Habitat Restoration
Posted on July 21, 2025
Lagoon habitat restoration focuses on restoring degraded lagoon ecosystems by improving water quality, restoring critical habitats, like oyster reefs, and enhancing shoreline resilience. These efforts are often multifaceted, involving public-private partnerships, community involvement, and a combination of ecological engineering, monitoring, and adaptive management.
Living shorelines utilize natural materials like mangroves trees and shoreline grasses to stabilize shorelines, reduce erosion, and create new habitats for birds, fish and other wildlife that feed in the shallow waters of the lagoon. These solutions provide a natural alternative to manmade bulkheads and coquina seawalls. They absorb wave energy and can create a beach by slowing down waves and allowing the suspended sand to settle to the bottom. In severe storms, the more robust root structure of these natural shoreline plants prevent erosion by retaining the soil.
These nature-based systems enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, and adapt over time to changing conditions.
Regular monitoring of water quality, habitat conditions, and the success of restoration efforts is crucial for assessing progress and making adjustments as needed. We are continuously learning how to create more resilient shorelines and techniques for rapidly deploying these solutions.
Recently a new wave breaking technology was installed along one of the Causeways in Titusville in the Max A Brewer Bridge area which will prevent erosion and create a shallow beach area for horseshoe crabs to mate.
The installation of wave-attenuating devices or living shorelines near the Max A. Brewer Bridge serves multiple purposes:
- Prevents shoreline erosion, stabilizing banks that might otherwise collapse during storms or from boat wake.
- Creates shallow beach zones, ideal for horseshoe crab mating and egg-laying.
- Reduces wave energy while allowing for tidal flow and wildlife access, mimicking natural conditions more effectively than bulkheads or seawalls.
- May include oyster reef components, mangroves, or coquina rocks that further enhance habitat complexity and water filtration.
The Federally funded Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) combined with the Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) program, funded through a voter approved ½ cent sales tax, are the main funding sources for restoration efforts in the Indian River Lagoon. Brevard County SOIRL Program has provided funding for local organizations to create and install Living Shorelines, including oyster reefs and clam rehabilitation.
You can learn more about opportunities to volunteer and educate yourself on what you can do to help the Lagoon at our website www.helpthelagooon.org/ You can also sign up to be a Member and get regular updates on opportunities to volunteer and the when and where the next Educational Event sponsored by the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition will occur.
