Indian River Lagoon Focus of TechCon Set For Friday, Sept. 29 at Florida Tech

Open to Public; Registration Required

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Scientists and researchers from around Florida will discuss the latest efforts to fix the ailing Indian River Lagoon as Florida Institute of Technology’s Indian River Lagoon Research Institute convenes its third annual Technical Conference on Coastal Water Quality on Friday, Sept. 29.

The conference begins with opening remarks at 9 a.m. in the Hartley Room on the second floor of Denius Student Center. It is open to the public but registration is required.

Featuring keynote speakers, oral presentations and a posters reception, the conference will explore five themes:

– Combating coastal degradation
– Muck removal and control
– Novel approaches to water quality improvements
– Policy, permitting and planning, governance
– Nutrient removal

Keynote speakers begin at 9:15 a.m., with oral presentations and shorter “tech teasers” offered from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Lunch is served from 12:15-1:30 p.m.

Additional oral presentations are held from 1:30-5 p.m., and the posters reception is from 3:30-5 p.m.

Presentations include aeration as a way to remove muck; detection of anthropogenic chemical and biological contaminants in Indian River Lagoon muck; novel technologies for improving water quality; new techniques and sensors for measuring water quality; and citizen science projects aimed at monitoring algae and muck.

The keynote speaker is Jim Hagy from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He will present, “Attributes of Successful Nutrient Management: Implications for Recovery of Indian River Lagoon.”

The banquet address will be given by Nathaniel Osborn, based on his book, The Indian River Lagoon: An Environmental History.

Conference registration is $50 per person and includes access to all presentations and lunch as well as a ticket to Friday night’s Estuary Affair Dinner starting at 5:15 p.m. in the Hartley Room. A student registration package is available for $20 but does not include the dinner. Tickets for only the dinner are available for $25.

Event sponsorship packages at various funding levels are available.

For more information on the conference, sponsorships and registration, visit https://give.fit.edu/irlri-techcon

Hands-On Experience Saturday

Attendees and community members interested in a more hands-on experience are invited to attend a public event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 30, based at Ryckman Part in Melbourne Beach.

Participants may help build oyster mats and/or construct “living docks” out of existing oyster mats on the nearby pier, which could involve getting into the water. The Indian River Lagoon Research Institute will also have its RV on the scene for educational activities.

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