We've launched a pilot project in an effort to reduce boat strikes in the Sebastian Inlet channel. In addition to repairing channel markers Red 18 and Red 26, we've installed 50 small solar lights on all wood pile channel markers. (A solar light is visible below Marker 18 in this photo).

Channel markers take a beating. They’re exposed to a ceaseless onslaught of pounding waves, corrosive saltwater, searing UV rays and acidic bird guano. Most of the markers are fixed on posts in the water; a few are numbered floating buoys secured by Dor-Mor anchors.

When the District receives reports of downed or missing markers, the agency is quick to respond.

“As a navigation district, our charter identifies safe navigation as one of our critical functions,” says Sebastian Inlet District Executive Director James Gray. “Our agreement with the Coast Guard authorizing us to maintain the markers also means we are responsible for replacing them when they become damaged or go missing.”

Channel markers help prevent boaters from veering from the deeper water and into the nearby shallows that can damage propellers, but they also help protect the Sebastian Inlet shoals on the west side of the bridge. Seagrass beds on the shoals harbor shrimp, blue crabs and juvenile fish. Seagrasses are vitally important to the health of these species and to predators relying on them for food.

You can report downed channel markers by calling us a (321) 724-5175, sending us a message or reporting to us on our app, available on your app store (and downloadable via a QR code on our website.

Posted August 13, 2026