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FWC opens doors for MarineQuest 2007
April 16, 2007
Contact: Cathy Palmer, (727) 896-8626
If it’s a quest, it’s got to be an adventure!
MarineQuest 2007, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s
(FWRI) free open house on Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. until
4 p.m., promises to be an adventure for all ages.
Visitors to the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission’s annual event at FWRI will go behind
the scenes to get up close and personal with marine life of all
shapes and sizes, including microscopic algae, conchs, lobsters,
stingrays and sharks. Taking visitors on their journey are
top-notch, nationally known researchers.
Your Saturday adventure may take you to the
touch tanks, or maybe to the “gyotaku” station for
fish-painting. Or it could take you through the labs where
cutting-edge research is making headlines every day. There also
will be presentations on red tide, sea turtles, a fish with a
boom box and ocean stories. Touch manatee bones, see what fish
eat and learn about sea grass, which isn’t really a true “grass”
after all.
There also will be booths outside for real live
fishing, face-painting and origami. Food vendors nearby will be
ready with tasty treats. Free parking will be available in the
University of South Florida parking garage. MarineQuest is
co-sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times, the City of St.
Petersburg and the university’s St. Petersburg branch. FWRI is
at 100 Eighth Ave. Southeast in downtown St. Petersburg.
Media Opportunity Prior to Event: On
Thursday and Friday, April 19 and 20, FWRI will host MarineQuest
School Daze. At this event, an expected 2,500 students will
learn from the state’s top scientists in a fun, hands-on
environment. FWRI researchers also will be available for brief
interviews about MarineQuest activities. For more information,
contact Cathy Palmer at (727) 224-3674. |
