St. Lucie County Aquarium Share this page:

Fort Pierce, FL

St. Lucie County Aquarium

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The St. Lucie Aquarium: Not Your Typical Aquarium

Even though the IRL is an everyday sight for many of us, few have ever experienced the unsurpassed biological diversity that lies below these waters. The Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit, located inside the St. Lucie County Aquarium,  provides a window into this underwater world.

Of major interest is a living model of a coral reef ecosystem that was contributed by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington where it was on display for 20 years as one of the Museum's most popular exhibits. Additional living exhibits and wall displays focus on regional marine and estuarine ecosystems of the Indian River Lagoon and nearshore oceanic waters, and include displays highlighting ongoing research projects at SMSFP. 

The Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit is more than an aquarium; it aims to provide the general public and school children with some understanding of the importance of the marine environments around them, from coral reefs to communities such as seagrasses, mangroves and coquina rock hard bottoms. The exhibit aims to show the visitor that a marine ecosystem is a complex community of plants and animals interacting with each other and their environment, and that humans can think of themselves as an integral part of the larger ecosystem known as earth.

• Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm; Sunday: noon-4:00pm; Monday (Jan-Mar): 10:00am-4:00pm
• Admission $4 adults; $3 senior children (free on first Tuesday of the month)
• Location: 420 Seaway Drive on South Hutchinson Island (Fort Pierce)