PONCE INLET, Fla. – New exhibits and major changes are coming to Volusia County’s Marine Science Center. The center closed on Monday for what’s estimated to be about nine months of renovations and additions.
The county is pouring over $5 million into the work.
“All of this was through ECHO grant, AARP, and donations,” said the center’s manager, Chad Macfie, “A lot of these exhibits are going to provide tools that you can take home and make a difference in your backyard.”
A new education building, working coral lab, living shoreline and living reef exhibit are coming, and Macfie said these new additions will hopefully expand the center’s impact on visitors.
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“The working coral lab will provide high school and college students with an opportunity to learn and research coral growth,” he said.
The center will even build a replica of the sunken Lady Philamena with an aquarium visitors can walk through.
The ship was confiscated by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for smuggling cocaine into Miami. Border Patrol then gave the ship to Volusia County to use as a reef.
“Four or five years ago we were able to skuttle or sink the Lady Philamena about 13 miles offshore as one of our artificial reefs,” said Macfie. “Volusia County has one of the largest artificial reef programs in the Southeastern United States.”
The center’s animal hospital will also see some upgrades, but will not close during the renovations.
“When we open back up we’ve got a lot of new things and a lot of new messages to help educate the public,” said Macfie.
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