Lawmakers Fear More Pollutants May Be Released In Florida Waters
A group of community activists don't want local cities and counties to lose the power to control the sale of fertilizer to prevent pollution of their waterways. Dozens of people gathered near the Stuart Causeway bridge along the St. Lucie River to voice their opposition to House Bill 421. Read More

Goliath Grouper Mysteries Slowly Being Unraveled
Around the reefs of Jupiter and Hobe Sound, the fall months are special. For Goliath groupers, it's spawning season. Aggregations of large Goliaths — some estimated to be as large as eight feet in length and weighing more than 500 pounds — gather at artificial reefs and shipwrecks around Jupiter and the southern end of the Treasure Coast. For four years, volunteer divers and researchers have been working to unlock some of the mysteries of one of the area's largest resident fish. Read More

NY Times Education Blog: Bioluminescence Lesson Plan
What is bioluminescence, and what function does it play in living organisms? How have researchers harnessed bioluminescence in studies of toxicity and pollution? In this lesson, students explore deep-sea bioluminescence, learn how scientists use this property to identify contaminants in water and participate in a forum on water pollution. Read More

Vero Beach Council Approves Fertilizer Ordinance
City officials are hoping a new fertilizer ordinance will create a healthier Indian River Lagoon. The ordinance approved Tuesday requires training for commercial applicators, places restrictions on fertilizer use near the water and reinforces the city's prohibition against blowing grass clippings on the streets and sidewalks. Read More

NY Times Article: Illuminating the Perils of Pollution, Nature’s Way
Edith Widder presented a handful of greenish muck that had been pulled from the shallows of the Indian River Lagoon and cupped it in her palm.This fish produces red bioluminescence from light organs on the face and uses it like a sniper scope. "See that?" she asked. "That's a lot of decayed organic matter. It's just a great holding area for pollutants." Collecting mud is a new calling for Dr. Widder, a marine biologist who is known around the world for her work in much larger bodies of water. Read More

TC Palm Article: John D. Orcutt Jr.: Federal, State Regulators Asleep
Driving over a bridge spanning the Indian River Lagoon one sees a wonderful view of nature that enhances the aesthetic and economic value of the area. However, if one zooms in closer and thinks about the condition of the lagoon 25 years ago, one realizes it has changed. There has been a degradation of water quality over time. I remember filling buckets with shrimp netted off the Wabasso Causeway, collecting delicious oysters off numerous spoil islands, canoeing over dense sea grass beds... Read More

IMPACT 100 Award Helps Fund Pilot Project
ORCA was honored to be selected as a finalist in the Indian River Impact 100 awards in Vero Beach, Florida. Established by the Indian River Community Foundation, this innovative program of 350 women philanthropists is dedicated to supporting programs that will have a transformational impact throughout the community.  Participating in Impact 100 provided ORCA the opportunity to increase understanding of our mission to protect and restore vital marine and freshwater ecosystems. Within days of our presentation to the members of Impact 100, we were thrilled to receive a major gift from an anonymous donor, as well as several contributions from others in the Impact 100 audience. This additional support, together with the $16,000 grant from Impact 100, makes it possible for us to move forward with a pilot project using ORCA’s proven technology to show the value of making water pollution visible in a color gradient map, similar to a weather map. Read More

Indian River Lagoon in Critical Condition; Save It Now or Never
My passion for the lagoon pales in comparison with that of marine scientist Edie Widder, recipient of a MacArthur genius award and co-founder of the Fort Pierce-based Ocean Research Conservation Association. Widder has dedicated her knowledge, time, energy and financial resources into studying, preserving and protecting the lagoon's natural environment. Read More

Washington Post Article Shines Light On Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is as widespread as it is wild and mysterious. Jack-o'-lantern mushrooms, flashlight fish and fireflies are among the multitude of organisms that bioluminesce. Scientists are still finding previously unknown examples of the phenomenon, especially at sea, where bioluminescent species are particularly varied and abundant. In parts of the ocean, 80 to 90 percent of sea creatures make light or harbor microbes that do so. Story

Panel Says BP Oil Spill Threatens Gulf’s Resources
Oil-soaked birds may be the iconic image of the BP spill, but marine biologist Edith Widder said equally tragic events occurred offshore out of sight of the public. The spill’s impact extends to aquatic species already on the brink of devastation, she said, such as Atlantic bluefin tuna that spawn in the area affected by the oil. Read Article

Blacktide.tv Webisode
How much of the 190 million gallons of oil leaked still remains in the gulf and where is it? What short and long term effects on the plankton, oyster beds, crabs, coral reefs and fisheries will we see? When will oil from the Macando spill stop washing up on our beaches, even in the smallest amount? The Black Tide project is dedicated to seeking out honest, reliable answers to these questions and more. Learn More

Real-Time Pollution Monitors to Aid Chesapeake Bay
The Ocean Research and Conservation Association is using new technology in Island Creek and the Choptank River to gather data on water flow that will help show where runoff of sediment and nutrients is most likely to be a problem. That technology also has the potential to identify, in real time, the source of pollution -- possibly down to the farm, development or animal feedlot. Read More

Collection of Scientific Data on Oil Spill Critical
Edie Widder, a world-renowned marine researcher and passionate protector of the ocean environment, has witnessed the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with sadness and a degree of frustration. She believes her organization can provide important scientific data on the impact of the spill, but funding has not been made available and time may be running out.
Read Article

Ocean Researcher Warns of 'Oilberg' Coming Closer to Us
If you listen to Tom Daly, coordinator for St. Lucie County’s Division of Emergency Management, you might feel reassured the worst of the Gulf oil spill won’t be coming our way. Edie Widder, PhD, an internationally renowned ocean researcher based in Fort Pierce, would vehemently disagree. The spill is a continuing disaster that will impact us, our waterways and our grandkids for generations to come, she says. Read Article

Floridathinks.com Interview: ‘There’s No Making This Right’
Marine scientist and deep-sea explorer Dr. Edith “Edie” Widder sums up what’s happening in the Gulf of Mexico in three words: “a hideous stain.” On Monday, Widder shared with FloridaThinks her observations on the destruction underway in the Gulf from the BP oil spill. Read Article

NOVA Science Now: Profiles Dr. Edie Widder
Meet a marine biologist and explorer who has engineered new ways to spy on deep-sea creatures. See a menagerie of bizarre ocean organisms that use light to lure prey, mate,
and more. Also, Edie answers your questions about deep-sea exploration and how to
protect our endangered oceans.

Goliath Grouper Conservation Update
Read about the range-wide status and conservation of the Goliath grouper in the journal Endangered Species Research, one of the sister journals of the Inter-Research group which also publishes Marine Ecology Progress Series and other important scientific journals. The special issue includes the most up to date information on the species, resulting from a recent workshop. Most of the research has been conducted in Florida.