Justin Riney doesn’t have a problem standing up for what he believes in. The founder of Mother Ocean, and a co-founder of next year’s Expedition Florida 500, Riney has always done what he can to protect the earth’s natural wonders; specifically, Florida’s natural bodies of water. He’s never stood up for this long before though.

Justin recently completed a 165-mile journey along the Indian River Lagoon off the east side of Palm Bay, Florida. No, he didn’t walk it, or run it, or bike it; he paddled it. He didn’t just use any old paddleboat, he used a stand-up paddleboat. For 10 days, at an average distance of 17 miles a day, Justin paddled down the lagoon, while standing. He finally reached the end of the lagoon landing in Jupiter Pointe on October 20.

The trip was designed to bring awareness to the recent changes Justin’s seen in the Indian River Lagoon’s habitat. He grew up along the river and noticed a ”horrendus loss of seagrass along Wabasso North,” according to TCPalm. The journey was just one of six such voyages he’s planned to take as training for the planned Expedition Florida 500 in 2013.

Expedition Florida 500 is planned to coincide with the 500 year aniversary of Ponce de Leon settling the land back in 1513. Justin and others will be traveling the coastline, waterways, and acquatic ecosystem as seen through the eyes of the seamen and women. They’ll spend the first half of the year plotting and stand-up paddling the entire Florida coastline. The next half of the year will be riding and mapping (think Google street view for the water) all the interior tributaries and rivers Florida has to offer. It’s an auspicious goal to accomplish for just one year, but he’s gotten a lot of support.

After going 165 miles in a stand-up paddleboat, he’s just getting started.