Indian River Lagoon
Encyclopedia
The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon
, Banana River
, and the Indian River
, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida
. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais
Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida
.
in Volusia County, Florida
, to Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County, Florida
, and includes Cape Canaveral
. Lake Okeechobee
is connected to the lagoon by the Okeechobee Waterway
and the St. Lucie River
meeting in Sewall's Point
.
Portions of the Lagoon, from north to south:
with more than 2,200 different species of animals and 2,100 species of plants. The Lagoon varies in width from 0.5 to 5 mi (0.80467 to 8 ) and averages 3 foot (0.9144 m) in depth. It serves as a spawning and nursery ground for many different species of oceanic and lagoon fish and shellfish. The lagoon also has one of the most diverse bird populations anywhere in America. Nearly 1/3 of the nation’s manatee
population lives here or migrates through the Lagoon seasonally. In addition, its ocean beaches provide one of the densest sea turtle
nesting areas found in the Western Hemisphere.
The diversity of the lagoon draws millions of boaters and fishermen annually, which brings tens of millions of dollars to Florida. Red Drum
, Spotted seatrout
, Common snook
, and the formidable Tarpon
are the main gamefish sought by anglers in the lagoon system.
s (Tursiops truncatus) normally live in the Indian River Lagoon. The dolphins resident in the lagoon system may belong to three or more different communities. There is little exchange of individuals between the lagoon and coastal populations. However, individuals from coastal populations are occasionally seen in the lagoon. One individual from the lagoon communities, Dolphin 56, was tagged in the lagoon in 1979 and was sighted in the lagoon more than 40 times through 1996. In 1997 Dolphin 56 left the Indian River Lagoon and was spotted many times along the east coast of the United States from Florida to New York until 1999.
Female Bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon tend to live longer than males. The maximum age attained by both sexes is one to almost two decades less than that reached by dolphins resident in Sarasota Bay
, the most thoroughly studied wild population of Bottlenose dolphins.
In 2008, a study valued the lagoon at $2.1 billion.
(water heavily saturated with plant fertilizers promote the algae blooms). The lagoon has also been the subject of research on light penetration for photosynthesis
in submerged aquatic vegetation. The seagrass
covers over 100000 acres (40,468.6 ha) and is a critical component to the overall health of the lagoon.
In 2010 3300000 pounds (1,496,854.8 kg) of nitrogen and 475000 pounds (215,456.4 kg) of phosphorus entered the lagoon.
Mosquito Lagoon
Mosquito Lagoon is located in the northern part of the Indian River Lagoon system and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It extends from Ponce de León Inlet in Volusia County, Florida, to the north end of Merritt Island. It connects to the Indian River via the Haulover Canal. The Lagoon divides...
, Banana River
Banana River
The Banana River is a lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it is the only part of the lagoon system not in the Intracoastal...
, and the Indian River
Indian River (Florida)
The Indian River is a waterway in Florida, a part of the Indian River Lagoon system which forms the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It extends southward from the Ponce de Leon inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Florida [Volusia County] southward and across the "Haulover Canal" and along the western shore...
, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais
Ais (tribe)
The Ais, or Ays were a tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the Atlantic Coast of Florida. They ranged from present day Cape Canaveral to the St. Lucie Inlet, in the present day counties of Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and northernmost Martin...
Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Course
Its full length is 156 miles (251.1 km), extending from Ponce de León InletPonce de León Inlet
The Ponce de León Inlet is a natural opening in the barrier islands in northern Florida that connects the north end of the Mosquito Lagoon and the south end of the Halifax River to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the site of the town of Ponce Inlet, Florida and the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light...
in Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....
, to Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, and includes Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
. Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
is connected to the lagoon by the Okeechobee Waterway
Okeechobee Waterway
The Okeechobee Waterway is a man-made waterway stretching from Fort Myers on the west coast to Stuart on the east coast of Florida. It was built/finished in 1937 to provide a water route across Florida, allowing boats to pass east–west across the state rather than travelling the long route around...
and the St. Lucie River
St. Lucie River
The St. Lucie River is a estuary in St. Lucie and Martin counties in the U.S. state of Florida. Its North Fork flows south from St Lucie County into Martin County where it joins the north-flowing South Fork, which was once called the Halpatiokee River, just south of the old Roosevelt Bridge in...
meeting in Sewall's Point
Sewall's Point, Florida
Sewall's Point is a town located on the peninsula of the same name in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,946 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,053 . Both the town and the peninsula are named for Capt...
.
