The Marine Resources Council, East Florida’s mission is to improve water quality and to protect and restore the fish and wildlife resources of the Indian River Lagoon, coastal waters, inshore reefs, and the watershed.
The Project
The Marine Resources Council will launch a volunteer flotilla of kayakers, paddleboarders and boaters, recruited partly through local ecotourism paddle and kayak operators, to carry out monthly litter cleanups across Florida’s Indian River Lagoon.
The Issue
Litter is a growing problem along the biodiverse Indian River Lagoon, but most cleanup efforts are limited to areas accessible on foot, leaving much of the water-based debris untouched.
The Project
The project will build a lagoon-wide volunteer network of people already out on the water, recruiting through its own contacts and regional ecotourism paddle and kayak businesses, with each volunteer committing to monthly cleanups in an assigned area and reporting data through the Trashblitz platform.
The Impact
An initial action plan and science communication strategy will be developed by April 2027, laying the groundwork for sustained, community-driven water-based stewardship of the lagoon.
