ORCA of Vero Beach gets gift to help with Indian River Lagoon scientific projects

Ed Killer, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read

The Ocean Research & Conservation Association in Vero Beach this month received a single donation large enough to buy a new centrifuge that was on its 2022 holiday wish list.

The centrifuge — a machine that separates solids from liquids — will allow ORCA to complete research on Indian River Lagoon contaminants and other human health risks found in Treasure Coast waterways, said spokesperson Lauren Tracy.

The donation was the result of TCPalm's annual 12 Days of Christmas campaign, in which ORCA requested $12,000 for a centrifuge. A donor fulfilled ORCA's wish after TCPalm published a Feb. 27 article about how the environmental nonprofit — and some others — didn't get their wish. The first story about ORCA's wish published on Jan. 2.

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A centrifuge like this one will help scientists process research samples from Indian River Lagoon projects.
A centrifuge like this one will help scientists process research samples from Indian River Lagoon projects.

ORCA plans to buy the centrifuge this week, depending on when it can be shipped, Tracy said.

Edie Widder founded ORCA in 2005 to help clean local waterways and make them more suitable for marine mammals, birds, fish and people.

Through the Kilroy Water Monitoring system she invented, ORCA provides real-time data about the Indian River Lagoon's water conditions from 20 different locations in four counties. The water monitoring devices stretch from Turnbull Creek north of Titusville to Manatee Pocket in Port Salerno.

Two nonprofits still have not had their wish fulfilled and nine had their wish only partially fulfilled.

It's never too late to donate to these organizations:

WISH NOT FULFILLED

Indian RiverKeeper, Stuart

St. Lucie County Reef Builders, Fort Pierce

WISH ONLY PARTIALLY FULFILLED

Pelican Island Audubon Society, Vero Beach

Florida Oceanographic Society, Stuart

  • Initial request: $7,500 to repair hurricane damage to observation deck; Improve habitat grow-out facilities

  • Funding received: $1,500

  • Contact Abigail Flood at aflood@floridaocean.org or 772-225-0505 ext. 108

  • Website: Floridaocean.org

Smithsonian Marine Center, Fort Pierce

  • Initial request: $1,600 for eight digital touch screens

  • Funding received: $200 plus pledges for $400 more

  • Contact: Bill Hoffman at hoffman@si.edu or 772-465-3273

  • Website: Stlucieco.gov/aquarium

Coastal Conservation Association, Vero Beach

Friends of the Everglades, Stuart

Environmental Learning Center, Wabasso

  • Initial request: $20,000 for new 150-hp outboard motor

  • Funding received: $650

  • Contact: Sue Harr at Sue@DiscoverELC.org or 772-589-5050

  • Website: DiscoverELC.org

Manatee Observation & Education Center, Fort Pierce

  • Initial request: $15,000 for "Shuck the Muck" campaign

  • Funding received: $11,990

  • Contact: Jessica Kadie Barclay, at donate@manateeeducationcenter.org or go to Gofundme.com

  • Website: Manateeeducationcenter.org

Environmental Studies Center, Jensen Beach

Dolphin & Ecology Project, Stuart

  • Initial request: $5,000 for boat storage, fuel, camera equipment

  • Funding received: $1,000

  • Contact: Nic Mader at dolphinmader@gmail.com

  • Website: No website

Ed Killer covers the environment, the Indian River Lagoon, fishing and more for TCPalm. Email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: ORCA's Indian River Lagoon research buoyed by centrifuge donation