TREASURE COAST BOATING
ECOLOGY
FLORIDA OCEANOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
35
New oceanographic center unfolds
the story of Florida’s water
At the Coastal Center, children get hands-on learning about marine life and become future advocates for the environment.
If you’re looking for a fun and educational outing this
summer, drive to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal
Center on South Hutchinson Island in Stuart. The
marine life nature center is a popular destination that
is designed to inspire visitors to appreciate and take care
of the environment. The 57-acre site provides a variety of
displays, aquariums, live animal exhibits and nature trails
that educate and entertain people of all ages.
And this month, the Florida Oceanographic Society will
offer more exciting opportunities when its new Ocean
EcoCenter opens. Visitors to the 27,000-square-foot center
can learn about protecting Florida’s coastal ecosystems
through interactive exhibits, play-based learning activities
and educational programs.
“The center teaches about Florida’s water story — how
is the water in South Florida set up?” explains Mark Perry,
executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society.
“It’s a great place to come and learn about the area, but
also understand the water ecology of the area through the
estuaries, the life along the shore, the connection to the
coastal environment, and out into the coral reef systems.”
The exhibits are set up so guests can take a walking
tour that mimics the flow of water from a freshwater river
through an estuary out past the beaches into the ocean.
The first gallery features estuaries of the Indian River
Lagoon. The lagoon is ideally located between the temperate
and tropical zones making it the most biodiverse
habitat in North America. Estuaries are water bodies
where saltwater and freshwater converge, and they are
home to thousands of animal species. Aquariums are on
display in the gallery that depict a mangrove forest, an
oyster reef and a seagrass meadow, which are typically
found in estuaries.
“A part of our message is that these estuaries are key to
these animals’ life cycles,” Perry says. “So they begin to
spawn in the inlet area, and in the juvenile stages they are
harbored in the seagrass. Imagine yourself as a little fish
trying to find food and shelter. You’re in the seagrass and
you can find the algae to eat and the different predators to
hide from. It gives them a chance to grow up.” >>