NEWSOF

THEINDIANRIVER

LAGOON

FALL2008VOL 23NO. 3

Join MRC’s Board Members and Staff as wecelebrate our 25th Anniversary with Awards,Presentations, Music, Fun for the Kids and GreatFood. Sat. Oct. 18th, 10 am to 3 pm at LagoonHouse 3275 Dixie Hwy Palm Bay, FL 32905

Come see live animals in a presentation by the Brevard Zoo. Discover the interesting animals living inour waters by seining in the Indian River Lagoon. Learn how to fish from Capt. Rodney Smith of CoastalAngler Magazine. Make your own fish painting to take home with you. Test the lagoon water and plantyour own mangroves to help protect the Lagoon!

quality monitoring and more.Nature photographers and painters will also exhibit

and give pointers on the art of capturing nature. Formore info or to have a table at the event

call: (321)725-7775 or email:council@mrcirl.org

. Tables are freefor non-profit

groups.

Visitwww.mrcirl.org

to nominate volunteersand groups for awards or to

vote for your favorites. See inside for amap and directions to Lagoon House. Would yourcompany or group like to be general sponsor orsponsor one of the awards? There is always roomfor a few more sponsors! Contact Beth at (321) 725-7775. A big thank you to the sponsors below and allthose who have made a difference for the Lagoon!

The festivities at the Lagoon House are free and willinclude exhibits from over 50 conservation, fishingand boating groups representing all corners of thelagoon highlighting how average people are makinga real difference to restore andpreserve the Indian River Lagoon.A Local band, Acoostica,will be playing outside inan amphitheater. Rubshoulders withMichael Sole,head of DEP,and FloridaLegislatorsat a freecocktailpartycateredby theworld-famous LeCordon BleuOrlando CulinaryAcademy.Several artists will beexhibiting their work.Live animal presentationswill be given by Brevard Zoo. Inhonor of MRC's 25 years making adifference for the lagoon, awards will be given tooutstanding volunteers, projects and communityleaders making a difference for the Lagoon region.Awards will be presented by Secretary of theDepartment of Environmental Protection, MichaelSole. There will be hands on educationalexperiences like seining, mangrove planting, water

Sponsored by FLORIDA TODAY, FPL, Le Cordon Bleu Orlando CulinaryAcademy, West Marine and Sky Advertising

Local Band to PerformAcoostica

These talented and charismaticperformers will not only entertain you withgreat guitar and percussion playing, butthey'll sing songs, some old, some new,some in other languages, all with a uniquestyle of their own. Music from the 50's topresent: pop, folk, rock, Brazilian, bluesand reggae, samba and Afro-Brazilian.Their singer/percussionist Maristela, willalso be performing a dance solo mix fromBrazilian, modern and African dance.

Le Cordon Bleu OrlandoCulinary Academy

Providing Catered DelightsEstablished in 2002 to bring the

esteemed Le Cordon Bleu Program to theOrlando area, the academy hasdeveloped a solid reputation, andgraduates have attracted some of themost prestigious and recognizedcompanies in the industry.

The school's affiliation with Le CordonBleu represents a union of some of thefinest in European and North Americanculinary arts training programs.

Become a member of MRC atthe Event and receive a freeframed series of HistoricalPhotos or Nature Photos.

Michael Sole, Secretary of the DEP to Present Awards at MRC’s 25th Anniversary

Nominate Your Favorite People and Projects forIndian River Lagoon Restoration Awards

Do you know someone special who volunteers to benefit the Lagoon?Do you know of any conservation projects happening in your area?Do you know a government employee or elected official makingFlorida a better place to live?Nominate them for one the Indian River Lagoon Conservation Awards.

List of Awards:

Indian River Lagoon Project of the Year - Presented to a projectmaking an outstanding difference to the Indian River Lagoon .

The Albert Tuttle Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service tothe Indian River Lagoon - Albert Tuttle was a former MRC boardmember and a pioneer in creating Greenways and Trails. The award is foroutstanding conservation efforts on behalf of the Indian River Lagoon by alocal volunteer.

FPL Award for Outstanding Service to the Indian River Lagoonby an Elected Official – Presented to an elected official who hasprovided leadership in preserving the Indian River Lagoon.

The Paul Kroegel Award for Outstanding Service to the IndianRiver Lagoon by a Government Employee - Paul Kroegel was thefirst Wildlife Warden for the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refugeappointed by President Theodore Roosevelt. This is awarded to a staffmember from a government agency, county or municipality who goesbeyond the call of duty to preserve the Indian River Lagoon.

The Stan Blum Award for Lifetime Service to the Indian RiverLagoon – MRC’s highest honor is named for a nationally knownConservationist and former MRC board member and presented to anindividual who has dedicated a lifetime of service working to protect andpreserve the Indian River Lagoon.

