Where the Sea Reveals its Secrets
At Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, you begin to get a better sense of what’s really there. On a quiet back street between the highway and the bay. We house a collection of sea water tanks and aquariums. Water bubbles and flows in a swirl that sustains unique collections of the bizarre and the beautiful. Unlike most big public aquariums that emphasize porpoises and big fishes, we focus on seahorses and hermit crabs, emerald eyed spiny box fish, electric rays and red and white spotted calico crabs – all the endless living treasure of north Florida’s still shining coast.
GSML offers field trips that emphasize the rich and diverse coastal environments of the region with tours to the “living dock” and the salt marshes of nearby Fiddlers Point, thereby enabling students to experience marine life in its natural setting.
All tours are led by a staff member or by a volunteer who has been extensively trained. The tour leader identifies animals and plants, describes their natural history, explains habitat requirements and discusses human impacts on coastal natural resources. He or she also answers questions and teaches one on one throughout the tour. The technical level of the narrative is adapted to the group’s age level.