September 15, 2018
Receive a copy of the IRL Health Update!
MRC's IRL Health Update is finally here! After three years of hard work and raising over $200,000, MRC officially released the IRL Health Update Report (Report Card) on August 7th. The 16 page report summarizes 20 years of lagoon data, with an associated website, storyboard and press piece. Click here to visit the site

Join us on the IRL Health Update Tour! At each stop, Dr. Leesa Souto will be discussing the results of the report and leading discussion about how to use it. Attend one of the workshops to receive a copy of the report. Extra copies will be available for partnering organization to share with their network. Click the link to see more information and to register.

Go Collect Some Propagules!
All you beach combers and lagoon explorers, keep an eye out for mangrove propagules! Mangroves drop there propagules between August and December, with November and December being the peak for black mangroves.

We are asking you to collect any propagules you see washing up that are not already secured in the sediment. These little guys can be dropped off at the Lagoon House where we will grow them until they are old enough to be transplanted on the shores of the Lagoon! Each month we will be giving away an MRC t-shirt and metal straw to the volunteer that brings in the most propagules. So get out there and start collecting! If you have any questions, please email Shannon@mrcirl.org .
Movin' and Shakin' in Science and Restoration
The month of September has brought major accomplishments along with it in both science and restoration at MRC.

Science

LagoonWatch
Eight 8 new water quality monitors were trained and added to the LagoonWatch water quality monitoring program, bringing our total number of volunteers to sixty-two. LagoonWatch data collection sites were also expanded to include the Halifax region in the North.

Muck Finders
With the help of MRC Volunteers, two more muck mapping projects were completed for Brevard County, one in Sykes Creek and one in Mullet Creek. Together, they include a total of 617 muck measurements.

Restoration

Land Management
MRC just completed another year of conservation land management in collaboration with the Florida Land Trust and the Town of Jupiter Island.  Approximately 452 invasive species were treated on this 42 acre conservation land on Jupiter Island.

Mangrove Restoration
Since July, MRC Volunteers have planted 2,000 spartina plants and over 500 mangroves as a part of the living shoreline restoration portion of the Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon Project Plan.
MRC Internships Available!
MRC is excited to offer a variety of internships to college level students this fall! Our internships range from communications to marine science and offer students hands on, real world experience working in their degree field. For more information and on how to apply, click the button below!
Sea Grass Transplant Project
Brown Bag Lunch
Ted Moorhead Lagoon House
October 2, 2018
12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Join us for our September Brown Bag presentation with Laurilee Thompson, co-owner of Dixie Crossroads and coordinator of a recent seagrass nursery pilot project. Existing sea grass was harvested near the Merritt Island Airport. The seagrass was then grown in a nursery and transplanted at a one-acre seagrass island in the Indian River Lagoon. Scientists monitoring the sea grass confirmed that the transplant was successful and that over half of the transplanted seagrass was thriving in September of 2016. This is the first known successful seagrass transplant project of it's kind. Register for the brown bag below.
We want your opinion!
We need your help! It's time to start scheduling our Brown Bag Lunch presentations for the next year and we want your opinion. What would you like to learn about?

Our Brown Bag Lunches are scheduled on the first Tuesday of every month from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and cover a variety of Lagoon-related topics. Click the button below to take our Brown Bag Lunch Topic Survey and let us know what you want to hear about!
Volunteer of the Month: Craig Wallace
Craig is one of MRC's Muckfinders, volunteering since the program began in 2017. His expertise in Lagoon navigation and captaining are a huge value added to the team. He is also an active member of the Lagoon Social Marketing and Research Team formed out of MRC's Communications Assembly and he has held neighborhood events to raise awareness about the lagoon. Thank you Craig for all that you do for MRC and our Lagoon!
Upcoming Events
Visit us at www.SaveTheIRL.org