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Grant funding coming for Indian River Lagoon restoration

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program and its partners are about to undertake a group of transformational habitat restoration projects spanning the length of the 156-mile lagoon.

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Dr. Duane De Freese, the Executive Director for the Indian River Lagoon NEP told us, “We’ve got six projects up in Mosquito Lagoon that are primarily focused on shorelines and oyster reef restoration.

There’s a project in Titusville at Scobie Park. That will be a shoreline restoration, a very large wetland restoration over Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge for the water management district.”

The plan is to start those projects in October, once grant funding is in hand.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just announced its funding recommendations for thirty-two habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects, including 9.4 million for the Indian River Lagoon NEP and its partners.

Project targets for lagoon project include: the restoration of 73 acres of seagrass, 7 acres of oyster reefs, and the restoration of 2,125 acres of wetlands.

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