Trefry will work to identify the types of particles blocking the light in the lagoon that contribute to a decline in sea grass. He will conduct chemical analysis and study the particles under an electronic microscope to identify the sources of suspended sediment at five different sites in the lagoon, including Mosquito Lagoon, Turkey Creek and Vero Beach.
"Possible sources of the sediment are incoming clay and vegetative material from the creeks, re-suspended sediment from the lagoon, or particles from vegetation and plankton produced in the lagoon," he said. "Our study results will assist in management decisions about future waste-load controls for the lagoon."
Sea grass is a vital element in the lagoon's food chain. Its presence is essential to a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Trefry, who earned the prestigious 2002 gold medal from the Florida Academy of Sciences, has a 25-year history of studying potential environmental impacts from offshore oil exploration and production. He also co-discovered deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic Ocean. Before this find, the vents were thought to exist only in the Pacific.