INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Thousands of students and volunteers will fan out across Florida’s Indian River Lagoon on Thursday, Oct. 9, for a massive citizen science effort aimed at gauging the health of one of North America’s most biodiverse estuaries.
The Ocean Research & Conservation Association is hosting the eighth annual A Day in the Life of the Indian River Lagoon, drawing participants to more than 40 waterfront sites along the 156-mile waterway. Students in grades four through 12, along with teachers, community members and experts, will collect data on water quality — including temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and nutrient levels like nitrite and phosphate — while cataloging local species.
Since launching in 2018, the event has engaged over 10,000 students, teachers, and citizen scientists. This year, about 2,000 students from 37 schools are expected to join forces with dozens of environmental groups, from universities to wildlife agencies.
“A Day in the Life is more than a day of fieldwork — it’s an opportunity for students to become scientists, to see how their local waters are connected to the health of the entire Indian River Lagoon, and to realize that they can be part of the solution,” said Missy Weiss, ORCA’s director of citizen science.
The event spans Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach counties, with times varying by location.
Participating schools in Indian River County include: Beachland Elementary, Gifford Middle School, Indian River Charter High, Indian River Homeschoolers, Osceola Magnet, Sebastian Charter Junior High, Sebastian River High School, Saint Edward’s Upper School, Storm Grove Middle School, Vero Beach Elementary, Vero Beach High School and Willow School.
Other local participants include: City of Sebastian, Coastal Connections, Conservation Lands Division for Indian River County, Environmental Learning Center, Indian River County Stormwater Division, Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), Pelican Island Audubon and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Sponsors include: The Bernard A. Egan Foundation, Florida Power & Light Co. through its NextEra Energy Foundation, the Frank and Alice Arguimbau Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation for Brevard, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and Quail Valley Charities.
ORCA, a Vero Beach-based nonprofit, focuses on protecting and restoring the lagoon through science, technology, restoration and education. The event is one of four citizen science programs offered by the group.
For details on sites and times, contact Lauren Tracy at Ltracy@teamorca.org or 772-562-9052. More information is available on the Team ORCA website.
