Holly Abeels

Brevard County is located just 35 miles east of Orlando and is the home of Kennedy Space Center, the only facility in the world that launches the Space Shuttle; Port Canaveral, the second-busiest cruise port in the world; 72 miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches; and the Indian River Lagoon, the most biologically diverse estuary in North America. The Indian River Lagoon watershed is 2,284 square miles with a surface water area of 353 square miles. It is a spawning and nursery ground for ocean and lagoon fish and borders six counties including Brevard County.

The marine extension program in Brevard County is active in many areas including boating and waterways especially in regards to the Comprehensive Maritime Management Master Plan (CM3P) for Brevard County, freshwater systems (e.g. pond management), saltwater and brackish systems, sustainable fishing, and natural history.

Education

B.S. Marine Science – Biology, Southampton College of Long Island University, 2002
M.S. Environmental Science, Florida Gulf Coast University, 2009