Host Paul Ruben is joined by Jessy Wayles, Northern Community Engagement Coordinator with the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP), also known as OneLagoon. Jessy earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Central Florida and began her career with the Marine Discovery Center with their shuck and share oyster recycling program in New Smyrna Beach. 

Long before humans walked, waded, swam, or boated near the shores of the Indian River Lagoon, horseshoe crabs gathered to take advantage of its protected waters. Horseshoe crabs have been around so long, approximately 445 million years, that they existed before there was an Indian River Lagoon (forming roughly 240,000 years ago). But one of the world’s oldest species, surviving 5 mass extinctions, is becoming less and less common. The International Union for Conservation for Nature, or IUCN, listed the American Horseshoe crab as Vulnerable to Extinction in 2016. Overharvesting for biomedical research, bait, and food and habitat loss has continues to put pressure on this prehistoric species. 

You can stream this and past shows on all major streaming platforms. For listener feedback, please contact the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition’s Help Our Lagoon website and page on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at info@helpthelagoon.org. Music was by Vacationer from their album Wavelengths. Thank you for listening.