Tag Archives: Indian River Lagoon
Florida’s building boom threatens wildlife-rich lagoon
The most biologically diverse waterway in America is seriously ill. The Indian River Lagoon is repeatedly being choked with oxygen-robbing algae, its surface increasingly dotted with thousands of dead fish, manatees, birds and other creatures. The culprits: farm runoff and a huge influx of people that has sent lawn fertilizer and other pollutants into the lagoon, which runs 156 miles along Florida’s Atlantic Coast, almost to Palm Beach, and includes the Cape Canaveral area. “It’s the death by a thousand cuts,” said Bob Knight, an environmental scientist with the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute who has studied Florida’s waters for 40 years. The lagoon’s woes threaten the region’s $2.5 billion recreation, fishing and tourism economy, alarming kayak tour operators, charter boat captains, restaurateurs and organizers of bird-watching festivals. click here to read the story 19:48
Don’t blame fishermen for fishery problems
After many years of listening to debates over our declining environment and fisheries, I think I have come up with a simple solution to these complex problems. We need to start killing off as many manatees and groupers as we can, as soon as possible. Let’s start with manatees; there are simply too many of them for areas like the Indian River Lagoon. In fact, it is the cute cuddly manatee that has caused the environmental collapse of the lagoon. Of course the estimated 300,000 septic tanks, leaky sewer lines, approximately 545,000 human residents in Brevard County, run-off from agricultural operations, golf courses, lawns, etc.,,, Read the rest here 13:43
Blue Crab catch dwindles in Indian River Lagoon
Add blue crabs and stone crabs to the list of wildlife plummeting in the Indian River Lagoon region. While crab harvests can vary widely year-to-year, the long-term trend has been a downward spiral. more@floridatoday 19:47