Michael W. Sole, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection will bepresenting the awards at MRC’s 25 th Anniversary Celebration. There will also be afree cocktail party with the Secretary catered by Le Cordon Bleu Orlando CulinaryAcademy. Several State Legislators and a Congressman are also expected toattend. As Secretary of the DEP, Mr. Sole oversees Florida’s environmentalregulatory and law enforcement programs, the acquisition, conservation andmanagement of public lands, and the development and regulation of Florida’s waterresources through the State’s five water management districts. Secretary Sole isChairman of the Florida Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change.Secretary Sole has been part of DEP since 1991, most recently as Deputy Secretaryfor Regulatory Programs and Energy where he spearheaded the 2006 FloridaEnergy Act -- the four-year, $100 million plan to diversify the state’s fuel supply andpromote energy conservation and efficiency. Secretary Sole previously served asdeputy secretary, as DEP’s chief of staff and also as the director of the Division ofWaste Management. Secretary Sole began his career in environmental protection asa biological scientist for the Florida Department of Natural Resources. During hissixteen years as an environmental manager he has undertaken responsibilitiesranging from marine turtle protection and invasive plant management to beachpreservation, wetland protection and petroleum cleanup. Secretary Sole was aCaptain in the United States Marine Corps during the Gulf War. He received hisBachelors of Science in Marine Biology from Florida Tech.

Map of Lagoon House

Lagoon House Directions:Address: 3275 Dixie Hwy (US1) Palm Bay, FL 32905Take I-95 to Palm Bay Exit 176, go east on Palm BayRd. Turn left on Conlon Blvd; then left (north) on US1.Turn right just before Honda Dealership. LagoonHouse is the large blue metal-roofed building with alarge retention pond out front. Phone: (321) 725-7775.

1999 MRC stops seven billion gallons of Industrialwastewater from discharging every year into theLagoon!

2000 US1 and A1A in Brevard and Indian River Countiesestablished as a Florida Scenic Highway by MRCmaking the natural, scenic, recreational and historicresources of the lagoon eligible for state funding.

2001 MRC successfully obtains $5 million in grantfunding to match $3 million in individualcontributions to preserve a seven mile longgreenway along the Lagoon in Martin County.

2001 US1 and A1A established as a National ScenicByway by MRC, the lagoon’s natural, scenic,historic and recreational resources now eligible forfederal funding.

2003 MRC Volunteers named the National Winners ofMake a Difference Day for restoring 4 acres oflagoon shoreline in one day in honor of CurtisBrown, a boy who died in the 9/11 tragedy.

2003 MRC qualifies for over 4.5 million in funding fromFlorida Communities Trust to purchaseEnvironmentally Endangered lands. MRC is one ofthe first Non-profits to be eligible for state funding toacquire and manage lands.

2005 Lagoon House, the Indian River Lagoon NationalScenic Byway Welcome Center, opens.

2006 Over a million dollars of land are purchased byMRC to preserve the nursery habitat of 8 species offish found in the lagoon and no where else on earth.

2008 MRC opens a new education center at the St.Sebastian Greenway Buffer Preserve.

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1983 MRC formed as a non-profit arm of Florida Tech byprofessors and local community leaders frustratedthat research on the Indian River was not resultingin positive action by agencies and localgovernments.

1987 MRC helps write the legislation and include the IndianRiver Lagoon in the Surface Water ImprovementManagement Program (SWIM) for Florida. MRC turnsdown an offer to become the state agency in charge ofSWIM in the Indian River Lagoon, preferring to remain aprivate non-profit.

1989 MRC organizes Embrace the Lagoon where 6,000people lined the bridges and causeways of thelagoon to show their concern and their support forestablishing the Indian River Lagoon as a NationalEstuary

1990 MRC helps write the Indian River Lagoon Act whichstops the discharge of 44 sewage treatment plants to theLagoon.

1991 EPA accepts MRC’s application and establishes theIndian River Lagoon as an Estuary of NationalSignificance bringing millions in Federal funding forLagoon restoration efforts.

1991 MRC incorporated as its own stand alone 501(c)3 Non-profit organization.

1991 President George Bush Sr. in the White HouseRose Garden, personally presents MRC thePresident’s Environment and ConservationChallenge Award for “Excellence in DevelopingInnovative Solutions to the Nation’s EnvironmentalChallenges.”

1992 The National Estuary Program begins support of MRC'sWater Quality Monitoring Program which began the yearbefore with funding from Florida DEP. Over 70,000individual measurements of lagoon water quality aremade every year by volunteers!

1992 MRC’s Brown Bag Lunch Program educates localresidents about lagoon-related issues every week.Now taking place in Grant, at the Lagoon House,Sebastian and Cocoa Beach, the program educatesthousands every year.

1993 The first MRC Pepper Buster event happens in UlumayWildlife Refuge. Currently five pepper-busting eventsoccur every week. Over 35 million square feet, over 800acres of invasives have been removed by volunteerssince 1993!

1995 The Right Whale Monitoring Program beginsprotecting Right Whales from ship collisions byhaving volunteers call in whale locations to MRC’shotline. Within minutes every ship is warned of thewhale's location.

