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Indian River Lagoon Florida

Indian River Lagoon Florida

3 people analyzing oysters on the shore
5 People on a small boat
Smithsonian Marine Station exterior

Indian River Lagoon, Florida,
Smithsonian Marine Station

Located beside the Indian River Lagoon, SMS builds understanding of one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America 

The Smithsonian Marine Station (SMS) is located on the eastern coast of Florida alongside the Indian River Lagoon, one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America and listed as an “Estuary of National Significance” by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The lagoon lies along a biogeographic boundary between temperate and sub-tropical provinces, which results in high biodiversity as the species from these provinces mix, as well as diverse habitats including seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and oyster reefs. SMS is part of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and was established to serve as a satellite field lab to draw in scientists and students from the Smithsonian and other institutions around the world to study the unique lagoon and its surroundings. SMS continues to host high-impact research from many disciplines in marine sciences and is just as strongly devoted to educational outreach. MarineGEO has been conducting research at SMS since 2017, focusing mainly on oyster reef, seagrass, mangrove, and human-built habitats   

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Smithsonian Marine Station

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Valerie Paul

Head Scientist

Smithsonian Marine Station

Dean S Janiak

Biologist

Smithsonian Marine Station at Ft Pierce, Florida
27.460339
-80.311054

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Indian River Lagoon Florida
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Upper Chesapeake Bay
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Link to Smithsonian Institution homepage(link is external)
The Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO), directed by the Smithsonian’s Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network (TMON), is a network of partners researching biodiversity as the heart of healthy, productive, coastal ecosystems, where marine life and people are concentrated and interact most. MarineGEO marshals the Smithsonian’s leadership in discovery and convening power to advance knowledge useful to decision-makers in supporting innovative management and protection of marine life.