Photo Credit: A. Saville
What Is the Indian River Lagoon?
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) stretches across seven counties in East Central Florida. It’s a shallow, brackish estuary protected by barrier islands, where limited exchange with the ocean creates a delicate and distinct ecosystem.
What Is a Lagoon?
Lagoons are shallow coastal bodies of water, separated from the ocean by a series of barrier islands that lie parallel to the shoreline. Inlets create channels through barrier islands and allow ocean water to mix with the brackish (partly salty) water in estuaries.
The IRL spans seven East Central Florida counties: Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee and Palm Beach. The IRL system is really three interconnected water bodies:
- Mosquito Lagoon
- Banana River
- Indian River Lagoon
Despite the word “river” in their names, these water bodies aren’t rivers: They’re estuaries.
What Is an Estuary?
In an estuary, freshwater from rivers and canals mixes with water from the ocean to create a unique ecosystem with a fragile freshwater–saltwater balance.
A lagoon is a particular kind of estuary. Lagoons are shallow estuaries separated from the ocean by barrier islands that lie parallel to the shoreline. By contrast, lagoons have limited exchange with the ocean.
Photo Credit: S. VanMeter
Photo Credit: G. Cohen
What Makes the IRL Unique?
Two features set the IRL apart from other estuaries:
- Its long, narrow shape
- Its incredible biodiversity
Experts have documented more than 4,000 species of animals and plants living in the lagoon, making it a biodiversity hot spot.
The lagoon’s diversity comes largely from its special geographic position. The IRL straddles the transition zone between cold temperate and warm subtropical provinces.
At its southern end, the Atlantic Gulf Stream hugs the shore of the Florida peninsula. Scientists believe this connection greatly contributes to the large number of fish species in the southern lagoon.
Here, as perhaps in no other North American estuary, temperate, subtropical and tropical species mingle, with ample food, shelter and space to allow them to thrive.
Why the IRL Matters to Florida’s Economy
Alongside its biological diversity, the lagoon is a major economic engine for the region.
In 2025, with funding from EPA and NOAA, the IRLNEP retained The Balmoral Group to conduct a valuation of the economic impacts generated by the Indian River Lagoon and analyze the value of the ecosystem services provided by the IRL system.
Recreational fishing, boating and shoreline activities, tourism, commercial fishing, boat-building, natural resource management and the rapidly growing aviation and aerospace industries along the Lagoon generate $28.3 billion annually in local economic impacts. This is driven by $17 billion in direct spending at local businesses, an additional $5.8 billion in indirect economic activity and $4 billion in induced economic impacts.
Combined, these sectors add $14 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the local, regional and state economies; support 128,400 jobs and $8.3 billion in wages annually. Additionally, the lagoon’s ecosystem services provide more than $10 billion in annual benefits.
All these advantages rely on a healthy lagoon. Investing in conservation and restoration is also an investment in the region’s economy and way of life.
Donate to One Lagoon through the IRLNEP to help restore and protect the lagoon’s rich biodiversity and the economy it supports.
Places To Explore Along the IRL
The IRL region is packed with places to visit. Whether you’re looking for a historic site, great park, fishing spot or beautiful place to enjoy nature, this map can help.
Click the dots to see details about hundreds of nature and heritage tourism destinations along the lagoon. These include environmental, cultural and recreation sites.