LagoonWatch

LagoonWatch is MRC’s signature citizen scientist water quality monitoring program for the Indian River Lagoon. For more than 30 years we have trained and equipped hundreds of volunteer monitors to collect weekly data on a dozen water quality parameters (including pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen levels) of the Lagoon’s waters. Monitoring locations cover the entire expanse of the Lagoon from New Smyrna Beach in the north to Jupiter Inlet in the south.

As the State of Florida has updated its data quality requirements to data collection using digital probes, LagoonWatch has needed to catch up. LagoonWatch volunteers now use state-compliant gear! This includes digital water quality probes that measure temperature, salinity, pH, conductivity, and total dissolved solids. Recording dissolved oxygen in the water is essential, but requires an additional probe. We now offer water monitors the ability to collect nitrogen and phosphate data. Excess nitrogen and phosphate in water feed the harmful algae blooms that plague summer months with toxins, fish kills, and seagrass die-offs. Nutrient testing is a new addition to the LagoonWatch program that puts citizen scientists on the front lines of detecting nutrient pollution in the IRL and will provide essential environmental health metrics. The initial purchase of nutrient kits is made possible by an IRLNEP Small Grant!

These improvements don’t just make sampling easier; they also unlock new potential for how the data can be used. Internally, MRC will integrate these high-quality citizen science datasets into our annual IRL Health Report and share monthly data snapshots right here in this newsletter. Even more exciting, the updated methods will allow us to upload data to the Watershed Information Network (WIN). This database is a key resource that state and local agencies use to guide policy, assess water quality, and support environmental decision-making.

At MRC, we believe that data should drive action, and we’re committed to making sure the efforts of our volunteers contribute to restoration, awareness, and stewardship throughout the region.