Symposium

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:

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