Living Docks Are a New Tool for Lagoon Health

The Indian River Lagoon is one of Indian River County’s natural treasures, and it is key to the quality of life prized by local residents and visitors. But, sadly, its once-pristine water is not what it used to be.

Excessive nutrients from such sources as farm and residential fertilizers and pollution from faulty septic systems have driven harmful algal blooms and seagrass loss (predominant threats vary by lagoon region). Development along the banks has caused the destruction of habitat for many of the aquatic organisms that help maintain the lagoon’s health. 

However, projects and studies aimed to halt the pollution and restore the health of the lagoon have been underway in recent years, championed by such organizations as the Indian River Lagoon Division of our county’s Natural Resource Department, ORCA (Ocean Research & Conservation Association), the Indian River Land Trust, the Clean Water Coalition, Florida Institute of Technology, and the University of Central Florida.

A new effort that kicked off in the past year is the Living Docks program, and it affords coastal homeowners a unique opportunity to participate in the restoration of the Indian River Lagoon.

A living dock is created when its pilings are wrapped with multiple aquaculture mesh mats that have 60 to 80 dried oyster shells attached to them. The shells attract the larvae of oysters and other bivalve creatures and establish a natural habitat for additional filter-feeding organisms to settle.

The project is a partnership between Indian River County and Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. “FIT has been successful in creating living docks in other communities and was looking for a means to extend the project to include Indian River County,” says Melissa Meisenburg, the county’s senior lagoon environmental specialist.

“The Living Docks program is a better alternative to placing oyster mats on the lagoon floor,” Meisenburg adds. “That method was not successful in our region because of wave energy caused by wind and boats. We don’t have sheltered areas here like they do in Mosquito Lagoon in Brevard County.”

Through the partnership, Indian River County agrees to seek out appropriate docks, provide the materials, coordinate the building of the oyster mats, wrap the pilings, and provide data back to FIT for analysis.

The goal of the project is twofold, Meisenburg stresses: improving water quality and creating habitat. “A living dock isn’t just about cleaning the water,” she says, “it is also about replacing habitat where it may have been lost along the shoreline through development, and extending habitat out into the lagoon.

“Oyster mats attract oysters as well as all sorts of filtering organisms, such as sponges and tunicates. Once they settle on the mats, other creatures will come and settle, such as small crabs, small shrimp, and then other fish will come and feed off them. A habitat is created all around the mat.”

Not every dock in the lagoon can become a successful living dock. The water has to be deep enough so the wrapped pilings will be underwater but not resting on the lagoon floor. In addition, the salinity of the water in the area must be just right. “Oysters require a specific salinity range, Meisenburg explains. “The water can’t be too fresh or too saline.”

Her team also inspects a proposed dock for what is already attached to its pilings. For example, if a dock displays only barnacles and algae, it may be a good candidate for wrapping. “If there are oysters already on a dock, we leave it alone because we don’t want to cover them.”

The county evaluates the progress of a newly installed living dock after six months, and if nothing is attaching to the mat, the team will remove it. “But if things are starting to accumulate and grow on the mats,” Meisenburg says, “we will try to determine what they are. Then we will continue to inspect the dock every six months until the mats are completely ‘cemented’ by the organisms.”

Homeowners can nominate their own docks for the project by filling out an application on the county website. Michael and Jeannie Sole of Sebastian did that and are now watching their living dock grow. “The county made the whole process extremely easy, from the application to installation,” says Michael. The application is one page and is completed online. Once the Soles’ dock was deemed appropriate, it was wrapped in one morning—all 39 pilings.

The oyster mats surrounding the pilings are virtually invisible. “Our neighbors worried the project would be unsightly, but we have assured them that we hardly notice it,” says Jeannie. The Soles have recommended participating in the project to neighbors and others living on the lagoon.

Michael Sole says he believes coastal homeowners have a responsibility to protect and help restore the lagoon. “It is a valuable asset,” he says, “and maintaining its health is more than enhancing the value of the property; it is also about maintaining the quality of life for all residents.”

The county schedules two oyster mat–building workshops a month and publicizes the events on its website. Participants agree that the workshops are well organized, the work is not physically challenging, and it’s something almost anyone can do.

Heather Stapleton, community engagement coordinator for the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, participated in a recent workshop. She encourages others to join the effort as individuals or groups. “Often, there is not a lot local residents can do if they don’t own their own home on the lagoon. But building oyster mats is a way that anyone might help,” she says. “The lagoon did not reach its current state overnight, and we are not going to fix it overnight. Literally, it is going to take all levels—the federal, state, local, and the citizen level.”

The workshops inevitably become social events. “It’s fun and there is a lot of conversation,” Stapleton says; “and, of course, much of the talk is about the lagoon and what we are all doing to help restore it.

“As we like to say, ‘Every project is progress.’”