Portions of the Lagoon, from north to south:
- Mosquito LagoonMosquito LagoonMosquito Lagoon is located in the northern part of the Indian River Lagoon system and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It extends from Ponce de León Inlet in Volusia County, Florida, to the north end of Merritt Island. It connects to the Indian River via the Haulover Canal. The Lagoon divides...
, from Ponce de Leon Inlet to the north end of Merritt IslandMerritt Island, FloridaMerritt Island is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located on the east coast of the state on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the population was 36,090. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, connected to Indian River by Haulover Canal. - Indian RiverIndian River (Florida)The Indian River is a waterway in Florida, a part of the Indian River Lagoon system which forms the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It extends southward from the Ponce de Leon inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Florida [Volusia County] southward and across the "Haulover Canal" and along the western shore...
, the main body of water, from the north border between Volusia and BrevardBrevard County, FloridaBrevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
Counties along the western shore of Merritt Island, southward to St. Lucie Inlet. - Banana RiverBanana RiverThe Banana River is a lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it is the only part of the lagoon system not in the Intracoastal...
, an offshoot of the Indian River, northward making up the eastern shore of Merritt Island. - Eau Gallie RiverEau Gallie RiverEau Gallie River is a river in Eau Gallie, Florida, United States. It is a tributary of the Indian River, with its mouth near Hawthorne Point.-History:...
- St. Sebastian River
- Hobe Sound, the portion of the lagoon from St. Lucie Inlet to Jupiter Inlet.
Natural history
The Indian River Lagoon is North America’s most diverse estuaryEstuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
with more than 2,200 different species of animals and 2,100 species of plants. The Lagoon varies in width from 0.5 to 5 mi (0.80467 to 8 ) and averages 3 foot (0.9144 m) in depth. It serves as a spawning and nursery ground for many different species of oceanic and lagoon fish and shellfish. The lagoon also has one of the most diverse bird populations anywhere in America. Nearly 1/3 of the nation’s manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
population lives here or migrates through the Lagoon seasonally. In addition, its ocean beaches provide one of the densest sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
nesting areas found in the Western Hemisphere.
The diversity of the lagoon draws millions of boaters and fishermen annually, which brings tens of millions of dollars to Florida. Red Drum
Red Drum
The Red Drum , also known as Channel Bass, Redfish, Spottail Bass or simply Reds, is a game fish that is found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Northern Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops...
, Spotted seatrout
Spotted Seatrout
The spotted seatrout also known as speckled trout,or spotted weakfish is a common estuary fish found in the southern United States...
, Common snook
Common snook
The common snook is a species of marine fish in the family Centropomidae of the order Perciformes. This species is native to the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, from southern Florida and Texas...
, and the formidable Tarpon
Tarpon
Tarpons are large fish of the genus Megalops. There are two species of Megalops, one native to the Atlantic, and the other to the Indo-Pacific oceans.They are the only members of the family Megalopidae.- Species and habitats :...
are the main gamefish sought by anglers in the lagoon system.
Dolphins
Between 200 and 800 Bottlenose dolphinBottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
s (Tursiops truncatus) normally live in the Indian River Lagoon. The dolphins resident in the lagoon system may belong to three or more different communities. There is little exchange of individuals between the lagoon and coastal populations. However, individuals from coastal populations are occasionally seen in the lagoon. One individual from the lagoon communities, Dolphin 56, was tagged in the lagoon in 1979 and was sighted in the lagoon more than 40 times through 1996. In 1997 Dolphin 56 left the Indian River Lagoon and was spotted many times along the east coast of the United States from Florida to New York until 1999.
Female Bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon tend to live longer than males. The maximum age attained by both sexes is one to almost two decades less than that reached by dolphins resident in Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay is an estuary located off the west coast of Florida in the United States.The bay and its surrounding area appeared on the earliest maps of the area, being named Zarazote on one dating from the early 18th century...
, the most thoroughly studied wild population of Bottlenose dolphins.
Economy
In 2007, visitors spent an estimated 3.2 million person-days in recreation on the lagoon.In 2008, a study valued the lagoon at $2.1 billion.
Ecology
In 2007, concerns were raised about the future of the lagoon system, especially in the southern half where frequent freshwater discharges seriously threaten water quality (decreasing the salinity needed by many fish species) and contribute to large algae bloomsAlgal bloom
An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of phytoplankton species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration...
(water heavily saturated with plant fertilizers promote the algae blooms). The lagoon has also been the subject of research on light penetration for photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
in submerged aquatic vegetation. The seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
covers over 100000 acres (40,468.6 ha) and is a critical component to the overall health of the lagoon.
In 2010 3300000 pounds (1,496,854.8 kg) of nitrogen and 475000 pounds (215,456.4 kg) of phosphorus entered the lagoon.