Orca

General information

Deep-sea explorer and MacArthur fellow, Dr. Edie Widder, co-founded the Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Inc. (ORCA) in 2005, with a focus on developing innovative technologies to protect and restore our aquatic ecosystems and the species they sustain. ORCA is the world’s first technology-based marine conservation organization. Since ORCA’s inception, Dr. Widder and the ORCA team have made great progress in using the latest technologies to develop low-cost solutions for the analysis of impacted waterways. Among the current programs at ORCA are the Fast Assessment of Sediment Toxicity (FAST) program and the Kilroy program, which provide real-time water quality information to identify sources of nonpoint source pollution in coastal and estuarine waters. Our education program is highlighted by Kilroy Academy (www.kilroyacademy.org), an online STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) education program developed for local students that brings new cutting-edge marine technology to classroom learning in South Florida.

After 10 years of developing and standardizing novel engineering and scientific methods to assess and monitor the health of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), we are now entering the realm of habitat restoration and shoreline reclamation. Our restoration program utilizes Kilroy and FAST data to build habitat in the IRL through 'living shorelines.' Living shorelines usually consist of a hard structure (breakwater) and native vegetation that provide both habitat and protection. This is ORCA’s effort to “reclaim the lagoon.” In support of our Living Shorelines Program, ORCA has begun a restoration nursery.