Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Loggerhead Marinelife Center, located in Loggerhead Park, Juno Beach, Florida, is a sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education and conservation center. The center also manages the Juno Beach fishing pier, across the street from the park.[1] Established in 1983, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center seeks to promote conservation of ocean ecosystems with a special focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles.[2] Its facilities include a sea turtle hospital, a research laboratory, and exhibit areas including live sea turtles and other coastal creatures.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Established1983
Location14200 U.S Highway 1
Juno Beach, Florida
Coordinates26.8847°N 80.0562°W / 26.8847; -80.0562
TypeWildlife rehabilitation center
WebsiteOfficial Website

Conservation initiatives

In 2014, Loggerhead Marinelife Center staff began partnering with other sea turtle organizations to rescue turtles accidentally hooked on fishing piers.[3] After spending time in critical sea turtle habitat around the world, staff realized that many of the issues faced by partners are greater than incidental capture alone.

Project SHIELD is a multi-faceted program that provides conservation solutions to fishing piers, recreational boaters, beach-side hotels, snorkel and SCUBA operators, fishing charter operators, and beach access points, as well as pollution prevention projects. Conservation Initiatives under Project SHIELD include promoting environmental sustainability, working to ban balloons on beaches,[4] monofilament recycling, the Responsible Pier Initiative[5] and working to eliminate trash in oceans.

LMC's conservation initiatives have reached Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas,[6] Greece, Turkey and Puerto Rico.

Programs and activities

The center hosts astronomy nights,[7] guided beach walks,[8] Boy Scout and Girl Scout programs, Eco Tours (SWIM),[9] evening turtle walks,[10] hatchling releases,[11] a marine summer camp program,[12] sea turtle releases,[13] water quality monitoring[14] and many other education programs, activities and events.

Juno Beach Pier

Loggerhead Marinelife Center manages the Juno Beach Pier, a 900-foot fishing pier located in Juno Beach, Florida. The pier participates in the Responsible Pier Initiative which promotes responsible fishing and conservation. In 1999, the town of Juno Beach opened the Juno Beach Pier as a pedestrian pier.[15] Activities on the pier conducted through Loggerhead Marinelife Center include a kid's fishing program, field trips, and private fishing lessons.

References
  1. "Parks & Recreation: Juno Beach Park Pier". Palm Beach County. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  2. "Loggerhead Marinelife Center – Ocean and sea turtle conservation". www.marinelife.org. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  3. "Conservation – Loggerhead Marinelife Center". www.marinelife.org. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  4. "Palm Beach to consider bans on balloons, plastic bags on beaches". Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  5. eco. "Inside A Sea Turtle Hospital: Heals Turtles, Promotes Education". ECO Magazine. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  6. "Texas Piers are Helping to Protect Endangered Sea Turtles - Turtle Island Restoration Network". Turtle Island Restoration Network. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  7. "Astronomical Society of the Palm Beaches | Astronomy Nights at Loggerhead | Night Sky Network". nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  8. "Biologist Beach Walks at Loggerhead Marinelife Center | Palm Beach Illustrated". www.palmbeachillustrated.com. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  9. "ECO July/Aug 2016 Page 32". Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  10. Planet, Lonely. "Loggerhead Marinelife Center - Lonely Planet". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  11. "Loggerhead Marinelife Center Launches New Hatchling Release Program". archive.tcpalm.com. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  12. "Jr. Marine Biologist Summer Camp". Jr. Marine Biologist Summer Camp. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  13. Davis, Jason (2015-08-26). "Loggerhead Marinelife Center to release 2 turtles Wednesday in Juno Beach". WPTV. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  14. "Three ways to recognize National Water Quality Month! – Loggerhead Marinelife Center". www.marinelife.org. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  15. "Juno Beach History - Town of Juno Beach". www.juno-beach.fl.us. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  16. "Shell-shocked Florida refugees". Boston Globe. October 24, 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  17. "Florida by Water: See Sea Turtles in the Wild". National Geographic. February 10, 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  18. "At a South Florida hospital, heroes for the half-shell". The Washington Post. July 9, 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
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