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40 <br />• <br />Indian River Courtly MMUWC Protection and Boating Safety Comprelteasive Managestteut Plan <br />The FWC produces a variety of brochures, posters, bumper stickers, fact sheets and other <br />educational materials. Also, a second edition of the comprehensive guide to the IRL system <br />entitled A Boater's Guide to the IRL is available for purchase from the St. Johns River Water <br />Management District (SJRWMD). <br />The Environmental Learning Center (ELC), located on Wabasso Island, is the County's <br />clearinghouse for environmental educational programs and materials. The ELC makes <br />available a variety of educational graphics and brochures about Manatees. Additionally, the <br />ELC offers a boater education course on a regular basis. Educational programs at the ELC are <br />generally categorized as ecoventure programs with emphasis on hands-on field work. These <br />programs are geared for all age groups. In addition the ELC has a contract with the Indian <br />River County School Board to provide environmental education to all students in grades I, 3, <br />and 4. Summer camps consist of 5- or 7- Yz day events for ages pre -kindergarten through the <br />T°' grade. <br />Indian River County Manatee Awareness Initiatives <br />An effective method of promoting public awareness about manatees is to place educational <br />boating signs at strategic locations. Currently, signs are posted at the following locations: Sea <br />Oaks marina, Floodtide Marina, Oyster Pointe Resort, Vero Beach Municipal Marina, Grand <br />Harbor Marina, Indian Trails Development, Marbrisa Development, the Moorings Marina, <br />Sembler's Marina, Pelican Pointe Resort, Vero Beach Yacht Club, Reflections, Copeland's <br />Landing, Wabasso Causeway Park, Round Island Park, and the Vero Beach Municipal Power <br />Plant, The Oslo Road boat ramp, and the Donald McDonald Park boat ramp do not have any <br />manatee signs posted. <br />Indian River County, in cooperation with the USFWS and the ELC, received a grant from the <br />FIND to develop and place a kiosk at the Wabasso Causeway boat ramp. In addition, the <br />county received a grant from the FDEP to design and produce copies of an informational <br />brochure of the County's speed zones entitled the 'Boater's Manatee and Speed Zone Guide <br />For Indian River County." This brochure depicts the boundaries of the speed zones throughout <br />Indian River County by season with a user-friendly color designation. Brochures have been <br />distributed through the ELC, Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area, the Indian River County <br />Tax Collector's Office, VBPS and other local boater's groups, and local marinas. Furthermore, <br />officers of the FMP and local law enforcement agencies dispense the brochures to boaters <br />stopped for speed zone violations. <br />MANATEE HABITAT <br />Submerged Aquatic Vegetation. <br />Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) consists of seagrasses and algae. It is not only a critical <br />component of the ecology of the Indian River Lagoon {IRL}, but also forms the largest <br />component of the Florida Manatee's diet in these waters. Thus, the continued loss of SAV <br />habitat poses a threat to the long-term survival and recovery of the Florida Manatee. Seagrass <br />meadows consist of flowering plants that live underwater and require 15 to 30 percent sunlight <br />penetration to grow. Such high sunlight penetration requirements mean seagrasses are affected <br />Communih, Devetapmeni Department Page 10 <br />