Florida’s Crystal River has long been a safe haven for the Florida manatee, but when an invasive algae wiped out the eel grass that manatees need for food, the community rallied to restore the river and save the animals that call it home.

After an unexpected storm forever changed Crystal River more than three decades ago, Lisa Moore founded Save Crystal River to rally the community to garner funding for a massive restoration project. Sea and Shoreline’s Jessica Mailliez demonstrates the dirty work they do to remove invasive algae and restore native eel grass. This transformation has allowed Florida manatees to return to Crystal River, but for those living along the west coast of the state, the situation is much more dire.