Deep Dive: Seagrass shows signs of life in the Indian River Lagoon

Seagrass appears to be making a comeback — at least for now, at least to a limited degree and at least in some areas — in the Indian River Lagoon.

Improving the Indian River Lagoon one seagrass mat at a time

With recent discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the Indian River Lagoon impacting marine wildlife, local community members are taking matters into their own hands. And it all begins with seagrass.

'We're helping the river get better,' volunteers assemble seagrass mats for restoration project

Volunteers create seagrass mats that will be used to help restore seagrass meadows in the Indian River Lagoon on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Florida Oceanographic Society on Hutchinson Island in Martin County.

Seagrass matting efforts helping to restore the vital plant in the Indian River Lagoon

At Florida Oceanographic, researchers were joined by volunteers this week in attaching seagrass fragments to burlap mats, a step that helps get the vital plant back where it belongs.

Resort pays high fine for destroying mangrove forest that will take 25 years to regrow

A Treasure Coast resort has paid one of the steepest mangrove-cutting fines in state history for illegally cutting about 944 mangrove trees to nubs along the St. Lucie River shoreline. The state also has issued a second fine in the case to an unpermitted West Palm Beach landscaping company.

El Niño rains to blame for Lake Okeechobee water sent to the St. Lucie River, Stuart

Lake Okeechobee water will start pouring into the St. Lucie River on Saturday.

DEP issues final order to punish Port St. Lucie resort for destroying mangrove forest

Sandpiper Bay Resort has five months to restore a mangrove forest it destroyed to create a beach and unobstructed view of the St. Lucie River, according to a Jan. 23 state order.

How DEP plans to punish a Port St. Lucie resort for destroying a half-acre mangrove canopy

DEP proposes punishment for Sandpiper Bay Resort in Port St. Lucie.

Super Clams Save the Day

New hope for combating pollution in the Indian River Lagoon comes in the form of “super clams”.

Changing Seas

We were honored to take part in the South Florida PBS series Changing Seas to help shine a light on the plight of our manatees and the seagrass beds they, and other marine species, rely on for food and habitat. 

What is a Mangrove/Can Mangroves Save the World?

Dr. Lorae Simpson sat down with Nicholas D’Alessandro, host of the Wait Five Minutes podcast to talk all about mangroves, the different types that can be found in our subtropical ecosystem and the interesting role they play in our environment.

‘Living docks’ to aid waterways

Volunteers sought for oyster restoration project for lagoon, river.

Florida and federal wildlife officials team with FPL in plans to aid manatees

Wildlife officials, now teaming with the state’s largest electric utility, have approved an unusual step of feeding manatees that face another winter of limited food supplies in Florida waters.

Seagrass beds are starting to revive along the Indian River Lagoon; but for how long?

Don't cue the ticker-tape parade quite yet, but seagrass is starting to make a comeback in the Indian River Lagoon along the Treasure Coast and Space Coast.

Florida Oceanographic Society gets Impact 100 Martin grant for coastal restoration

TCPalm's Luminaries and YourNews covers a grant of $25,500 from Impact 100 Martin to Florida Oceanographic for coastal restoration.

Can mangroves keep up with rising sea levels?

Check out this recent paper by Dr. Glenn A. Coldren and researchers from Villanova University and Smithsonian Environment Research Center on work at Kennedy Space Center.