Millions of people from across our blue planet will celebrate World Oceans Day on Saturday, June 8. Organizations and individuals in more than 100 countries around the world will focus on the prevention of plastic ocean pollution through events in their communities.
Come to the World Oceans Day Celebration at the St. Lucie County Aquarium from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, June 8, 2019 for a jam-packed day of activities. The day begins with a beach clean-up at Jetty Park on South Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Then, head to the Aquarium for fish feeding tours at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM, as well as fascinating behind-the-scenes tours at 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM. Kids can take our Ocean Mad Libs Challenge inside the Aquarium, get their faces painted and make their own environmentally-responsible reusable straws at a craft table outside.
St. Lucie County Environmental Resources Department will be leading kayak tours to Wesley Island from the beach in front of the Aquarium at 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM. These one-hour tours for ages 12 and older will focus on the natural environment of the lagoon and spoil islands. Tickets are $15 per person and advanced registration is highly recommended, as space is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. You can register any time between now and the event by calling 772-465-3271.
Seine-netting programs will be offered at 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM. The demonstrations will give families the opportunity to get their feet wet (literally) in the Indian River Lagoon by collecting animals - including crabs, pipefish, sea slugs and more - in the same manner as Smithsonian researchers and aquarists. Participants wishing to enter the water must wear protective footwear, such as water shoes or old sneakers, to participate in seining demonstrations and children under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
In addition to these activities, scientists from the Smithsonian Marine Station will be leading hands-on activities for kids and families, including plankton tows to learn more about the smallest residents of the Indian River Lagoon. Meet a real scientist at the Indian River Lagoon Science Festival table, where a rotating group of scientists from Indian River State College, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves will be on-hand to speak about their ocean research. More activities are being added, so keep up with the Schedule of Activities on our website at www.StLucieCo.gov/Aquarium.
Admission to the Aquarium is $4 for adults and $3 for seniors (55+) and children. All World Ocean Day activities are included with Aquarium admission. For more information, please contact the Smithsonian Education Office at 772-465-3271 or SMSEducation@si.edu.
Coordinated and promoted internationally by The Ocean Project since 2002, World Oceans Day is an annual celebration on June 8th as well as a call for ocean conservation action throughout the year. This unique celebration of our world ocean brings together organizations and key individuals from aquariums, museums, youth groups, schools and universities, businesses and others, including divers, surfers, sailors, communities of faith, artists, the maritime, recreational and tourism industries, governments and more. For more information, or to find an event, visit: www.worldoceansday.org.
The St. Lucie County Aquarium, featuring the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit is located at 420 Seaway Drive on South Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce. The Smithsonian Marine Station has teamed with St. Lucie County and other community partners to create this unique educational facility. The Exhibit is an outreach effort of the Smithsonian Marine Station, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. A fixture in the Fort Pierce community for more than 45 years, the Marine Station is dedicated to understanding the character and diversity of the marine and estuarine habitats of Florida. For more information, visit www.stlucieco.gov/Aquarium.
