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Monday 10am - 4pm Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Smithsonian Marine Station and Ecosystems Exhibit

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Smithsonian Marine Station and Ecosystems Exhibit

Yes, the Smithsonian is in Florida! The Smithsonian Marine Station is a research center specializing in marine biodiversity and ecology.
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At the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit, located within the St. Lucie County Aquarium, visitors can explore marine habitats of Florida and learn about the interconnectedness and importance of each ecosystem.

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10/06/2026

🪼🌊🪸Dive in to Free Tuesday!🪸🌊🪼

Join us for our monthly free admission day TODAY, October 6! Take a closer look at life under the surface as you explore our 6 model ecosystems, take a deeper dive into marine science on our 10:30am or 2:30pm feeding tour, and get hands-on in our Touch Tank!

We'll "sea" you there!

09/25/2026

🌊Happy National Estuaries Week! 🌊

Join us tomorrow, September 26 to celebrate the Indian River Lagoon. Take a deeper dive with our model ecosystem exhibits, participate in a beach clean-up, discover the microscopic world of plankton, or get your feet wet as we head into the seagrass beds with seine nets! We have a day packed full of special activities to help us all appreciate the estuary right in our own backyard!

🌴9:00am - Beach Clean-up at South Causeway Beach (meet on Aquarium porch)
🐠10:30am - Feeding Frenzy Aquarium Feeding Tour
🔬11:30am - Plankton Discovery: Collect a water sample from the lagoon and use a microscope to see the tiny but might animals within
🦀12:30pm - Family Seining Fun: Prepare to get wet as we head into the seagrass beds outside of the Aquarium to work in a team, pulling long nets through the grass to collect small fish and invertebrates
🦀1:30pm - Family Seining Fun: Prepare to get wet as we head into the seagrass beds outside of the Aquarium to work in a team, pulling long nets through the grass to collect small fish and invertebrates
🐠2:30pm - Snack Time Aquarium Feeding Tour
🔬3:15pm - Plankton Discovery: Collect a water sample from the lagoon and use a microscope to see the tiny but might animals within

Sea you there!

09/14/2026

🔬This Wednesday, join us for a tour of the research facilities at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce. We will meet scientists that work at the Marine Station, learn about their research, tour the laboratories, and learn about the history of this important facility on Florida’s Treasure Coast.🔬

The tour will begin at 2:00pm and lasts approximately 1 hour. The address of the Smithsonian Marine Station is 701 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, FL. This tour is free of cost, and designed for curious minds ages 12+. Preregistration is required and can be accessed at:

https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/78834508/smithsonian-marine-station-behind-the-scenes-tour-fort-pierce-smithsonian-marine-station

09/12/2026

National Estuaries Day is almost here!

The St. Lucie County Aquarium is celebrating with expanded programming on Saturday, September 26. Join us to take a deeper dive into the Indian River Lagoon - no snorkel needed!

Before the Aquarium opens, meet us on the porch at 9:00am for a beach clean-up. Our team will provide all the gear you need to comb South Causeway Beach and make sure we keep our lagoon beautiful.

Once the Aquarium opens at 10:00am, get ready for opportunities for discovery every hour!

10:30am & 2:30pm - Join one of our Educators for our ever-popular feeding tours! The tour will start at the Seagrass Exhibit and visit each model ecosystem in the Aquarium as the critters get their breakfast.

11:30am & 3:15pm - Ready to discover the unseen? Meet on the Aquarium’s porch and walk out to the docks with an educator to collect tiny plankton from the Lagoon. Then, head back inside to see the catch of the day under our microscopes!

12:30pm & 1:30pm - Prepare to get wet! Join our educators as you head into the Lagoon right outside of the Aquarium. Work in small teams to drag long nets through the seagrass beds to safely collect small fish, crabs, and other invertebrates – then release them back into their habitat! Parents are required to be in the water with their children, and close-toed shoes with a heel strap are required!

National Estuaries Day is included with regular Aquarium admission: $5/adult, $4/child (4 - 17), $4/senior (55+), and free for children under 4. The Aquarium will be open for standard operating hours, 10am - 4pm.

09/02/2026

Last month, three Smithsonian Marine Station scientists joined 11 other coral restoration organizations in a collaborative effort to help secure the future of Florida’s Coral Reef.

During the brief annual spawning window of elkhorn and staghorn corals, teams collected millions of eggs and s***m, conducted carefully planned genetic crosses, and cryopreserved material to safeguard genetic diversity for future coral restoration.

✨This effort produced more than 1.5 million coral embryos, including over 61,000 elkhorn coral larvae and 47,000 staghorn coral larvae. ✨

Some of these tiny but mighty larvae were brought back here to the Smithsonian Marine Station where scientists are testing different larval settlement cues to better understand what encourages coral larvae to settle and begin their next stage of life on the reef. Learning more about the early life stages of coral can help inform efforts to restore the next generation of Florida’s corals. 🔬

This work shows what’s possible when scientists and restoration partners bring their expertise together for a shared mission. 🪸🩵

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09/01/2026

🐚🐡🦀Happy September! What better way to celebrate than a visit to the Aquarium? Free admission on the first Tuesday of every month - which is today! 🦀🐡🐚

08/29/2026

🎉 Today we celebrate 25 years of the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit! For a quarter of a century, we’ve shared the diversity, complexity, and importance of Florida’s marine and estuarine environments through our unique living model ecosystems.

A huge THANK YOU to every visitor, collaborator, scientist, educator and friend who has joined us over the years. Here’s to many more years of discovery and conservation!

08/22/2026

Our 25th Anniversary Celebration is underway! Come on out to the Aquarium today to celebrate with us; we’ll have special activities from 10am-1pm. Admission is free all day from 10am-4pm!

08/08/2026

🎉We're turning 25! 🎉

Join us later this month as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit at the St. Lucie County Aquarium! We're commemorating by hosting 2 days of fun, with complimentary admission both days!

On Saturday, August 22 join us from 10am - 1pm as we celebrate in style! Learn with scientists from the Smithsonian Marine Station, get hands-on with crafts and activities, and enjoy St. Lucie County's Rec & Roll program! Admission is free all day 10am - 4pm.

We first opened our doors on August 28, 2001. So this year, on Friday August 28 we are celebrating with an early morning birthday party! Join us starting at 9am for coffee and light refreshments (while supplies last), Aquarium tours, and giveaways all day long! Admission will be free for extended hours 9am - 4pm.

Have a favorite memory from 25 years of marine discovery? Share it below!

08/04/2026

☀️🌊🐠🪸 Feeling those end of summer blues? We've got the perfect pick me up! Join us today from 10am - 4pm for our monthly free admission day! 🪸🐠🌊☀️

Address

420 Seaway Drive
Fort Pierce, FL
34949

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	12pm - 4pm

Telephone

(772) 465-3271

Website

http://www.sms.si.edu/SMEE

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