A sea turtle proudly displays its intricately patterned shell. A stingray can safely brush its sleek skin against a child’s hand, grazing the top of a 10,000-gallon tank. A bird splashes into mangrove swamps to snatch fish. Sensory experiences like these can occur on a regular basis at the 57-acre Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center on Hutchinson Island, sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River Lagoon. As the headquarters for the nonprofit Florida Oceanographic Society, the center strives to both educate the public and inspire environmental stewardship of Florida’s coastal ecosystems.

Among the center's many activities, visit the Sea Star Touch Tank Pavilion and watch a live feeding at the 750,000-gallon Gamefish Lagoon, home to nurse sharks, stingrays, and over 30 species of fish. Educational programs explore the lives of sea turtles and discuss characteristics of local fish and the Indian River Lagoon. Visitors can learn about the local environment that Florida Oceanographic Society works to protect and restore though research, education and advocacy.