Indian River Lagoon Symposium 






























The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) Symposium is the result of a multi-institutional, multi-agency effort to provide a forum for discussing Indian River Lagoon science and its application to the management of the lagoon. The symposium is open to scientists, decision-makers, students, education and outreach professionals, and the interested public. The intent is to facilitate better communication among these groups so that the gaps between research and its application can be narrowed.

The goals of the symposium are to:









​The theme for the 2024 symposium is IRL Fish. The IRL is home to a wide variety of fish species, ranging from small forage fish to large predators. Fishing attracts anglers and tourists, contributing to the local economy, and is a cultural tradition for many communities around the Lagoon. The health of the IRL fish populations can serve as an indicator of the overall health of the lagoon. Changes in these populations can signal environmental issues such as pollution, habitat degradation, and climate change.

Venue: Harbor Branch (for directions, see (https://www.fau.edu/hboi/about/location-maps/) is located along the Indian River Lagoon in Fort Pierce, Florida, centrally located between the cities of Fort Pierce and Vero Beach.

Program Schedule: Technical sessions consisting of oral and poster presentations was held all day on February 22 and half-day on February 23.

Registration Information: Registration to attend in person has closed. Please see the live-stream option below. Registration, required for all participants, included access to all sessions on both days, coffee breaks, lunch, and end-of-the-day reception on February 22. Please register at: FAU Harbor Branch - Conferences. Early registration fees are $50 (regular) and $25 (students) and are due for all participants by January 19, 2024. Late registration fees are $65 ($40 for students). Late registration closes February 7, 2024, at 5 p.m., unless availability ends sooner, which is quite likely based on previous years (e.g., IRLS 2023 hit the enrollment cap on January 26, 2023).

Students: Note that when you first connect to the site, the default registration is the full participant amount, but once you designate yourself as a student, you will then see the lower rate.

Poster Session Only: For those (including the interested public) who wish to attend the poster session (currently there are 48 posters that will be presented), which will be held from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 22, there are no registration fees. However, since HBOI is a secure, closed campus, anyone wishing to come to the poster sessions needs to be added to our campus access list. To get on that list, please contact Jill Sunderland by email (jsunder2@fau.edu) or phone (772) 242-2506. No one will be admitted to campus without registered per above or by addition to the campus access list through Jill.

Live Stream: To watch a live stream of the meeting, which can be accessed at no charge, for those who wish to join that way. The link is: https://fau.mediasite.com/Mediasite/Channel/2024-indian-river-lagoon-symposium. It will be set to public access in advance of the Symposium. That link will also provide the recordings for both days of IRLS 2024’s oral sessions after they end.

Steering Committee: A Steering Committee with representatives from academic, governmental, and non-profit organizations defines the goals, basic outline, and structure for the symposium; identifies potential participants; and provides guidance, logistical support, and planning for the symposium. The Steering Committee is instrumental in making the symposium a truly collaborative effort within the diverse IRL research community. The 2024 Steering Committee members are:

Irene Arpayoglou – FDEP/Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves  
Dennis Hanisak – Florida Atlantic University
Chuck Jacoby – University of South Florida
Elizabeth Salewski – South Florida Water Management District
•       Loraé Simpson – Florida Oceanographic Society 
Holly Sweat – Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce
Linda Walters – University of Central Florida
•       Jessy Wayles – Indian River Lagoon National Estuarine Program



IRLS 2024 IRL Fish
The program is available here.
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here.

IRLS 2023 IRL Seagrass 
The program is available here. 
The Abstracts of presentations are available here.
The forum program for Indian River Lagoon 2023 Update is available here.

IRLS 2022 IRL Connectivity Materials 
The program is available here.
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here.
The forum program for Indian River Lagoon 2022 Update is available here.

IRLS 2021 IRL Research during the Pandemic Materials
The final program is available here.
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here.
Indian River Lagoon Symposium 2021 Posters can be viewed here.

IRLS 2020 Reassessing IRL Biodiversity Materials
The program is available here.
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here.
Information on programming for the public is available here.

IRLS 2019 Indian River Lagoon: Quo Vadis? Materials
The program is available here.  
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here.
The program for this year's public outreach is available here.

IRLS 2018 Restoration of the Indian River Lagoon Materials
The program is available here
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here
The program for this year's public outreach is available here

IRLS 2017 An Estuary in Peril Materials
The program is available here
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here
The program for this year's public outreach is available here

​IRLS 2016 Linking Research with Management Materials
The program is available here.
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here
The program for this year's public outreach is available here.

IRLS 2015 Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities Materials 
A program is available here
The Abstracts of Presentations are available here
The program for the public forum Engaging the Public: Citizen Science is available here

IRLS 2014 Lagoon Biodiversity Materials
A program is available here.
Abstracts of Presentations are available here.
The program for the public forum A Forum with the Indian River Lagoon Counties Collaborative is available here

IRLS 2013 Health of the Lagoon Materials 
A program is available here.
Abstracts of Presentations are available here.
The program for the public forum A Forum on Lagoon Health is available here

IRLS 2012 Looking Forward Materials
A program is available here.
Abstracts of Presentations are available here.


For more information please contact Dr. Dennis Hanisak



HomeSymposium Love Your Lagoon Event 

Indian River Lagoon
Indian River Lagoon Herion
IRL Seagrass

 Indian River Lagoon Symposium 2024
February 22-23

​"IRL Fish"
• Provide a forum to disseminate current knowledge of the IRL and its management 
• Foster collaborations and discussions among scientists, students, education and outreach professionals, and    decision makers
• Promote participation of university students and new scientists 
• Provide results and discussions that can be used to inform policy related to management of the IRL 
• Increase public awareness of the IRL and its ecological and economic importance