Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center Celebrates First Anniversary
January 30th, 2008
Key West, Florida Keys - The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center is to celebrate its first anniversary Saturday, Feb. 2, with the grand opening of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Living Reef Exhibit inside the center.
The 6,400-square-foot facility, the visitor center for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, showcases the region’s unique ecosystem, including the living coral reef that parallels the island chain.
Highlights of the Feb. 2 event are to include the presentation of a Coastal America Award for the sanctuary’s Coral Protection and Restoration Program.
The new Living Reef Exhibit is designed to educate visitors about preserving and enhancing the coral reef environment, as well as critical reef research by scientists from the Florida-based Mote Marine Laboratory.
The exhibit’s focal point is a 2,400-gallon reef tank featuring fish and invertebrates indigenous to the Keys. Visitors also can view tanks of hard and soft corals, find out how long-spined sea urchins can assist in reef restoration and learn about Mote’s “coral nursery,” where more than 22 species of corals are being propagated for replanting on reefs.
All day Feb. 2, visitors can tour the center and discover the Living Reef Exhibit, explore a 200-gallon touch tank aboard the Mote Mobile and view exhibits spotlighting the Keys’ environmental agencies and efforts.
A ceremony celebrating the Living Reef Exhibit is set for 3:30 p.m.
The presentation of the Coastal America Award is scheduled for 4 p.m., to be followed by a reception. Sponsored by the White House, the prestigious federal award is to be presented by Timothy Keeney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; Virginia Tippie, director of Coastal America, and Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center was created in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the South Florida Water Management District. More ยป
The center is open free to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call (305) 809-4750.
For lodging information in Key West, contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-LAST-KEY (800-527-8539) or visit the Keys Web site at www.fla-keys.com.
