#DISCOVERY CENTER FREE#

The Eco-Discovery Center is one of the few, free attractions in Key West, located along the Truman waterfront on the way to Ft. In addition, all of the exhibits are translated into additional languages.ĭon't miss a replica of the Aquarius undersea research lab, and a 20-minute film that plays on a loop inside the center's 100-seat theater.Īs people explore and interact with the exhibits, it is hoped that visitors will be inspired to take steps to help preserve and conserve these unique ecosystems that lie within the Keys sanctuary, but also in their own local environments. For those who may need a break from the noise and excitement of a visitor center, the EDC provides sensory kits and also hosts a sensory room onsite. On weekends, you will find educational carts to learn about animal adaptations, featuring skeletons of various sea creatures. Visitors can explore the Eco-Discovery Center in a self-paced tour, but staff and volunteers are also onsite to provide additional information about the Florida Keys. Over the centuries, more than 2,000 ships have wrecked inside sanctuary waters and visitors can explore the most famous through a maritime history exhibit that features projected images of wreck sites and long-lost artifacts, including a cannon from the 1733 Spanish fleet that foundered in Keys. Visitors can also see how the sanctuary and partners are working to preserve and protect our reefs through conservation and coral restoration programs, featuring MOTE Marine Lab's recreation of an in-water coral nursery. While an electronic microscope brings into focus the hardened remnants of coral structures, visitors can learn how they were built by thousands of tiny animals called polyps, and how they interact with the world around them.

The Florida Keys is home to the only coral barrier reef in the continental United States, and the Eco-Discovery Center focuses much attention on this most important and fragile ecosystem. Behind an expansive image of the seafloor, retractable cylinders reveal recreations of seagrass habitat, sea urchins, crabs, and many other critters that live in sanctuary waters. Renovated exhibits afford increased hands-on experiences and greater accessibility for all audiences. Visitors can test their listening skills, by selecting buttons and guessing the calls of mangrove animal residents, or their sense of touch in a tactile enclosure. New features include an interactive mangrove exhibit, where a native red mangrove tree reaches from the corner of the room with its arching root system.

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'We have a responsibility to demonstrate how to responsively enjoy the resource, and the Eco-Discovery Center does that in an engaging way that encourages visitors to take ownership through discovery.' 'As soon as you step into the waters of the Florida Keys you are in the sanctuary,' said superintendent Sarah Fangman. Now, sanctuary staff from the Keys and national headquarters have reimagined its 6,000 square feet of exhibit space by creating a modern, immersive experience while preserving the original entry fee–free! With financial support from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, over $1 million in funding was raised to support renovations, fueling teams of carpet layers, fabricators and IT gurus ($725,000 from TDC and $295,000 in federal funds).

Since opening in 2007, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary's Eco-Discovery Center has provided visitors and locals an opportunity to explore the sanctuary without getting their feet wet. Welcome to the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center

Discovery center