August 6 Brown Bag Lunch: Beach Nesting Species of the IRL

Aug. 6 Brown Bag Lunch: Beach Nesting Species of the IRL

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Ted Moorhead Lagoon House
3275 Dixie Hwy NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905

August 6, 2019
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Admission is free.

Join us at our August Brown Bag Lunch and discover how ecologically important our sandy shorelines are to many beach nesting species of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL).

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The IRL’s bare, sandy shorelines are in low supply, and host many more ecological functions than meet the naked eye. Seabirds, shorebirds, diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin tequesta), and Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) seek unobstructed sandy and shell hash shorelines for nesting. These open beaches are also used as loafing and foraging areas by some species.

Human development and recreation along coastlines have left very few undisturbed shorelines along the IRL, with a few of the remaining areas being the spoil islands of the central IRL. Come learn about some of these beach and island nesting populations that are monitored by the Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves.

Join us at our August 6 Brown Bag Lunch event with Kirk Fusco for a look at how ecologically important our sandy shorelines are to many Indian River Lagoon (IRL) species.Kirk Fusco, of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves office, specializes in shoreline habitat ecology, marine invertebrates, and shoreline restoration. He has spent over 150 days at sea, piloted many coastal restoration projects, and tagged horseshoe crabs, birds, and smalltooth sawfish. Kirk has an educational background in Marine Biology, and his passion focuses on ocean and coastal conservation for future generations.

This Brevard County event is free and open to the public; all attendees have to do is register online. If interested and able, we ask participants to donate $5 toward our guest speaker series. MRC’s Brown Bag Lunch educational series is a long-standing and cherished program offered to the East Central Florida coast region, and is supported by volunteers and the community’s charitable giving. All donations are tax-deductible. Attendees are encouraged and welcome to bring and enjoy their lunch during the seminar! For more information on the Marine Resources Council, please visit SaveTheIRL.org.