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Help Support Marine Conservation in Florida

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With your help, we can conserve marine habitat in Florida and around the world for people and nature.

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Go Deeper

Why Restore Oyster Reefs?

Meet the conservationist who has organized thousands of volunteers to restore Mosquito Lagoon's oyster reefs.

Video
Watch a video about the oyster reef restoration project.

An Afternoon in Mosquito Lagoon
A children’s book about the oyster reef restoration project.

Marine Conservation
Shellfish beds and reefs provide important habitat for other species, as well as acting as a breakwater for marshes and mangroves and stabilizing shorelines. Learn more about our marine conservation work.

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Volunteers are needed to help restore dead oyster reefs for an oyster reef restoration project in the Indian River Lagoon. The goal is to restore oyster reefs in Mosquito Lagoon, volunteers are needed to help make oyster shell mats. Each mat is made up of 36 oyster shells attached vertically with zip ties. The mats are attached to each other forming a large quilt-like structure.

Oyster mat-making opportunities: 
E-mail Michelle Peters-Snyder or call  (321) 543-6127 to RSVP for mat-making events. Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older, accompanied by an adult, able to follow instructions and work with their hands.  

  • February 20, 10 am – 3 pm, Sykes Creek Adventures, Kiwanis Island Park, Merritt Island
  • February 21, 2 pm – 4 pm for Lagoon Legacy event at Barrier Island Center, Melbourne Beach
  • February 22, 6 pm – 8 pm, Eau Gallie Library
  • February 24, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • February 25, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center Friday
  • February 26, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Enchanted Forest, Titusville
  • March 2, 10 am – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • March 3, 10 am – noon, Lagoon House, Palm Bay
  • March 4, 10 am –noon, Futch Park at Paradise Beach, Indialantic
  • March 6, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Enchanted Forest, Titusville
  • March 7, noon – 4 pm, Eco-Fest at Environmental Learning Center, Vero Beach
  • March 10, 10 am – noon, Barrier Island Center, Melbourne Beach
  • March 11, 10 am – noon, Riverwalk Park, Rockledge
  • March 16, noon – 1 pm, Brown Bag Lunch at Lagoon House, Palm Bay
  • March 18, 10 am – noon, Rotary Park, Merritt Island
  • March 19, noon – 2 pm, Enchanted Forest, Titusville
  • March 26, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center
  • April 6, 10 am – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • April 8, 10 am – noon, Riverwalk Park, Rockledge
  • April 8, 10 am – noon, Barrier Island Center, Melbourne Beach
  • April 14, 10 am – noon, Lagoon House, Palm Bay
  • April 15, 10 am – noon, Rotary Park, Merritt Island
  • April 17, Earth Day at Enchanted Forest, Titusville
  • May 4, 10 am – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • May 12, 10 am – noon, Barrier Island Center, Melbourne Beach
  • May 13, 10 am – noon, Riverwalk Park, Rockledge
  • May 19, 10 am – noon, Lagoon House, Palm Bay
  • May 20, 10 am – noon, Rotary Park, Merritt Island
  • May 21, noon – 2 pm, Enchanted Forest, Titusville
  • June 1, 10 am – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • June 9, 10 am – noon,  Barrier Island Center, Melbourne Beach
  • June 10, 10 am – noon, Riverwalk Park, Rockledge
  • June 16, 10 am – noon, Lagoon House, Palm Bay
  • June 17, 10 am – noon, Rotary Park, Merritt Island
  • June 18, noon – 2 pm, Enchanted Forest, Titusville
  • July 7, 10 am – noon, Barrier Island Center, Melbourne Beach
  • July 8, 10 am – noon, Riverwalk Park, Rockledge
  • July 14, 10 am – noon, Lagoon House, Palm Bay
  • July 15, 10 am – noon, Rotary Park, Merritt Island
  • July 16, noon – 2 pm, Enchanted Forest, Titusville
  • August 3, 10 am – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • August 11, 10 am – noon, Barrier Island Center, Melbourne Beach
  • August 12, 10 am – noon, Riverwalk Park, Rockledge
  • August 18, 10 am – noon, Lagoon House, Palm Bay
  • August 19, 10 am – noon, Rotary Park, Merritt Island
  • August 20, noon – 2 pm, Enchanted Forest, Titusville
  • September 7, 10 am – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • September 8, 10 am – noon, Barrier Island Center, Melbourne Beach
  • September 9, 10 am – noon, Riverwalk Park, Rockledge
  • September 15, 10 am – noon, Lagoon House, Palm Bay
  • September 16, 10 am – noon, Rotary Park, Merritt Island
  • September 17, noon – 2 pm, Enchanted Forest, Titusville

Schedule a Mat-making Session: Civic groups, schools, clubs, boating groups, recreational clubs, church groups — any group looking for an easy and fun way to help the lagoon.

A Nature Conservancy representative will bring all materials and give a presentation to your group about oyster reefs, the lagoon environment and instructions on how to create the oyster mats. Conservancy staff will then collect the completed mats to be “planted” in the Mosquito Lagoon.

Contact Michelle Peters-Snyder at (321) 543-6127 to schedule a mat-making event. Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older, accompanied by an adult, able to follow instructions carefully and work with their hands.

Partnership Information:
The oyster reef restoration project is coordinated by The Nature Conservancy, University of Central Florida and NOAA, and is funded by a grant from the National Partnership between the NOAA Community Based Restoration Program and The Nature Conservancy and partners throughout the Indian River Lagoon. View a fact sheet about the oyster reef restoration project.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © The Nature Conservancy (restored oyster reef); Photo © Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (volunteers making oyster mats), Photo © TNC (little volunteer helper Olivia Hudacek).