At the November 5 meeting, the Town Council received a presentation from AquaTech Consultant's Jonathan Brucker regarding the company's proposal to investigate opportunities to plant seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon within the boundaries of the Town. Seagrass provides a host of benefits, but their natural presence has lessened over recent years. Because seagrass takes a long time to organically recover, the state is interested in supplementing existing beds and kickstarting new growth in depleted areas. It has made funding available to AquaTech and others to research sites, plant seagrass, and monitor progress.
Seagrass supports better water quality and clarity by acting as a natural filter, it provides shoreline/seabed stabilization and can help attenuate wave action, it also provides critical habitat, and is a food source for protected species, such as manatees. In short, seagrass is important to the health of the lagoon, which is vital to the community for recreation but also its resilience.
Recently, Indian River County’s partners conducted seagrass planting in Preachers Hole, which is within the Town’s boundaries. This is a good sign that seagrass can be expected to thrive in other nearby areas and AquaTech will vet additional sites to supplement the aforementioned efforts.
If good areas are identified, AquaTech will apply for permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, engage in the plantings, and be responsible for required monitoring thereafter. Permitting is expected to take about 60 days, and the planting will occur sometime between April and October 2026.
The Town is asked to act as a local sponsor and will be provided with data, photos, and reports, so as to engage with lagoon health in a very meaningful way. This does not require any outlay of Town funds; the costs are wholly covered by a state grant to AquaTech.
The exploratory site visits are expected to occur before the spring in 2026. Should good sites be discovered and permits obtained, planting would occur some time between the start of April and the end of October. Excitingly, volunteer opportunities may be available and staff will aim to keep residents posted on those as well as the potential project overall.