Message from Our Director

Celebrate National Estuaries Week 

Spotlight on an estuary restoration at a Florida State Park.  

Do you remember the word “estuary” from your grade school geography class? Or here’s another: “brackish.” Both of these odd-sounding words have important meanings for Florida. An estuary is a place where the tide of a larger body of water meets the outflow of a river. These confluences create areas that are uniquely productive.  

National Estuaries Week is this month (Sept. 21-28), and I’d like to highlight the incredibly important restoration going on at Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park. The park, which was acquired by the state of Florida in 2000, serves as a prime example of the long but rewarding work of restoration.  

The Indian River Lagoon is considered one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America. It has been designated an Outstanding Florida Water and an Estuary of National Significance. It provides a nursery for at least 70% of Florida’s important recreational and commercial fisheries.  

Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park protects critical habitat for birds, sea turtles and manatees. The site’s mangrove wetlands and salt marshes provide breeding, nursery and feeding areas for a variety of organisms. Migratory birds use the plant communities within the preserve as “fuel stations” where they feed during their journeys north or south.  

These coastal areas also filter runoff, stabilize sediments, maintain water quality and protect shorelines from erosion. As you can see, estuaries are vital for the health of the animals and environment of…the Real Florida. 

To give these habitats the best chance, park staff have been working to remove invasive plants, restore soil quality and build awareness about the unique and delicate habitats we know as estuaries.  

And I haven’t forgotten about “brackish”!  

The Indian River is not a river at all, but, more precisely, an estuary and a lagoon. It is a place where saltwater and freshwater meet to form brackish water.  

Learn more about the restoration of Indian River Lagoon Preserve or plan a visit to the preserve (consider staying at the nearby Sebastian Inlet State Park).  

See you in the parks, 

Chuck Hatcher, Director

Florida State Parks