Grassroots effort: Tackling seagrass scarcity in Indian River Lagoon to save starved sea life
Florida's seagrass is dying off, creating a massive issue in the Indian River Lagoon.
It's leading to a spike in starvation deaths for the animals that rely on it, like manatees.
The Florida Oceanographic Society is growing several types of seagrass in controlled tank environments to learn how the essential resource can return and survive in the Indian River Lagoon.
“We've lost more than 50,000 acres of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon," stated Dr. Zack Jud, the Director of Education at the Florida Oceanographic Society. "That’s probably in the neighborhood of 90 to 95 percent of the grass that once existed.”