1996 MRC begins raising its own mangroves and usingvolunteers to plant thousands along the lagoonshoreline. Over 100,000 mangroves and other shorelinespecies have been planted since 1996!

EPA Proposes New Drinking Water Tests-Fla Today

U.S. EPA is considering adding 104 potentially harmfulchemicals and microbes not currently tested to itsregulatory list to make tap water safer. Thecontaminants being considered include microbes,pharmaceuticals automotive coolants, cosmetics,perfumes and pesticides as well as explosives such asTNT and rocket propellants that fuel the space shuttle.The EPA currentlyregulates 90 drinkingwater contaminants, butFederal law requiresthem to identify up to 30new contaminants every5 years for possibleregulation. The EPAevaluated more than7,500 chemicals andmicrobes beforereducing the list to 104contaminants for futuredrinking waterstandards.

Permit RequiresBoaters to Hold“Gray” Water–Fla Today and other sourcesThe EPA wants to bringmost recreational boatsunder 79 ft. long underthe some regulations ascommercial vessels bySept 30th. Boaterswould have to preventthe discharge of soapyand oily “gray” waterfrom sinks, showers,engine cooling systemsand washing theirboats. Untreated “graywater” can contain oils,grease, cancer –causing chemicals,bacteria, toxic metals, as well as nutrients that cancause harmful algae blooms and fish kills. Thepermit would ban batteries, oil, and used oil productsfrom being released in discharges. Boaters would not beable to dump spent bait and fish waste overboard.

The permit was originally intended to prevent theintroduction of invasive species from ship ballast waterinto ecologically fragile estuaries. The Lagoon alreadyhas some invasive species including the Australianspotted jellyfish, the Asian green mussel and the SouthAmerican charru mussel, which have all been introducedwithin the last 7 years. Invasive species have becomethe second highest cause of endangering speciesbehind development impacts.

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Lagoon Worth $3.7 Billion to ResidentsAccording to a study funded by the Indian River Lagoon Program,the benefits of the Indian River Lagoon to residents and visitorstotaled over $3.7 billion in 2007 with 10.9 million people recreatingon the Lagoon. $630 million was generated in income to residents,$112 million in State and local taxes and 15,000 full and part timejobs. Visitor expenditures totaled $531 million while those living onor near the lagoon provided $934 million in real estate value.Volusia County: $581 million in benefits, $77 million to countyresidents, $11 million in state and local taxes and 2,400 jobs.Brevard County: $1.2 billion with $100 million in income toresidents, $14 million in state and local taxes and 3,100 jobs.Indian River County: $395 million in economic benefits. St. LucieCounty: $521 million in economic benefits, $24 million in income tocounty residents, $3 million in state and local taxes 800 jobs. MartinCounty: $353 million in economic benefits, and the Lagoongenerated $18 million in income, $3 million in state and local taxes,600 jobs, and residents and visitors spent 1.2 million person-daysrecreating on the Indian River Lagoon in 2007.

Muck Buildup Increases in Lagoon-Fla Today and other sources

The fine black muck covering 10% of the Lagoon’s bottom isgetting thicker, despite millions spent to dredge it from somewaterways. A Florida Tech study funded by St Johns RiverWater Management District found the muck is 2/3 thicker than 2decades ago. Muck buildup clouds the Lagoon and blockssunlight from seagrass, where fish feed and breed. It alsocontains heavy metals and other pollutants and adds bacterial

rot along the Lagoon floor.John Trefrey, a geochemistat Florida Tech, saidcontinued dredging couldhelp keep muck from theLagoon, but that alonewon’t solve the problem. 22of the 72 areas tested hadmore than 39 inches ofmuck. In some places themuck exceeds 6 ft. deep.Nickel, mercury, selenium,chromium, and vanadiumwere 2.2 times higher thanwhen last studied in 1992.These metals are found instormwater runoff from oilleaked from cars and canbe deposited by airpollution from as far awayas Mexico, Copper andLead increased 50% since1992, but are still belowtoxic levels. Lead is fromlead paint, batteries, oldgasoline contaminationunderground, and othersources. The muck stopsin vicinity of the MelbourneHarbor area where enoughmuck was dredged to fill6,100 dump trucks “I thinkit makes the case tocontinue dredging…”Treffrey said.

EPA Neglected Everglades – Fla Today and other sourcesU.S. District Judge Alan Gold ruled that the EPA has turned a

“blind eye” to Florida’s Everglades clean- up effort, while thestate violated its own commitment to restore the vast ecosystem.The Miccosukee Indians and Friends of the Everglades sued theEPA for violating the Clean Water Act by allowing Florida to pushback the deadline to meet lower phosphorus levels in theEverglades from 2002 to 2016. Water in the Everglades isnaturally low in Phosphorus and when it is added it encouragesthe growth of undesirable plants and helps rob the water ofoxygen, destroying critical habitat. The Everglades has sincelost 90% of its wading birds, and habitat for 68 threatened orendangered species.

