Photo Credit: Patty Cooper |
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Please send only landscape orientation (horizontal) photos that are uncropped/unedited.
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Two More Cleanup Sites Added! |
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Join MRC on Saturday, September 17th for International Coastal Cleanup Day. At this annual event, volunteers help remove thousands of pounds of trash from shorelines along the lagoon. Last year, over 500 volunteers removed nearly 5,000 pounds of trash from causeways along the lagoon in Brevard County. This year, MRC is hosting cleanup sites at the 520 Causeway, Pineda Causeway, Eau Gallie Causeway, Melbourne Causeway, and just added two additional sites in Palm Bay - Turkey Creek Sanctuary and Castaway Point Park. Join us and make a difference for the lagoon, click the button below!
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Legends of the IRL and Awards Nominations Celebration |
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After a short (covid-related) reprieve, MRC is holding our annual awards celebration this year at the Hilton on the Beach in Melbourne on November 4. In addition to our regular annual conservation awards, this year MRC is initiating a new category of Lagoon Legends who will be inducted into the of the Indian River Lagoon Hall of Fame. Please nominate someone who you think has done exceptional work for the lagoon. Click on the button blow to nominate someone or click here to register for the event.
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Fadens Dedicate Decades to MRC |
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Dan and Jo Faden stopped by MRC headquarters recently to donate $1,000 of clay sculptures for the Nov. 4 Love Our Lagoon Celebration auction, buy two VIP tickets, pose for a photo with Dr. Leesa Souto, and share a 1991 article showing them getting their start in the early days of our organization. Thank you Dan and Jo for your many years of support; see you at the Celebration! |
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Deb McPherson Creating Celebration Collage |
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Paper collage artist Deb McPherson is spiritually inspired and got her start learning from Eau Gallie Art District legend Derek Gores. Here Deb is underway creating an Indian River Lagoon inspired three-panel collage that she will unveil at the Nov. 4 Love Our Lagoon Celebration auction. |
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MRC Awarded Grant from Tourism Development Council |
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This week, 10 projects were approved to receive almost $950,000 designed to help restore the Indian River Lagoon. MRC's project, titled Innovative Solutions for Protecting our Public Spaces, will receive $49,999 towards stabilizing our shoreline and boosting our Concrete Creations innitiave to deploy more plastic-free restoration tools into the lagoon! Click below to learn about the other nine projects benefiting the lagoon. |
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Bacteria Sampling with a Golf Ball Retriever? |
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Do you have an old telescoping golf ball retriever laying around? Donate it to LagoonWatch! These tools assist LagoonWatch bacteria samplers in their collections by keeping sediment out of the sample. To donate yours, please reach out to [email protected]!
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Donate to MRC on your special day |
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Carol Poynter and David Gilchrist chose MRC as one of the charitable beneficiaries of their recent beachside wedding. Guests donated more than $1,500 to support MRC. In memoriam and in honor of donations, such as theirs, make up a significant part of MRC annual donations. If you care to dedicate donations to MRC, simply guide your guests to donate at SaveTheIRL.org. |
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Entangled Right Whale Calf Spotted in Canada |
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On August 20th, the 2021 calf of right whale "Catalog" #3720 was spotted entangled almost 50 miles east of Shippagan in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The 1 1/2 yr old whale was spotted by an aerial survey team and the Campobello Whale Rescue Team from the Canadian Whale Institute responded. The calf was entangled by fishing rope and buoys, but there is currently no evidence pointing to where the gear is from.
The whale was spotted gear free in March off Provincetown, Mass., so the whale was entangled within the last few months. This is the fourth entangled right whale seen in the Gulf of St. Lawrence this year. Rescue attempts will be challenging due to weather and distance from shore.
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Oculina Bank Coral Reef Protected from Rock Shrimp Fishing |
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Last week, NOAA ruled in favor of protecting the rare species, Ivory Tree Coral, from rock shrimp trawling nets. The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council requested to allow trawling on the Oculina bank, but was rejected by NOAA because their request failed to acknowledge implications for fish habitat and bycatch, among other reasons.
Ivory Tree Coral is found between 150-300 feet deep on Oculina bank, which is 15-20 miles west of St. Lucie, Indian River and Brevard counties. Trawl nets can be dangerous for this type of coral as the nets have the potential to snap it off its substrate, or kick up sand and silt, smothering the coral.
Though the coral is safe for now, a revised request will be discussed at a panel session in mid-September.
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13th Annual Landscaping with Florida Natives Tour |
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Join the Conradina Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society for a fabulous look at what homeowners and public spaces are doing with native plants in different landscapes. This year features six homes, one large commercial space, and two public spaces in Melbourne and Palm Bay.
Native plants are important to preserve our wildlife, pollinators and local heritage as well as requiring much less maintenance, water, and fertilizer, which benefits our local environment and the Indian River Lagoon. Come see how easy it is to use native plants and help make a difference in your yard!
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Use FWC's Reporter App to Report Fish Kills |
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As late-summer lagoon water temperature rises, fish kills may become more frequent. FWC managers are interested in this information and need citizen scientists to help report them. These reports help FWC learn about the causes, patterns and occurrence of fish kills and disease in Florida, as well as aids in response coordination with partner agencies.
FWC's Reporter App is the fastest and most accurate way to help - the app automatically provides accurate coordinates, prompts you to provide critical information and lets you upload photos.
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Roxy is reminded of home in Peru by the Indian River Lagoon's warm tropical weather, and enjoys reading, meditating, journaling, fishing and more on its shores. She found MRC by searching for nonprofits that focus on shoreline restoration and marine life, and started volunteering at the beginning of 2022, quickly getting involved with many of our different projects. Roxy has removed invasive plant species, cleaned up trash, marked storm drains, cared for mangroves, made rain barrels, and created oyster volcanoes. In fact, Roxy has assisted MRC in leading other volunteers at oyster volcano workshops, and very much enjoys working with kids and special needs adults in creating these homes for oysters. The MRC greatly appreciates your dedication, Roxy! |
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International Coastal Cleanup Fast Facts - Share the Science! |
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- International Coastal Cleanup Day celebrated it's 35th anniversary last year. Over those 35 years:
- The total weight of trash removed is equal to 1,148 blue whales.
- The straws and stirrers collected would stretch the entire length of the Himalayas.
- The plastic bottles collected when arranged end to end would span from Lisbon, Portugal to Moscow, Russia.
- The plastic grocery bags collected would cover 1,196 olympic-sized swimming pools when laid flat.
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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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September 5 - Labor Day
September 6 - Lunch & Learn - Sea Turtle Preservation Society
September 17 - International Coastal Cleanup Day
September 21 - Brevard Zoo Teacher's Night
October 1 - Mangrove Workshop
October 20-21 - MRCs 2nd Low Impact Development/Green Infrastructure Conference
November 4 - MRC Conservation and Lagoon Legends Award Celebration
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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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