What Marine Resources Council does

Marine Resources Council (MRC), legally the Marine Resources Council of East Florida, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization founded in 1983 and headquartered at the Ted Moorhead Lagoon House on an 11-acre public campus in Palm Bay, Florida. The organization is dedicated to protecting, restoring, and advocating for the Indian River Lagoon, a 150-mile estuarine system in east-central Florida, through an integrated Science-Education-Advocacy model. Core programmatic offerings include the LagoonWatch citizen-science water-quality monitoring program (35 years of continuous data across five sub-basins, upgraded in 2025 to LagoonWatch 2.0 with digital data capture and direct submission to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection via the Water Information Network), a state-licensed mangrove nursery that is the largest in Florida, living shoreline restoration services, the annual Indian River Lagoon Health Report, the annual Low Impact Development Conference (held since 2021), the IRL Action Assemblies stakeholder consensus process, and the Low Impact Living consumer-behavior initiative launched in 2025.

The organization's underlying technology combines digital water-quality probes, trained volunteer data collection, and state-certified aquaculture operations (FDACS AQ2241125 and DPI 48020433) producing red, black, and white mangroves at nine size tiers from propagules to 10-foot trees. MRC's business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack: individual annual memberships starting at $25, major donor / Friends of the Indian River Lagoon contributions at $1,000+, regional sponsorships, mangrove nursery sales ($4 to $650 per tree plus interstate shipping at $800 minimums), tiered LID Conference registrations ($125-$275), community workshops, advocacy toolkits, and merchandise shop revenue. Distribution is community-led through the public Lagoon House visitor center, off-site presentations, annual conferences, and online channels, with no traditional B2B sales motion. Staffing is lean (1-10 employees across executive, operations, science, communications, and research coordination roles), and the organization is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors.

Name

Marine Resources Council

Legal name

The Marine Resources Council of East Florida, Inc.

Website

https://lovetheirl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marine Resources Council is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that protects and restores the Indian River Lagoon through citizen-science water monitoring, the state's largest licensed mangrove nursery, living shoreline restoration, annual health reporting, and education and advocacy programs serving east-central Florida communities and partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Citizen science monitoring
• Living shoreline restoration
• Mangrove nursery services
• Coastal conservation education
• Watershed advocacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: MRC generates revenue through annual memberships starting at $25, major donor contributions at $1,000+ (Friends of the Indian River Lagoon), and general donations. The organization also offers regional sponsorships.
2. Mangrove Sales: Sale of mangrove trees at various sizes (propagules to 10-foot trees) ranging from $4 to $650 per tree. Also offers larger trees priced individually at $375-$650.
3. Conference Revenue: Annual Low Impact Development conferences generate revenue through exhibitor and sponsor registrations, with tiered pricing for business/government ($275 two-day) and nonprofit/student ($225 two-day) attendees.
4. Shop Sales: Sale of merchandise through the organization's online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marine Resources Council (MRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization that protects and restores the Indian River Lagoon in east central Florida. It operates a state-licensed mangrove nursery selling red, black, and white mangroves; runs the LagoonWatch citizen science water quality monitoring program across the 150-mile lagoon; designs and implements living shoreline restoration projects; publishes an annual Indian River Lagoon Health Report; and hosts the annual Low Impact Development Conference along with stakeholder Action Assemblies and community education programs.

Product overview

Marine Resources Council (MRC) is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit organization that does not operate a software product platform. Its offerings consist of environmental programs, scientific monitoring services, educational initiatives, and advocacy tools organized around protecting and restoring the Indian River Lagoon. The core programs include the Mangrove Nursery (the largest state-licensed mangrove nursery in Florida), LagoonWatch citizen science water quality monitoring, Shoreline Restoration via living shorelines, the annual Indian River Lagoon Health Report, the Low Impact Development Conference series, the IRL Action Assemblies stakeholder forums, and the Low Impact Living initiative. Supporting these are the Ted Moorhead Lagoon House as a physical learning center, Lagoon at Noon monthly seminars, youth education programs, community workshops, and advocacy resource toolkits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LagoonWatch: MRC's signature citizen-scientist water quality monitoring program operating for 35 years across the Indian River Lagoon.
• Low Impact Living