News Around the Lagoon

Lagoonwatch is supported by a grant from the IRLNEP and US EPA.

Tropical Storm Fay Drops Lagoon SalinityHurricanes and Tropical Storms have been impacting and shaping

the Indian River Lagoon since it formed thousands of years ago.Historically, hurricanes would rain billions of gallons of water on thelagoon diluting the salinity naturally. Today this effect is magnifiedby canals that bring more rainfall from land as well as the roadways,driveways, parking lots and rooftops that intercept rainwater thatshould seep into the ground and instead cause it to run off into thelagoon. The maps to the right were created from data collected byMRC volunteers in the Indian River Lagoonwatch, the nation’ssecond largest estuary water monitoring network. The maps showthe salinity of the Lagoon from the week before tropical storm Fay(Aug 11-17) and the week that followed. Prior to the storm, salinitylooks good to ideal throughout the lagoon. For the most part,rainfall was being balanced with evaporation. Areas marked inwhite on the Aug 11-17 map (Mosquito Lagoon and a small areanear the Ft Pierce Inlet) were even saltier than the ocean itself(super saline) due to evaporation.

The map to the far right shows what happens to salinity after youdump over two feet of water on the lagoon. Only the MosquitoLagoon, the Indian River around Titusville and a small area near theFt Pierce Inlet show healthy salinities higher than 20 ppt.(2.0%),marked in dark blue or diagonal stripes. These areas started outvery high in salinity and also have very limited areas that drain intothem. The entire Banana River and the Indian River around Cocoawas stressed (15-20 ppt.) indicated by light blue shading. Also nearthe Sebastian Inlet and most of the Southern Lagoon between theFt Pierce and St Lucie Inlets show the same level of stress. It is veryunusual for salinities to drop so low in the southern lagoon becausethe large Ft. Pierce and St Lucie inlets usually contribute enoughsalt water from the ocean to keep salinities high.

The areas of biggest concern are where salinities have droppedbelow 15 ppt.(1.5%). indicated by the cross hatching on the map.Many adult species of fish can tolerate low salinity but their eggscannot be fertilized in salinities of less than 15 ppt because the eggssink. Salinities of less than 15 ppt. will also kill the larvae of somefish species such as the spotted sea trout and sustained salinitybelow 15 ppt. will also kill clams and shellfish. The areas sufferingthe most are the entire St Lucie River and adjacent lagoon, all of thelagoon in Indian River County, the St Sebastian River and thelagoon near the inlet, and central Brevard adjacent to Melbourneand Palm Bay. These areas were hit the hardest because they arewhere the most runoff from uplands occur. Where the Indian RiverLagoon is narrowest, in Indian River County, the volume offreshwater running into the lagoon so overwhelmed the volume ofsalt water that salinities as low as 5 ppt. (.5%) were reported.

Along with all this fresh water, fertilizers and sediment also ran offinto the lagoon. This combination can trigger algal blooms that robthe water of oxygen. Some algal blooms can be toxic to fish andhumans. The drop in salinity associated with the El Nino rains of1999 triggered a fresh water flesh eating algae that caused lesionedfish throughout the lagoon.

When can we expect a return to normal salinities?Salinities will return to normal quickly around the inlets and in the

southern lagoon thanks to ocean water. Brevard and Indian RiverCounty will only return to normal when evaporation can removeenough fresh water. Additional storms will further impact salinitiesand the problem areas may not fully recover until spring 2009. 6

The LAGOON MONITORReport from Indian River Lagoonwatch

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Tropical Storm Fay Fills Lagoon with Fresh WaterTropical Storm Fay dumped over 25 inches of rain on some parts of the Indian River

Lagoon and ranked among the top four rainmakers to hit the state since 1950 according tothe federal Hydrometeorological Predication Center. Prior to Man’s influence, a storm likethis one would have caused the lagoon levels to rise, made the salinities very low andcreated wide shallow lakes across much of southern and central Florida. Now drainagecanals move most of the water from uplands into the lagoon. In exceptional events like thisone, canals like C54 drain water from the upper St Johns into the lagoon as well. Even thedrought stricken Lake Okeechobee was filled to excess by the tropical storm and dischargesfrom it added to the volumes of freshwater already impacting the lagoon. Historically thesehuge inland lakes would resupply groundwater tables, now the excess freshwater runs intosurface waters impacting fish and shellfish and burying seagrass under sediment. Some ofthis excess fresh water, laden with fertilizers and sediment, has been flowing out the oceaninlets creating large plumes of dark water, covering ocean reefs in the south.

