Environmental group: We support proposal that could save seagrass in lagoon

If you thought Dream Green Volusia’s WATERGOAT — a pollution-reduction system described in a recent story and op-ed — was cool, wait until you get a load of the Biorock Ecoregeneration System. 

More:BioRock technology: Could it help bring back seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon?

More:Care about the environment? Here are seven things you can do to help save it

Bear with me here.  The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “culture” as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.”  The Merriam-Webster editors may have had Volusia County in mind when they chose that definition to be its first, most preferred usage.  The dictionary also offers both “popular culture” and “Southern culture” as types of culture.  Mash those two together and you have “popular Southern culture.”

I suggest we have an immediate obligation to support the “popular Southern culture” of the Indian River Lagoon.  Volusia County is the northernmost point of the lagoon, which is called one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the Northern Hemisphere and is “home to more than 4,300 species of plants and animals” according to Wikipedia.  The lagoon is a vital economic driver for Florida because of many things including recreation and ecotourism.  That sure sounds like “culture” to me.

We used to have abundant oyster reefs in the lagoon but, unfortunately, not anymore.  That now-contaminated estuary is a perfect example of an ecosystem in need of serious restoration.  A possible solution to part of this problem is the scientifically sound Biorock Ecoregeneration System.  A presentation on the Biorock System, arranged by the community-minded organization Sons of the Beach and wholeheartedly supported by the grassroots environmental group Dream Green Volusia, is scheduled for the Volusia County Council meeting today.  The Biorock system deserves serious consideration and, if found to be feasible, generous financial support. 

Biorock’s website notes “increasing stress from global warming, sea level rise, acidification, sedimentation, pollution, and unsustainable practices have degraded the most critical coastal ecosystems including coral reefs, oyster reefs, and salt marshes.” The people at Biorock say that, sadly, “(c)onventional restoration methods work only under perfect conditions (italics added) but fail nearly completely when the water becomes too hot or water quality deteriorates”. 

A good portion of the IRL is considered a coastal ecosystem because it is regularly flooded by the tides and is dominated by dense stands of salt-tolerant plants, that is, salt marsh.  This ecosystem, which thousands of people utilize both recreationally and commercially, is delicate, damaged and in need of restoration.  The IRL’s environmental importance is clear, but its economic and cultural importance is also tremendously significant.  According to the Indian River Lagoon’s own website, activities in the Lagoon can generate more than $7.6 billion per year to the state of Florida.  That’s $7.6 billion, with a “B”.  And that certainly sounds like something in need of critical protection.

The Biorock Ecoregeneration System deserves to be seriously considered by our County Council.  What could possibly be more critical than the health of this area’s environment as probably the single most important resource for recreation and commerce after the beach?  You can get on board by contacting your County Council Representatives by phone or e-mail and letting them know you demand support to Save the Lagoon.  Their contact info is available at www.volusia.org/government/county-council.  You can also contact Sons of the Beach at www.sonsofthebeach.org or Dream Green Volusia at dreamgreenvolusia.com to get a Save the Lagoon yard sign, make a donation, or just voice your support.

The Indian River Lagoon is both culturally and economically significant and it deserves to be restored urgently and then protected faithfully.

Personally, I believe Merriam-Webster would wholeheartedly agree.

Janet K. Nutt lives in Ormond Beach and is a member of Dream Green Volusia.