeking sponsors now. Registration coming soon!
MRC is Smiling!
Amazon Smile has donated over $1,600 to MRC thanks to your purchases from Amazon Smile with MRC selected as your charitable organization. Its an easy way to support your favorite nonprofit while you shop! Click below to create your Amazon Smile Account and start supporting MRC while you shop!
Events
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.
June 21 - Summer Camp Week 3
June 28 - Summer Camp Week 4 - 1 Spot Left!
July 5 - Summer Camp Week 5
July 6 - Lunch and Learn 12-1pm
July 12 - Summer Camp Week 6 - 1 Spot Left!
July 19 - Summer Camp Week 7
July 26 - Summer Camp Week 8 - 9 Spots Left!
Visit us at www.SaveTheIRL.org