The map to the left was created using water depth measurements taken every week byMRC volunteers with the Lagoonwatch program. Next to every arrow on the map is thenumber of inches upwards or downwards the lagoon changed from the week before. Mostof the lagoon shows an increase but in the south below Taylor Creek the western shoreshows a drop with the eastern shore showing a rise, this effect is caused by winds that pilewater up on one side of the lagoon as it blows that way. The Mosquito Lagoon shows a riseof 8 inches, it having the least amount of runoff going into it and rainfall itself varyingdramatically depending on where you were. Water levels around Titusville rose by 24 – 28inches. South of Cocoa all the way to Vero Beach showed increases of about 16 inches.The Banana River showing a similar rise. The Eau Gallie River and south prong of theSebastian River rose 24 inches while near the mouth of the Sebastian rose 20 inches. Thechange in water depth in the Sebastian is expected to continue with the C-54 canaldischarging floodwaters from the St Johns River. It is estimated that over 11 billion gallonswill be released from C-54 alone, making its way through the Sebastian River and into theLagoon. Most of the southern lagoon in Martin County showed no depth change with thedeep St Lucie Inlet keeping water levels close to pre-storm levels.

While the lagoon is swollen with fresh water it makes it harder for salt water from theocean to push in and increase salinities. Typically heavier salt water pushes into the lagoonbelow the fresh water at the inlets. When the lagoon is very high, the push of freshwater outof the inlet reduces the salinity of the water in the ocean near the inlet and reduces thevolume of saltwater making it into the lagoon. Ocean water levels peak in the fall causingthe lagoon water levels to rise as well. This year the lagoon will probably stay high in mostplaces until the drop in ocean water levels in the winter cause the lagoon to drop as well.

What Can You Do To Help the Lagoon?Rainwater that runs off your yard and driveway has been identified as the largest source

of pollutants going into our waterways. This stormwater runoff contributes 80-95% of heavymetals reaching our waterways. It also carries fertilizer, pesticides, bacteria and organicdebris that can trigger algae growth and reduce seagrass coverage. To help the lagoon,you can start by minimizing hard surfaces that cause rainwater to flow off your property.Capture water running off your roof and driveway by creating low areas called swales,where water will collect. If you already have swales or naturally low areas on your property,don't fill them with grass clippings or yard debris or try to drain them with a ditch. They areconverting rainwater into valuable groundwater instead of stormwater runoff. If you use aplastic liner under your deck or mulch to stop weeds from growing be sure it is designed toallow rainwater to seep through it or all that rain will end up draining out your driveway andinto the lagoon.

Limit your use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. When they are washed off youryard they impact seagrass, fish, dolphin and manatees. Even homeowners miles from thelagoon are connected to it by drainage ditches and canals that quickly transport stormwaterto the lagoon. So what you do around your property has an almost immediate effect on thelagoon.

Lagoon Day: September 27, 2008Time again for Lagoon Day! Sat. Sept. 27th is National Estuary Day and time for the

fall Lagoon Day. All of our monitors will test the lagoon simultaneously at 8 a.m. tocollect a “snapshot” of the water quality along the entire length of the Indian RiverLagoon. If you would like to test the water in your area, please contact Michael at MRC(321) 725-7775 or email: lagoonwatch@mrcirl.org

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More News Around the Lagoon

35 Lagoon Dolphin Deaths Since May-Fla Today

The National Marine Fisheries Service has declaredthe 35 dolphin that have died in the lagoon since Mayis a Marine mammal unusual mortality event. “Thedeaths are about 2½ times the usual rate for this timeof year”, said Wendy Noke Durden, a biologist atHubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in Orlando. “Itcould be something that’s affecting their environment.And if it’s affecting the dolphin, it’s affecting all of us, orhas potential to.” said Steve McCulloch, director ofdolphin research at Harbor Branch OceanographicInstitute at Florida Atlantic University in Fort Pierce.“Most of them don’t have much in their stomachs. A lotof them are skinny. We have a few that haverespiratory problems,” Noke Durden said. Biologistsfirst suspected red tide, but now doubt that theory.

Harbor Branch has found lagoon dolphins have 4times the mercury levels as dolphins found inCharleston, and 20 times what is safe for humans.Lagoon dolphins also have heart problems, fungalgrowths, herpes, and viral infections that can lead tocancer. They found flame-retardants at 3 times thelevels found in humans, as well as “super bugs”resistant to antibiotics in the guts in 1 out of 5 lagoondolphins. The bacteria may be from humanmedications in septic tank seepage or from runoff fromfarm animals and can harm dolphins with weakimmune systems.

Judge Won’t Resume Everglades Work inLight of U.S. Sugar Deal -TC Palm

U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno rejected a requestby the Miccosukee Indian Tribe, whose members live in theEverglades, that he order construction to continue on agiant reservoir in western Palm Beach County. Morenodeclined to order the unfinished reservoir to be built in partbecause of the planned sugar buyout. “Logically speaking,the most successful long-term solution to Evergladespollution is to buy out the polluters, and currently thatoption appears viable,” Moreno said. But he cautioned thatif the sugar deal falls trhoug, he would not hesitate to usehis authority to ensure Everglades restoration isn’tabandoned. “Delay may indeed be the enemy of theEverglades, but paradoxically, there is no quick fix for itsproblems,” he wrote.

