Gulf Specimen Aquarium

Gulf Specimen Aquarium is a nonprofit marine laboratory in Panacea that doubles as a hands-on aquarium for kids to explore Gulf of Mexico sea life. Instead of big marine mammals, the focus is on smaller creatures like starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars, whelks, clams and sea pansies, plus sharks and sea turtles, and children are encouraged to touch and pick up many of the animals in the touch tanks. Because the lab constantly supplies live specimens to schools and researchers, the collection of one to two hundred species on display is always changing, so no two visits look the same. School groups and families come for guided looks at local marine biology, with staff explaining what each creature eats, where it lives and how it fits into the coastal ecosystem. The facility also cares for sick or injured sea turtles as part of its conservation and research work.

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