Project SeaSafe
What began as one woman’s personal mission to clean up local beaches has grown into a large-scale rehabilitation effort that has seeded more than 81 million clams and planted tens of thousands of mangroves in Florida’s Brevard County. Cory Redwine, a Merritt Island resident, is the driving force behind habitat restoration efforts in the Indian River Lagoon and surrounding waterways. Through her work with Project SeaSafe, she is leading efforts to improve water quality and rebuild fragile coastal ecosystems.
Redwine’s conservation work started modestly. Concerned about the declining health of her local waterways, she began collecting trash from area beaches and incorporating the debris into colorful art installations. The artwork, displayed in restaurants around Brevard County, helped raise awareness about pollution and the challenges facing the region’s waters.
Then Redwine began growing mangroves. Through trial and error, she learned how to raise seedlings so they could survive after being replanted in the wild, where they could help restore living shorelines, stabilize vulnerable coastal zones, protecting against erosion and storm surge, and create habitat for fish and crustaceans.
As her mangrove cultivation expanded, she sought support for supplies. She reached out to Star brite, the Fort Lauderdale-based manufacturer of boat and RV cleaning products and fuel additives. The company donated pallets of buckets for seedlings and later formalized its involvement, bringing Redwine on as conservation director for a collective effort called Project SeaSafe.
Project SeaSafe continues to coordinate large-scale restoration projects focused on natural solutions.
Clam restoration is one initiative. Working alongside Blair Wiggins of the Indian River Lagoon Clam Restoration Project and Dr. Todd Osborne of the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory, Redwine has facilitated the release of millions of clams into damaged waterways. Because clams naturally filter large volumes of water each day, they help improve overall ecosystem health, revive seagrass beds and increase biodiversity within the lagoon system, according to Project SeaSafe.
Redwine believes in collaboration. She brings together local citizens, schools, environmental groups, volunteers and industry partners to participate in restoration and cleanups.
“I’m not here to preach, I just want to do the work to help improve our waters, educate the community and get more people involved,” she said in a statement.
The restoration efforts of Project SeaSafe will be highlighted at the fifth annual Star brite Project SeaSafe 2026 Clean Water Collective on April 22 through 26 at the Old Fish House Bar & Grill in Grant, Florida. The event will bring together anglers, scientists and community members for hands-on restoration projects and waterway cleanups.
“I feel at one with nature,” said Redwine in a statement. “And I’ve always believed that you have to practice what you preach.”