David Guest, attorney for several environmental groupsthat opposed the tribe on the reservoir issue said, “Thisruling makes it clear that there is a full judicialendorsement, that this acquisition of U.S. Sugar is the bestbig-picture, long term solution.” The Water District is aimingto close the buyout by Nov. 30, though its attorney KirkBurs said it could take a bit longer.

What would the world be, once berefitOf wet and of wilderness? Let them be left,

O let them be left, wilderness and wet;Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.

- Inversnaid by Gerard Manley Hopkins

LAGOON HOUSE BROWN BAG – Every Tuesday at Noon at the Lagoon House in Palm Bay on US1Sep 09 Introduction to Butterfly Gardening Suzanne Valencia, Sierra ClubSep 16 Let’s Talk Trash Pamela Shoemaker, Brevard CountySep 23 Gardening Crash Course Linda Seals, University of FloridaSep 30 Overview of the Indian River Lagoon and it’s Species Diversity Kathleen Hill, Indian River Lagoon ProgramOct 07 Habitat Restoration in the Indian River Lagoon Leroy Creswell, University of Florida Brevard County ExtensionOct 14 Vanishing Ancient Mariners Cindy Dolaway, Sea Turtle Preservation SocieyOct 21 Manatees in the Lagoon Ann Spellman, Harbor Branch Oceanographic InstituteOct 28 Keeping Our Water Clean Kathlene Wheeler, City of Palm BayNov 04 It’s Your Lagoon…What’s Being Done to Protect It? Elizabeth Melvin, Brevard County Stormwater DepartmentNov 11 No Brown Bag - Veterans Day!!Nov 18 Tips from Florida’s Green Envirohome Nonnie Chrystal, Florida Showcase Green EnvirohomeNov 25 No Brown Bag - Happy Thanksgiving!!

GRANT BROWN BAG – 1st and 3rd Friday of the month at Fisherman’s Landing ParkSep 19 Working to Restore Oyster Mats – A Hands on Presentation Michelle Snider, The Nature ConservancyOct 03 Let’s Talk Trash Pamela Shoemaker, Brevard CountyOct 17 Habitat Restoration in the Indian River Lagoon Leroy Creswell, University of Florida Brevard County ExtensionNov 07 Water Quality in the Indian River Lagoon Michael Wielenga, Marine Resources CouncilNov 21 It’s Your Lagoon…What’s Being Done to Protect It? Elizabeth Melvin, Brevard County Stormwater Department

City of SEBASTIAN BROWN BAG – Last Friday of the month at noon at Riverview Park Gazebo on US1Sep 26 Working to Restore Oyster Mats – A Hands on Presentation Michelle Snider, The Nature ConservancyOct 31 Biodiversity in the Indian River Lagoon Kathleen Hill, Indian River Lagoon ProgramNov 28 No Brown Bag – Happy Thanksgiving!!

As we expanded Coastal Angler Magazine’s circulation statewide we naturally connected with sixteen year old MichaelWilliams. Michael, the son of David and Liz Williams, is courteous and conservation minded. He’s also focused on living a lifecentered around Florida’s waterways. You may know the type, they eat, sleep and dream being in the outdoors fishing,skiing, skim boarding, and surfing; this type basically loves doing anything and everything on the water. Michael isn’tcompletely happy unless he and the water are one. Seems like yesterday when I was the same kid. However, it was a muchdifferent world. Back then, Florida’s fisheries and habitat weren’t nearly as taxed or fragile. An angler could keep four snook,fifty redfish, and fifty trout, limitless mangrove snapper, black drum, flounder, and other gamefish each and every day.Boaters could basically jump in their boats and race anywhere they pleased. It felt like nirvana. Since then, a parade of newlaws and regulations have drastically changed what we can keep and when we can keep them, fish wise. And, today, onecertainly can’ jump into ones boat and take off like a bat-out-of-hell. In the past decade, leaders in both the fishing andboating industries have felt the direct financial result connected to these types of changes. It’s a complex situation. Unlikemany other corporations, the majority of leaders in these tow industries often have both conservation and business interest inmind because of their life experiences and necessity. There’s a great need to put our best minds, efforts, and energiestogether to promote effective ecosystem based management to protect the bio-diversity of oceans, lagoons, rivers, lakes, andother waterways supporting the resources, which, in turn, support the fishing and boating industries.

