Save the Kilroys. Save our River.
Polluted water continues to pour from Lake Okeechobee into the Indian River Lagoon. The discharges have led to dying sea grass and murky waters and experts say as the waters heat up, it could get worse. ORCA uses Kilroys to keep track of the conditions and predict what can happen. They got a 2 million dollar state funded grant in 2014 to install 25 Kilroys along the Treasure Coast, but budget cuts by the state threatens to force them to pull at least 15 from the water. Each device costs about $80 thousand plus continued maintenance expenses. They can measure a number of conditions including salinity, nitrogen and phosphorous in real time. In the past, it would need to be done by hand and taken to a lab. Widder says if the funding isn’t found, they will have to remove the 15 kilroys by June.
Here is a video of Dr Widder talking about Kilroy
Kilroy, as you may remember, was also a WWII legend, appearing as a cartoon character mysteriously scrawled here and there. Everywhere you went, “Kilroy was here.” We at ORCA developed this device with the hope that it will soon become as ubiquitous, yet inconspicuous, as Kilroy was. We envision one day hanging our sign above a nation of revitalized and vibrant waters, proudly declaring, ‘Kilroy is here.’
CONTACT US
Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Inc.
Duerr Laboratory for Marine Conservation
1420 Seaway Drive
Fort Pierce, FL 34949
Tel: 772-467-1600
Fax: 772-467-1602
Every city and town along the lagoon needs to step up and support Kilroy. Otherwise all we have is a bunch of propaganda and politics and our lagoon will never heal. I’ll keep everyone updated.
Cyndi