One Lagoon, One Voice: The Podcast

In today’s episode we discuss the National Estuary Program and how it works. The NEP functions within a unique collaborative governance model structured around collaboration and communication among every stakeholder in the watershed. We talk about the EPA’s connection to the NEP, the NEP Management Conference, how the NEP brings people together and our shared mission of protecting and restoring waterways.

IRL Community Engagement Coordinator Jessy Wales discusses all these things and more with Jennifer DiMaio, Physical Scientist with the US Environmental Protection Agency and Duane DeFreese, Executive Director of the IRL Council and the IRLNEP.

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

Indian River Lagoon Community Engagement Coordinator Caleta Scott sits down with a very special guest — her father, Ronald Scott. As a Fort Pierce Florida native, Scott speaks of his experiences growing up as a Black nature-lover in the 1950s, and father and daughter discuss environmental accessibility through the years, fishing in the IRL, and tips on inspiring a love for the environment in children from a young age.

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

Community Engagement Coordinator Caleta Scott brings on Lisa Krimsky and Vincent Economio from University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences for episode 10. We discuss Martin County’s Water Ambassador Program, how human activities influence water quality, the benefits of living shorelines and the state of wild oyster habitats in the IRL.

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

In episode 9, we’re sitting down with Dr. Dennis Hanisak and Kristen Davis from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. We cover IRLON, or Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network of Environmental Sensors, measuring the water quality and weather data of the lagoon, accessible data, community outreach and hope for the future.

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

Executive Director Duane DeFreese chats with 5th generation commercial fisherman Charlie Sembler about how the Indian River Lagoon has changed since he was young, his time in the Florida Legislature, and practical advice for educating elected officials and the general public on how to help the IRL return to health.

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

IRL Community Engagement Coordinator, Jessy Wales, sits down with Brevard Zoo Conservation Manager Olivia Escandell and Marine Discovery Center Conservation Science Coordinator Tess Sailor-Tynes to chat about historic funding in support of the Indian River Lagoon. They both have many exciting projects underway such as seagrass restoration, building seagrass nurseries, shuck & share oyster and clam programs, and more. They dive into the details and explain how community collaboration and volunteer programs have had an impactful effect on seagrass restoration in the IRL.

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

Indian River Lagoon Counties identify lands for purchase based on their conservation value with consideration to allowing for public access and recreational use and enjoyment. In episode 6 of our podcast, we talk with Beth Powell (Director of IRL County Parks), Amy Griffin (Environmental Resources Director of St. Lucie County), and Mike Knight (Program Manager at Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program) about how lands are identified for purchase and what the criteria are, how public recreation factors into decision-making, particular projects’ successes, and each of the managers’ favorite projects in their respective counties.

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

In our fifth episode, we talk with Captain Jim Ross and Captain Blair Wiggins, commercial fishing guides and Indian River Lagoon locals who have witnessed first-hand many of the changes to the Lagoon’s ecosystem. We discuss the potential solutions to Lagoon issues, including the IRL Clam Project, and what everyone in the community can do to help — whether you’ve just moved here or have called the Lagoon your home for generations. 

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

Seagrasses are at the crux of many issues facing the Indian River Lagoon. But why are these underwater grasses so important? How do they impact water quality and ecology? And what is being done to nurse their damaged populations back to health? Lori Morris and Lauren Hall from St. Johns Water Management District stop by to discuss the role seagrasses play in the lagoon’s future. 

To learn more about seagrass restoration initiatives, visit: www.sjrwmd.com

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

In September of 2021, the Canaveral Port Authority approved the construction of a new, 14-acre aquarium in conjunction with Brevard Zoo that will be a major educational resource for students, citizens, and the scientists. The Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program is joined by Keith Winsten, Executive Director of Brevard Zoo and champion of the Aquarium Project to explore how this new facility will teach and inspire an environmental ethic in the lagoon community. 

To learn more about the Aquarium Project, visit: ourlegacycampaign.org/aquarium

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

Manatees are among the most beloved creatures that call the Indian River Lagoon home, but these graceful sea cows have recently been threatened with a concerning spike in deaths. The IRL Council sits down with Dr. Martine deWitt from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to discuss the importance of manatees to lagoon ecology and examine the cause behind this heartbreaking phenomenon. 

To learn more about manatee and the efforts to preserve their populations, visit: myfwc.com

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

Meet the members of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program and learn about their mission to lead the charge in lagoon restoration by uniting the community around the message of “One Lagoon.” 

To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/

➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/
➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/
➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/