After the turn of the last century Aldo Leopold was extremely influential in the development of modern environmental ethicsand in the movement for wilderness conservation. Leopold, considered to be the father of wildlife management in the UnitedStates, was a lifelong angler and hunter. Leopold was a visionary. He was the need to better protect and preserve habitat toconserve the wildlife in which he hunted. Leopold, considered by many as one of our nation’s greatest modern ecologist andenvironmentalist wrote, A Sand County Almanac, the 1949 nonfiction book describing the land around Leopolds’ home inSauk County, Wisconsin and his thoughts on developing a “land ethic.” The collection of essays is considered to be alandmark book in the American conservation movement. As our population surges, the need for “water ethic” grows critically.Anglers and boaters share a responsibility in creating this “water ethic.” We’ll need water parks mirroring land parks, like ourNational Wildlife Refuges and National Park system or in the future this segment of the population isn’t going to have nearlythe same opportunities to experience it’s pleasure as you and I have today. To secure the health of our fisheries and accessto these fisheries for everyone in the future, today, we need to recruit and educate new leaders because without insightfuland sound leadership the potential to protect our rights for the pursuit of happiness, freedom, and liberty in the great outdoorsand on our waters is diminished by dwindling resources and declining access. We’d like to believe young folks like MichaelWilliams will be the Aldo Leopolds of tomorrow and the saviors of our birthrights as Americans.

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COCOA BEACH BROWN BAG – 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at NoonSep 25 Working to Restore Oyster Mats – A Hands on Presentation Michelle Snider, The Nature ConservancyOct 09 Let’s Talk Trash Pamela Shoemaker, Brevard CountyOct 23 Water Quality in the Indian River Lagoon Michael Wielenga, Marine Resources CouncilNov 13 It’s Your Lagoon…What’s Being Done to Protect It? Elizabeth Melvin, Brevard County Stormwater Department

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Ten things we did not learn from Hurricane Katrina and theTsunami in Asia (But should have!) by Jim Egan MRC Executive Director

1) When you try to fix Mother Nature, she ends upfixing you! Early settlers in New Orleans noticedthe natural levees were not high enough to preventlarge floods so they raised them. Once the leveeswere raised the floods no longer filled the area withmud which was the only thing keeping the areaabove sea level. In Asia beach dunes andmangroves were removed to make it easier tohave access to the water. These fixes were deathsentences for hundreds of thousands of people.

2) Private profit can end up costing the wholecommunity a thousand fold. The petroleumindustry adds to the sinking of New Orleans bypumping oil from deep beneath the surface.Mangroves that were cut down to make room forshrimp farms and coconut plantations would havesaved thousands of lives in Asia by breaking thestorm surge.

3) Don’t waste “Waste lands”. Natural “wastelands” like swamps, bayous, cypress domes andmangrove wetlands are not only critical to breedingfish and birds they also absorb flood waters andbreak storm surges. Mangroves saved the lives ofhundreds of thousands of people in Asia wherethey broke the brunt of the tsunami wave.

4) Don’t put people in harm’s way. Everyone lovesto live near the water, but if you have a great viewof the water you probably are in harm’s way. Ifyou are living in an area that floods during manyrain storms, don’t be surprised when a big stormdestroys your home.

5) The poor are always exposed to the most riskand suffer the brunt of any disaster. The rich andpowerful make most of the decisions concerningwhat risk is acceptable but do not share in that riskequally. The poorest part of New Orleans was theninth ward, it was not a coincidence it was in thelowest part of the city, the better neighborhoodsare not in the most risk-prone areas.

6) Protecting the environment is not just for tree-huggers! During a storm surge you may needthat tree to hug!

7) People put the “disaster” in Natural Disasters.Natural disasters are just natural events that havebeen happening for millions of years. The disasteris often a man-made one that precedes the eventdestroying natural protections and putting peoplein harm’s way. We need to stop blaming the trainand blame the people who build on the tracks!

8. Man-made structures are only a temporary fixand when they fail they fail catastrophically.

9. We are still as at risk for these disasters as whenthey happened, because we did not learn theselessons.

10. How many people have to die before we learnour lessons? Over a third of a million people diedin Asia and thousands more would have died inNew Orleans if not for luck. How many more will ittake?

What you can do to save livesbefore a disaster hits.

1) Discourage development of wetlands, beachdunes and mangrove fringes. Entire citieshave been lost because one property ownerwanted to develop a marginal property.

2) Protect native shoreline species and removeinvasives. In the 2004 hurricanes damage onthe lagoon was concentrated where invasiveswere found and minimized where shorelinenatives had taken hold.

3) Don’t build close to any water body or onlow ground. Sooner or later enough rain willfall to make you regret these mistakes.

4) Support wide waterfront buffers whereprimarily native plants are used. Theproperty rights of waterfront homeowners arebest protected by insuring their homes do notwash away.

5) Don’t rely on just concrete and rock toprotect your shorefront. Man-madestructures look strong but can’t survive the bigstorms that native shorelines have beenadapted to for millions of years. If you do userock be sure to add plant material to give it alonger life and avoid making steep slopes. Useconcrete when you want a spectacular failure.

6) Don’t overbuild your waterfront. Too manystructures, docks, seawalls, too little nature is arecipe for disaster.

7) Don’t be complacent, eventually it willhappen here. A third of a million people diedfor their complacency in the Asia tsunami.

