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Follow on Google News | More Effort Needed on Seagrass Restoration to Support Manatees and Other Florida Marine Life, BeforeThe restoration of Florida's rapidly depleting seagrass meadows is vital to marine wildlife and the state's economy. "Underwater plants are the lungs of the lagoon," said foundation board chair Carlos Alfonso. "Two-and-a-half acres of seagrass supports as many as 100,000 fish and 100 million invertebrates, in addition to providing manatees with a crucial food source." The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) runs along 40% of Florida's east coast and is home to over 4,000 fish and plant species, making it one of the most diverse estuaries in the United States. In the past ten years, declining water quality led to ruinous harmful algal blooms. The lagoon has lost more than 46,000 acres of seagrass – 58% of the total. The seagrasses of the lagoon are critical for biodiversity: According to the UCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/ The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida (FFWF) is one of several groups working hard to restore Florida's vital seagrass meadows with seven planting projects underway in the IRL this year. Many of these projects occur in tributaries along the lagoon that have proved to have good water quality. Plantings in 2022 have yielded hopeful results. For more information on seagrass restoration or to donate to the $25K Seagrass Awareness Challenge, contact: Dani Richter, Director of Philanthropy drichter@wildlifeflorida.org About the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida More information can be found at wildlifeflorida.org. End
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