Bill Posey: “Today I join millions of my fellow Americans in recognizing National Estuaries Week, which extends from September 14 to…”

“Today I join millions of my fellow Americans in recognizing National Estuaries Week, which extends from September 14 to September 21. We know that estuaries are those places where freshwaters or rivers meet the seas. Estuaries are also places where biodiversity is often at its zenith. They are the ecologies of our coastal communities. Wherever a watershed empties into the sea, we find an estuary. My home in Florida is part of an estuary called the Indian River Lagoon, where the fresh and salt waters mix behind barrier islands to form what experts recognize as the most biodiverse estuary in the United States of America. My community and district depend on the lagoon to support a broad array of activities to meet our economic, environmental, and recreational needs. My neighbors and I understand how much we depend on the lagoon. We strive to protect the sea turtles and the habitat of the manatees. When they are thriving, we know that fishermen, boaters, businesses, and, most importantly, our families will thrive. For years, I have worked for the health of the Indian River Lagoon and tried to help other communities keep their estuaries healthy. The challenges of the Indian River Lagoon are the same challenges faced by all the other estuaries.…”