© 2024 WFIT
Public Radio for the Space Coast
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Indian River Lagoon Health Update

Marine Resources Council
The Health of the Northern Indian River Lagoon

A long-awaited report report on the health of the Indian River Lagoon was released by the non-profit Marine Resources Council.  It monitors the health of the lagoon over a 20 year period. The report tracks five vital signs that indicate the water quality and health of the habitat.  The 156-mile-long lagoon was divided into 10 sections, running from Volusia County all the way down to Martin County.  That’s one-third of the entire East Coast of Florida.  Although conditions varied widely, in general, the health of the lagoon is bad.  In Volusia and Brevard Counties, the water quality is rated at very poor to extremely poor. The quality of lagoon water south of Brevard County ranges from fair to poor.   MRC Executive Director Dr. Leesa Souto said don’t expect any quick fixes:

Dr. Leesa Souto, Executive Director of the MRC

“We know it’s taken a long time for the lagoon to get this bad.  And we know it’s going to take a long time for it to improve. So we want to give that incremental change in a positive direction over time.  Things are happening.  A lot is being done.  We want to see how things are improving over time.”

Therefore the IRL health report is not a one-time thing; The Marine Resources Council wants to publish an update every year.  Copies of the report will be available at SaveTheIRL.org.

Rick Glasby is a Broadcast Journalist at WFIT.