Laurilee Thompson, a lifelong native of Brevard County and former commercial angler, will be the guest speaker in March for the Discovery Lecture Series at Marine Discovery Center. Thompson’s presentation, “The Indian River Lagoon: A Treasure Worth Saving,” will be held on Thursday, March 6, at 6 p.m.
From her youthful days spent commercially fishing the IRL, to her current activist’s role 60 years later, Thompson has experienced the lagoon’s best and worst times. She has enjoyed the years of abundant fishing, healthy seagrass and vibrant flora and fauna in and around the estuary to the more recent years of harmful algal blooms, seagrass loss, fish kills and critical manatee mortality issues.
Thompson grew up on her grandfather’s fishing pier in Brevard County and began fishing at an early age. She commercially fished and crabbed on the Indian River Lagoon as a teen and worked her way up to running commercial, longline fishing boats in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. In 1987, Thompson left the sea after 24 years to join her family at Titusville’s Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, where she is now co-owner.
Thompson founded the globally popular Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in 1997, and has served as festival chair. She is also a founding member of the Brevard Nature Alliance.
She has won numerous honors and awards and served on a variety of tourism, growth management, environmental, and fishery boards. Thompson now concentrates on the restoration of her beloved Indian River Lagoon and believes that with careful management, the estuary can be restored as a vibrant space where both wildlife and humans can thrive.
MDC’s Discovery Lecture Series occurs on the first Thursday of each month unless otherwise indicated. The lectures are open to the public at no charge, but donations to the center are always appreciated. Pre-registration is required and may be done online or by phone at 386.428.4828.
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