Products and services

• Mangrove Nursery State-licensed aquaculture nursery cultivating red, black, and white mangroves in sizes from propagule seedlings to 10-foot mature trees for restoration projects and direct purchase.
• LagoonWatch Citizen Science Monitoring Program 35-year-old citizen science program that trains and equips volunteer monitors to collect weekly water quality data (temperature, salinity, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, water clarity, depth, nitrate/phosphate) across the 150-mile Indian River Lagoon.
• Shoreline Restoration / Living Shorelines Living shoreline restoration services using natural materials and native vegetation (mangroves, oyster reef) to enhance wildlife habitat and mitigate erosion for properties along the Indian River Lagoon and its tributaries.
• Indian River Lagoon Health Report Annual assessment evaluating six health indicators (harmful algae, seagrass coverage, salinity, sediment health, wastewater spills, water quality) across five sub-basins of the Indian River Lagoon.
• Low Impact Development Conference Annual conference series covering sustainable stormwater management, Low Impact Development, and Green Infrastructure tools, attracting professional engineers, municipal leaders, developers, and environmental professionals.
• IRL Action Assemblies Stakeholder engagement forums bringing together citizen delegates from diverse east central Florida groups to consider current science, discuss progress, and reach consensus on prioritized next steps for restoring the Indian River Lagoon.
• Low Impact Living Initiative Community initiative extending Low Impact Development principles to individual and household behavior change, providing checklists, resource libraries, and community workshops on lagoon-friendly living for individuals, families, HOAs, and businesses.
• Lagoon at Noon Seminars Monthly hybrid lunchtime seminars featuring area experts presenting on natural history topics, with over 70 seminars available on-demand via MRC's YouTube channel.
• Youth Education Programs Environmental education programs for youth including field trips at the Ted Moorhead Lagoon House, virtual field trips, a monthly Homeschool Lagoon Explorers program, and teacher resources covering estuaries, manatees, sea turtles, and other marine life.
• Community Workshops MRC-led workshops for community groups and HOAs on lagoon-friendly topics including living shorelines, rain gardens, buffer zones around retention ponds, and Low Impact Living initiatives.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership tiers starting at $25 with a major donor "Friends of the Indian River Lagoon" tier at $1,000+, supporting MRC's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 182 wastewater spills tracked and reported in 2025 IRL Health Report
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Surfrider Foundation Space CoastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRC partners with Surfrider Foundation Space Coast to collect bacteria data from Lagoon and tributary waters through the Blue Water Task Force. Samples are collected twice monthly and results are reported on Surfrider's website.
• Ferguson WaterworkscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFerguson Waterworks is a Low Impact Living partner, providing support for MRC's initiative to promote Lagoon-friendly living practices in communities.
• City of Palm BaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Palm Bay is a Low Impact Living partner and hosts the Ted Moorhead Lagoon House headquarters on city property.
• City of CocoaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Cocoa is a Low Impact Living partner supporting MRC's initiatives.
• Florida Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida Institute of Technology co-presents IRL Action Assemblies with MRC and hosted the 2024 IRL Action Assembly. Graduate students contribute to sediment health research.
• Florida Department of Environmental ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRC submits LagoonWatch water quality monitoring data to FDEP via the Water Information Network (WIN) for use in state-level decision making and basin management plans.
• St. Johns River Water Management DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSJRWMD performs extensive seagrass surveys every two years, providing data for MRC's annual lagoon health reports.
• Town of Jupiter IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRC manages a 45-acre Florida Communities Trust conservation property in Jupiter Island, Martin County, maintaining it quarterly for invasive species.
• BlueTerraminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBlueTerra completed the Bird Island Restoration Project for FWC on land owned by MRC. MRC donated mangroves for the project.
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFWC commissioned the Bird Island Restoration Project and works with MRC as the land owner of the project site.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program: Publicly-funded program dedicated to the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem, often overlapping with MRC on stakeholder convening, science, and management plans. Represents a publicly-funded counterpart to MRC's privately-funded restoration and advocacy role in the same watershed.
• Surfrider Foundation: Coastal water quality advocacy nonprofit running a national Blue Water Task Force citizen science program. MRC is already a regional partner with Surfrider's Space Coast chapter for bacteria monitoring in the Indian River Lagoon, making Surfrider the closest comparable in mission, volunteer model, and water quality monitoring approach.
• Heal the Bay: California-based coastal water quality and marine conservation nonprofit running citizen science monitoring programs (e.g., MPA Watch, beach cleanup data). Comparable to MRC in combining water quality science, citizen engagement, education, and policy advocacy.
• Tampa Bay Watch: Florida-based nonprofit focused on restoring Tampa Bay habitats through living shorelines, oyster reef construction, and citizen science. Directly comparable to MRC in coastal restoration techniques, mangrove/oyster work, and Florida-specific geographic focus.
• Save the Sound: Regional nonprofit protecting the Long Island Sound estuary through science, advocacy, and restoration. Closely mirrors MRC's lagoon-specific mission, citizen science monitoring, habitat restoration, and state agency partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Waterkeeper Alliance: Global network of waterway-focused nonprofits running citizen science water quality monitoring and litigation-based advocacy. Comparable to MRC's LagoonWatch model and its advocacy function, though operating at much greater scale and geographic spread.
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Large, well-established watershed conservation nonprofit focused on restoring a single major estuary. While geographically distinct (Chesapeake vs. Indian River Lagoon), CBF is the gold-standard peer for estuary-specific science, education, advocacy, and policy work at scale.
• The Nature Conservancy (Florida): Global conservation nonprofit with active Florida programs on coastal habitats, oyster reefs, and living shorelines. Overlaps with MRC on restoration techniques and stakeholder convening, though at much greater scale and broader geographic scope.

Regional players

• Coastal Conservation Association: Florida chapter of a national marine conservation nonprofit focused on fisheries habitat, estuarine health, and coastal water quality policy. Comparable advocacy and stakeholder convening function, though oriented more toward sport fishing constituencies.

Emerging players

• EarthEcho International: Environmental nonprofit founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr., focused on water quality education and youth engagement. Comparable to MRC's youth education programs, LagoonWatch citizen science framing, and public-facing outreach model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MRC_IRL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcPQ8sGe0jMDI1ZDTczAUrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/MarineResourcesCouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/marineresourcescouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marine-resources-council

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marine Resources Council