Yes, I want to be a member of the Marine Resources Council. Enclosed is a check for the following membership:

____ Guardian $1,000 Name:_______________________________________________________________

____ Patron $500 Company:________________________________ Title:______________________

____ Sponsor $250 Address:________________________________________ Apt. No.____________

____ Stewardship $100 City:_______________________________________ State:_____ Zip_________

____ Supporting $50 Phone: (H)____________________ (W)__________________Email_____________

____ Family $35 I want to volunteer one or more of the MRC projects. My areas of interest are:

____ General $20 ___Pepper Busting ___Right Whale Spotting ___Office/Clerical ___Thrift Shop

____ Student $5 ___ Fundraising ___Water Quality Monitoring ___Handy Person ___Public Education

Other____________________________ I want to contribute to the MRC Endowment Fund____________

Please Cut Here

LINDA MARTIN, PH.D., P.A.PSYCHOLOGIST

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTSEX THERAPIST

630 Brevard Avenue Suite 100Cocoa FL 32922

Phone: (321) 433-1466Fax: (321) 433-1467

Your Ad Could Be Here!$25/Quarterly

$90/YearlyPlease call!

(321) 725-7775

Right next to South Patrick Hardware andacross from Hoagies Doubles

Marine Resources CouncilNew Address: 1851 S. Patrick Drive

Indian Harbour Beach, FL 32937

Antiques *Artwork *Clothing * Small Appliances *Jewelry *Bric-a-Brac *Books*Toys *Household Items *Furniture *CollectiblesAll donations are tax deductible and support MRC projects

Hours: Tues.- Fri. 10am-5pm Sat. 10am-3pmFor more info or to have donated items picked up, call 321-779-0590

The Marker is published quarterly by the Marine Resources Council, 3275 Dixie HWY NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905 Phone: (321)725-7775, FAX: (321) 725-3554, E-mail: council@mrcirl.org, Website: www.mrcirl.org.

In 1947, after more than a decade ofdrought, a summer of downpours followedby two fall hurricanes dropped an unheard-of 100 inches on South Florida, washingout hundreds of miles of streets, thousandsof homes and businesses, and tens ofthousands of acres of citrus groves andvegetable fields. Mother Nature wasreasserting her authority, reclaiming thereclaimed Everglades, reflooding justabout every wetland that had been drainedor paved for agriculture or development—from the pastures of the Kissimmee valleyto the farms of the upper Glades to youngsuburbs like Hialeah, Miami Springs, andOpa-locka in the eastern Glades. Sheturned most of the region into a shallowlake.

There were no mass casualties, becausethe St. Lucie Canal and the Hoover Dike kept Lake Okeechobee in bed. But the deluge overwhelmed the undersized BrowardEra canals within the Everglades, spreading across five million acres and staying there for months—from Orlando down toCape Sable, from the Gulf across to the Atlantic Ridge. Septic tanks overflowed, and health officials battled typhoid outbreaks.The floods of 1947 also created a new environmental crisis. To prevent Lake Okeechobee from busting through its dike, watermanagers had to expel billions of gallons down the St. Lucie, disrupting the delicate balance of fresh and salt water in theestuary at its mouth. ‘Our St. Lucie River, around which the entire tourist and commercial picture revolves, has been turnedinto mud soup,’ one local journalist wrote. ‘The finest fishing grounds on the East Coast of Florida’ was now ‘a mud hole whichno respectable fish would inhabit.’

The Army Corps was not about to let the Everglades kill thousands of people, or dictate where Floridians could or could notlive. The Army Corps plan for the Central and Southern Florida project called for the most elaborate water control system everbuilt, the largest earth-moving effort since the Panama Canal. It envisioned 2,000 miles of levees and canals, along withhundreds of spillways, floodgates, and pumps so powerful they would be cannibalized from nuclear submarines.

This book and thousands of others on the history and scientific study of the Lagoon are available to the public at the MRCLibrary of the Indian River Lagoon supported by the Indian River Lagoon Program. Call (321) 725-7775 for more info.

Marine Resources Council3275 Dixie Hwy NEPalm Bay, FL 32905-2511

Printed on recycled paper!

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PaidMelbourne, FLPermit No. 340

2008 MRC Board of DirectorsChairman, Jerry Woods

Vice Chairman, Janet BonderSecretary, Walter O. StieglitzTreasurer, Diane McCauley

Executive Director, Jim EganBoard members

Dr. David Cox Ted MooreheadGilbert Kennedy Steve ChalmersIngrid K. Matta Jim MoirKenneth Tworoger David BottoMaureen Rupe Gary DotsonSandy Sanderson Wesley DavisDr. Richard Baker Sarah HeardMichael Brothers Andrew BradyMary Chapman Marge KetterCapt. Rodney Smith Frank CatinoThomas P. Bausch Patrick HayesCharles Grande Howard WolfJohn Whitescarver Steve KintnerDr. Fielding E. Cooley Amy Tidd

-From The Swamp by Michael Grunwald