Star Brite, Fla. Marina Host Earth Day Event

With Earth Day being celebrated April 22, Marker 24 Marina in Merritt Island, Fla., this weekend will host a Star brite SeaSafe Clean Water Collective event to spotlight habitat restoration in the Indian River Lagoon system.

Activities coincide with the Coastal Conservation Association’s commemoration of Earth Day and kick off with a media event Friday, organizers said in a statement. The schedule continues Saturday with a clam release, mangrove planting and educational workshops. A beach cleanup is scheduled for Sunday.

The Indian River Lagoon area is considered North America’s most diverse estuary but suffers from accumulation of nutrients, overdevelopment, algae blooms and degradation of seagrass beds, according to event organizers.

“I am continually amazed at the amount of nature that thrives here despite the hardships we are facing with the river,” said Peter Black, co-owner of Marker 24 Marina. “We have modernized all the aspects of the marina to have the absolute minimum impact on the water. We are also currently rebuilding the old breakwater as a living mangrove-covered coquina barrier with openings for continual flow. We anticipate the structure will become its own thriving aquatic community with the new mangrove plantings taking hold and providing the filtration and stabilization of the sediment while also housing a nursery and anchor point for a multitude of species.”