The Indian River Lagoon is a vibrant ecosystem full of important seagrasses. Those seagrasses act as habitats and nurseries for marine species like manatees, sea turtles, fish, crabs and more, and the seagrasses also serve as their critical food source.
Seagrasses also play a vital role in enhancing water quality by stabilizing sediments, removing nutrients, producing oxygen and sequestering carbon dioxide.
After years of decline, seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon are showing signs of regrowth in some regions, said Lisa Krimsky, regional water resources agent with Florida Sea Grant.
If you spend time out on the Indian River Lagoon, whether boating, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, snorkeling or just soaking up the sun in these critical estuaries, Florida Sea Grant is calling on volunteers for the Eyes on Seagrass Blitz, May 1 to May 31. This program serves as an effort to collect data on the presence and absence of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon.
The blitz will rely on residents and visitors to report seagrass, using this online form. Participants will take photos, go online, upload the photos and answer a few questions about their location and click “submit.” More information is available from this Florida Sea Grant website.
This community-driven seagrass monitoring event takes place throughout the Indian River Lagoon region, including Mosquito Lagoon and the Banana River in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties. With this large-scale citizen-science effort, volunteers will contribute valuable data on seagrass health, crucial to restoring the lagoon’s fragile ecosystems.
This data will help identify areas and the types of monitoring needed for future monitoring and surveys.
“We hosted the first Eyes on Seagrass Blitz in November 2024. Despite poor visibility, the volunteers collected data that showed promising signs of recovery across the lagoon,” said Krimsky. “They were able to provide data for areas that otherwise aren’t covered through traditional monitoring programs. Due to the success of this pilot effort, we decided to make this an annual event, taking advantage of better weather and water clarity in May.”
This event is unique because anyone can participate, with no special equipment or training needed, said Krimsky.
“The blitz is truly a collective effort to safeguard the lagoon’s health,” she said.
Since seagrasses thrive in healthy waters, their presence is an indicator of good water quality in the lagoon, said Krimsky.
“Knowing where seagrass is absent is just as important as understanding where it is present. Monitoring overall seagrass distribution and composition is essential for understanding overall ecosystem health,” she said.
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