FRIENDS OF MANATEE LAGOON INC

Marine Conservation Efforts : FOML's marine conservation initiatives build community, advance environmental literacy, and directly support our mission to protect manatees, marine mammals, and their habitats. In 2025, we hosted and participated in a range of conservation education and engagement events, mobilizing the public around meaningful environmental action.Donor Stewardship & Conservation Awareness - FOML opened 2025 with a dual-purpose gathering: honoring major donors from the fall 2024 Soire for Seagrass and deepening community awareness of FOML's conservation work. Hosted at the home of Victoria and Scott Exnicios, the event drew 90 guests and featured an educational demonstration by FOML board member Jack Lighton.Citizen Science - Drift Card Program FOML partnered with the Angari Foundation on its biannual drift card program, which tracks how currents carry debris through local waterways. FOML engaged the community in decorating and releasing drift cards into Lake Worth Lagoon at two organized events in 2025 turning a scientific exercise into a hands-on public experience.Teacher Conservation Camp - FOML provided meals for a week-long summer camp led by the Angari Foundation and designed to immerse local educators in the ecosystems of Lake Worth Lagoon. Twenty-nine teachers from 20 schools participated in active, field-based conservation work. These educators return to their school communities as informed ambassadors for marine ecosystem protection.Women in Conservation Breakfast - FOML sponsored the Everglades Foundation's third annual Women in Conservation breakfast, covering meals and event promotion. The gathering drew more than 80 community members and reinforced FOML's commitment to supporting regional conservation leadership.Sunday Lecture: Mangroves & Coastal Ecosystems - FOML invited representatives from the MANG Foundation to present as part of Manatee Lagoon's Sunday Lecture series. Approximately 50 attendees gained a deeper understanding of the critical role mangroves play in sustaining healthy coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

Exhibits & Educational Programming : One of FOML's newest investments is a traveling pop-up science station a branded, rolling cabinet equipped with a sink, display space, and storage. The station gives Manatee Lagoon staff a versatile educational tool for high-traffic days and quieter periods alike, ensuring visitors always have a meaningful learning experience even when manatees aren't present. FOML also purchased supplemental hands-on materials for the station, including a collection of mammal skulls that allow docents to illustrate how different species adapt to their environments. Fully portable and FOML-branded, the station can be deployed at off-site locations and special events as needed.FOML also made critical infrastructure investments in the seagrass nursery, funding a new pump and piping system designed to draw water directly from Lake Worth Lagoon into the three-tank system and return it closely replicating real lagoon conditions to support healthy seagrass growth. To oversee the setup and ensure a successful launch, FOML hired Heather Seaman as on-site seagrass tank coordinator, covering her hourly wages as the system came fully online.