Local SIERRA CLUB Chapter to Tour Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Jan. 17, 2024 - PRLog -- (Palm Beach County, FL – January 16, 2024) The Loxahatchee Group of the Sierra Club Florida Chapter is inviting friends and supporters to a combination general meeting and road trip on Saturday, February 17, at the FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI), 5600 U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce, FL 34946. This visit can be a great learning experience for both children (ages 12+) and adults. Arrive early for easy parking.

The visit to one of South Florida's premier research institutes will begin at the 10:15 am loading on a pontoon boat for a 90-minute tour of the Indian River Lagoon. The guide will conduct real-time data collection, survey underwater habitats with a remotely operated vehicle, and help identify some of the Lagoon's more than 4,000 plant and animal inhabitants, including over 50 threatened or endangered species.

Following a bring-your-own-lunch break, participants will enjoy a 90-minute tram tour of HBOI's 144-acre waterfront campus and research facilities, including the marine rescue area, necropsy lab, and aquaculture labs. There will also be a Photo Op in front of the iconic Johnson Sea Link deep-sea submersible that conducted critical research following the Deepwater Horizon/BP Oil Spill of 2010.

This exploratory event will conclude with a self-guided tour of the Ocean Discovery Visitor's Center to view exhibits and live displays of current research projects, notable discoveries, marine life, and environments from coral reefs to seagrass beds, including demonstrations of HBOI's sustainable aquaculture.

The cost to participate in this enlightening environmental experience is only $75 person, with a maximum limit of 25 people. Tickets are nonrefundable but are transferrable. You must register online to attend:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sierra-club-trip-to-harbor-branch-oceanographic-institute-tickets-740474999657?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Supporters of the Loxahatchee Group of the Sierra Club Florida Chapter will meet at 10:15 am at J. Seward Johnson Education Center on the HBOI campus. The pontoon boat departs promptly at 10:30 am. For more information, please contact Mary Mertz at  marymertz@me.com.

To learn more about the FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, please visit https://www.fau.edu/hboi/.

Attached Image:

HBOI Pontoon Boat Tour of the Indian River Lagoon

(Photo Credit: FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute)

Available for Interview:

Drew Martin

561.533.6814 / dmandch@aol.com

Media Contact:

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PR-BS

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