From Fort Pierce Tribune and other sources

   Many parts of the 156-mile-long Lagoon have become polluted with muck and stormwater from ailing tributaries and man-made drainage canals. The lagoon has become a dumping ground for the byproducts of development as it attracts more residents resulting in a weakening of the Treasure Coast economy as well as its quality of life. Congress is considering $1 billion in federal money for lagoon restoration as part of the South Indian River Lagoon Restudy. Scientist agree the Lagoon's ecological health has declined since the 1940s, with a significant decrease in seagrass. Scientists monitor seagrass to determine the health of the Indian River Lagoon because it doesn't grow when there is too much muck, pollution or cloudy water. In the Vero Beach area there is potential for over 4,000 acre of seagrass, but only 1,107 acres was recorded in 1999. South of the St. Lucie Inlet to Hobe Sound seagrass has decreased from 413 to 134 acres since 1992-1999. Other signs of problems is that 55 percent of turtles in the lagoon have cancerous tumors and 30 percent of dolphins have open sores on the skin. The increase in development, fertilizers from front yards and citrus groves resulted in increased nutrients causing algae blooms. The polluted water stunt the growth of seagrass and add muck that settles at the bottom of the lagoon. A 1995 study estimated the lagoon's worth to be $730 million a year in tourism, real estate value and jobs. The healthiest areas are Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, near Sebastian Inlet State Park and along Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge due to the lack of development in these areas.