St. Lucie County Aquarium: A Window to Florida's Marine Ecosystems

The St. Lucie County Aquarium, in partnership with the Smithsonian Marine Station, is dedicated to educating the public about Florida's diverse marine environments. The aquarium showcases living models of six different Florida marine and estuarine ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of preserving these intricate habitats.The aquarium's exhibits accurately represent the habitats found in the Indian River Lagoon and surrounding coastal waters. The largest display features a stunning Caribbean coral reef ecosystem. Other exhibits include seagrass, mangrove, lagoon hardbottom, and nearshore reef habitats, as well as a deepwater Oculina coral reef. Several smaller aquarium displays and microscope displays offer a glimpse into the microscopic world. A touch tank allows visitors to have an up-close encounter with local marine life.Opened in November 2001, the aquarium's main 3,000-gallon coral reef exhibit was retired from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Smithsonian scientists were the first to put a living model of an Atlantic coral reef ecosystem on display for the public. The 5,000-square-foot facility houses over 8,000 gallons of marine life.