The Lagoon House is open to the public by appointment only.
Call us at 321-725-7775 to request an appointment.
What's Ailing the Lagoon

Understanding What’s Ailing the Lagoon

, , ,

An MRC Lunch & Learn Seminar

July 11, 2023
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Marine Resources Council is pleased to partner with Heather Stapleton, Community Engagement Coordinator at the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, to present July’s Lunch and Learn: Understanding What’s Ailing the Indian River Lagoon… and Finding Solutions to Bring it Back to Health. See below for video from this event.

One LagoonThe presentation features

  • The current condition of the IRL didn’t change overnight — there was a recent defining moment that tipped the Lagoon from a more natural seagrass dominated system to a less natural algae dominated system. When we understand our roles in what ails the lagoon, we can better understand how to bring it back to a healthier balance.

Meet the Presenter

Heather StapletonHeather Stapleton happily calls herself an adopted Floridian and is proud to call Indian River County home. She graduated from Indiana University with majors in Environmental Studies, Political Science and French with an area concentration Public Affairs. Upon graduation, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa for three years.

Most recently, Heather was the Executive Director of Vero Heritage, Inc, the private nonprofit that stewards the Heritage Center (on the National Historic Register) and operates the Indian River Citrus Museum. Previously, Heather was the Education Director at the Environmental Learning Center for 16 years.

Now, Heather is one of three new Community Engagement Coordinators for One Lagoon – the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program. She had been volunteering on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the IRLNEP and is the volunteer coordinator for the Vero Beach Film Festival. This is Heather’s 20th summer leading sea turtle walks in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. When Heather is not in nature nor in a museum, she is likely to be singing with a local choir.

MRC’s Lunch & Learn Webinar series is a long-standing and cherished social offered to the East Central Florida coast region, and is supported by volunteers and the community’s charitable giving. If interested and able, we ask participants to donate toward our guest speaker series. All donations are tax-deductible.