MELBOURNE — Volunteers from Space Coast Credit Union spent part of a recent Tuesday helping maintain oyster beds in the Indian River Lagoon as part of a partnership with the East Coast Zoological Foundation.
The June 16 effort supported the foundation’s Restore Our Shores initiative. Credit union employees worked alongside foundation staff to level oyster shell beds and reposition coquina rocks that help stabilize developing reef structures.
A single oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water a day, making the reefs an important tool for improving lagoon water quality and shoreline resilience.
The volunteer day follows an earlier $35,000 donation from Space Coast Credit Union to the foundation. The gift is part of the credit union’s Partners in Purpose program, which combines corporate giving, volunteer work and nonprofit partnerships focused on Florida’s coastal habitats.
“At SCCU, supporting our communities also means doing what we can to preserve our coastlines and waterways—and we take that responsibility seriously,” said Joelle Hahn, senior vice president of marketing and leader of the Partners in Purpose program. “Partnering with the East Coast Zoological Foundation helps us turn that commitment into real, lasting impact.”
The East Coast Zoological Foundation, a Melbourne-based nonprofit that operates Brevard Zoo and Bowen Aquarium, works on local conservation projects that include living shorelines, sea turtle rehabilitation and community education programs. It receives no ongoing government operating funds and relies on private donations and grants.
Space Coast Credit Union, headquartered in Melbourne since 1951, serves more than 707,000 members across 34 Florida counties.