The Indian River Lagoon may have turned a corner.
Scientists at the Florida Institute of Technology say water quality is improving after years of dead dolphins, manatees and fish washing ashore.
"I think things are improving," said Robert Weaver, assistant professor of ocean engineering at Florida Tech. "They've seen some of the sea grass rebounding, but there's definitely still work to be done."
Weaver is helping Florida Tech kick off its first ever Indian River Lagoon Research Institute Technical Conference, which takes place Friday and Saturday.
Scientists, researchers, engineers and residents will look at how to improve the health of the ecologically and economically important estuary in Brevard County.
Engineers are working to remove muck from the Indian River in an effort to help the sea grass grow. Mock and nutrients have hampered the growth of sea grass, which is a main food source for marine life.
Another option that will be discussed at the conference is using a pipe to flush ocean water into the lagoon near Port Canaveral.
"It gets the water that's in the lagoon moving and, eventually, it's going to go back out into the ocean through an inlet system," Weaver said. "So, we're not actually removing any nutrients. We're just transporting them from in the lagoon to out into the ocean."
Another way to reduce nutrients from the lagoon is a rainy season ban on fertilizer use. Currently, all Space Coast county and city governments have banned the use of nutrient-harmful fertilizers during the rainy season.
Scientists said reintroducing oysters into the lagoon can help filter the water.
Brevard Zoo officials will be distributing tiny baby oysters to homeowners along the lagoon Friday and Saturday to help grow the oyster population.