Reference Link Directory

Indian River Lagoon Digital Media Library Reference Link Directory

This Reference Link Directory for the Indian River Lagoon Estuary contains the reference web sites cited in the Indian River Lagoon Project and additional uncited, but equally important, reference web sites.

Reference Web Sites

Government

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship, protecting our air, water and land.

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) "Managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people."

• IRL Council The IRL Council is a special district of the State of Florida sponsoring the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP). The IRL Council includes representatives of five counties bordering the lagoon (Volusia, Brevard, the Indian River County Lagoon Coalition, St. Lucie and Martin counties), the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

• National Estuary Program (NEP) The NEP was established under the EPA by the U.S. Congress as a non-regulatory, community-based program to protect and restore the water quality of the nation's estuaries.

• Sebastian Inlet Tax District (SITD) The SITD maintains the inlet between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River Lagoon and authorizes programs and projects for beach renourishment, erosion control, environmental protection, navigation, boating, recreation and public safety.]

• United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The EPA administers the National Estuary Program, identifies Estuaries of National Significance and supports the development of comprehensive management plans to assure that estuaries maintain their ecological integrity.

• United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) "Conserving the Nature of America."

• United States Government Directory A to Z contact list of all Federal Government offices.

Non-Profit Organizations

• Association of National Estuary Programs (ANEP) The ANEP works with the 28 individual programs in the National Estuary Program (NEP) to restore and protect estuaries of significant importance.

Outdoor Recreation

• Recreation.gov Your outdoor recreation gateway to over 3,500 facilities and 100,000 individual sites on United States Public Lands.

• Outdoor Florida A gateway to outdoor recreational opportunities across Florida’s diverse public lands system.

Public Land Conservation

• Florida DEP Aquatic Preserve - Banana River Lagoon Banana River Aquatic Preserve is located in north central Brevard County, separating Merritt Island on the west and the Kennedy Space Center on the east.

• Florida DEP Aquatic Preserve - Indian River: Malabar to Vero Beach Aquatic Preserve Located in Brevard and Indian River counties, the Indian River-Malabar to Vero Beach Aquatic Preserve encompasses 28 miles and 29,000 acres of the lagoon. The aquatic preserve begins just north of Turkey Creek at Castaway Point in Palm Bay, extends south to northern Vero Beach. It includes the waters of Turkey Creek and St. Sebastian River.

• Located in Indian River and St. Lucie counties, the Indian River: Vero Beach to Fort Pierce Aquatic Preserve is 12 miles long and encompasses 9,500 acres. The aquatic preserve extends from south Vero Beach to the north U.S. Highway A1A bridge in Fort Pierce. It includes Big Starvation Cove, Wildcat Cove and Fort Pierce Cut.

• Indian River: Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve Located in St. Lucie, Martin and northern Palm Beach counties, the Indian River: Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve is 37 miles long and encompasses 23,000 acres. The aquatic preserve extends from Fort Pierce south to Jupiter Inlet, including the Peck Lake and Hobe Sound area.

• [://floridadep.gov/rcp/aquatic-preserve/locations/mosquito-lagoon-aquatic-preserve Florida DEP Aquatic Preserve - Mosquito Lagoon] Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve is a long, wide, shallow estuarine lagoon bounded on the west by the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and on the east by the Playalinda National Seashore.

• National Wildlife Refuge: Archie Carr
• National Wildlife Refuge: Hobe Sound
• National Wildlife Refuge: Merritt Island
• National Wildlife Refuge: Pelican Island Kiosk

Research

• FAU Harbor Branch Indian River Lagoon Observatory (IRLO) The goal of IRLO is to acquire and disseminate data and knowledge on the IRL critical to its ecological function and its sustainable management.

• FAU Harbor Branch Land/Ocean Biogeochemical Observatory (LOBO) A network of (LOBO) units and weather sensors provide real-time IRL Estuary water quality and weather data through this interactive website.

• Florida Institute of Technology Indian River Lagoon Research Institute (IRLRI) IRLRI was established at Melbourne's Florida Institute of Technology in order to solve problems related to the Indian River Lagoon (IRL).

Schools

• Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Located in Fort Pierce, FAU Harbor Branch’s research and outreach programs translate marine science in order to provide solutions that improve economies and quality of life for coastal communities.

• {https://www.fit.edu/engineering-and-science/academics-and-learning/ocean-engineering-and-marine-sciences/ Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences] Dedicated to education, research and public outreach about the ocean, the Indian River Lagoon, and the environment in general.