PALM BAY, Fla. — The Marine Resources Council in Brevard County is revving up efforts to restore the struggling Indian River Lagoon through an educational campaign.

A survey the nonprofit ran shows just 25-30% of the population are aware of the lagoon’s plight.

The campaign, called “Low Impact Living,” aims to show people, organizations and communities ways they can slow their impact on the lagoon, such as reducing stormwater pollution.

“As people become aware, and fall in love with this beautiful lagoon, what we find is they are creating the technologies,” said Ken Parks, MRC director of development.

Jessica Cline, a Florida Tech grad student studying Biological Oceanography, helped developed one of those recent technologies.

When she joined the Marin Resources Council, she found a perfect way to do her master’s thesis project.

“MRC has this untouched shoreline that was rapidly eroding,” Cline said.

In an effort to restore the shore, the organization put in breakwater structures last March to act as buffers and reduce wave strength.

“Where we are standing right now is nice, solid beach," Cline said. "Before they put in the breakwaters, we would be standing in the water right now, this far up the shoreline."

The 2024 Indian River Lagoon report saw mixed results in terms of the body of water’s health conditions, but did suggest efforts were on the right track for the long term.

Cline’s project is an example of that progress.

“This has been a great start for us," she said. "We’ve seen excellent results."

The Marine Resource Center’s goal is to restore balance in the lagoon by 2050.