Indian River Lagoon Report Card Workshop held in Palm Bay, Florida
On January 20-22, Caroline Donovan, Jane Thomas, Heath Kelsey and Bill Nuttle facilitated a workshop in Palm Bay, FL to develop the
Indian River Lagoon Report Card. Partnering with the
Marine Resources Council, about 50 scientists, conservationists, and managers attended the workshop to begin the report card process. Indian River Lagoon is 150 miles long, one of the most bio-diverse estuaries in North America, and spans the transition from tropical to temperate climate regions. But the estuary has had severe problems with harmful algal blooms, seagrass die-off, and dolphin and manatee mortality. Therefore, restoration and management activities are clearly necessary. The report card process begins to identify overall health, and tracks progress related to specific goals.
