Loggerhead Marinelife Center facts for kids
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| Established | 1983 |
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| Location | 14200 U.S Highway 1 Juno Beach, Florida |
| Type | Wildlife rehabilitation center |
The Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a special place in Juno Beach, Florida. It's located in Loggerhead Park. This center is all about sea turtles! They research them, help sick or hurt turtles get better, teach people about them, and work to protect them.
The center also takes care of the Juno Beach fishing pier. This pier is right across the street from the park. The Loggerhead Marinelife Center started in 1983. Its main goal is to help keep ocean ecosystems healthy. They especially focus on sea turtles that are threatened or endangered.
At the center, you can find a hospital just for sea turtles. There's also a science lab where researchers work. Plus, there are cool exhibits where you can see live sea turtles and other animals that live near the coast.
Protecting Our Oceans
In 2014, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center started working with other groups. They wanted to help turtles that accidentally got hooked by fishing lines. After seeing problems in many places, they realized the issues were bigger than just accidental catches.
This led to a big program called Project SHIELD. This program offers solutions to many groups. It helps fishing piers, people with boats, hotels near beaches, and even snorkel and SCUBA tour groups. It also works with fishing charter companies and helps keep beach access points clean.
Project SHIELD also focuses on stopping pollution. It promotes being kind to the environment. It works to ban balloons on beaches, which can harm wildlife. The program also encourages recycling fishing line. It runs the Responsible Pier Initiative and tries to get rid of trash in the oceans.
The center's conservation efforts have reached many places. These include Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas in the USA. They have also helped in Greece, Turkey, and Puerto Rico.
Explore and Learn!
The Loggerhead Marinelife Center offers many fun activities. You can join astronomy nights to look at the stars. They have guided walks on the beach. There are special programs for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
You can also go on Eco Tours, which sometimes involve swimming. They have evening turtle walks to see turtles nesting. You might even get to see baby turtles being released into the ocean! The center runs a marine summer camp program. They also release rehabilitated sea turtles back into the wild.
Other activities include water quality monitoring and beach cleanups. The center hosts many other educational programs and events throughout the year.
The Juno Beach Pier
The Loggerhead Marinelife Center manages the Juno Beach Pier. This pier is 900 feet long and is a popular spot for fishing. It's located right in Juno Beach, Florida. The pier is part of the Responsible Pier Initiative. This program teaches people how to fish responsibly and protect the ocean.
The town of Juno Beach first opened the pier in 1999. Back then, it was just for walking. Now, through the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, you can do many things there. They have a fishing program especially for kids. You can also go on field trips or take private fishing lessons.
