New Manatee Rehabilitation Facility Planned for Clearwater Marine Aquarium

In An Effort To Support Local Manatee Populations, The Clearwater Marine Aquarium Has Big Plans For a New Facility 

Big things are happening at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium! Joining a statewide effort to conserve manatee populations and protect our state marine mammal, the aquarium is planning on converting Winter the dolphin’s habitat into a manatee hospital and rehabilitation center. The plan couldn’t come at a better time, as an increase in algae blooms has hindered the growth of seagrass and negatively impacted water clarity in manatee habitats, which threatens the population.

The aquarium will develop and promote its new manatee rescue program in three stages. The first step involves cooperating with Clearwater’s government to establish an additional emergency pool in order to increase the aquarium's capacity to care for manatees. Step two sees the facility working with the city of Tarpon Springs to establish another 3 manatee pools at the Marine Mammal Stranding Rehabilitation Center. The final step will see the aquarium carry out a $10 million dollar renovation of Winter’s habitat into a manatee hospital that will house and rehabilitate the manatees. The grand plan will see the development of a place that can simultaneously provide critical care for the manatees while educating people about Florida’s manatee population and the local conservation efforts undergone by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and other organizations to help keep the iconic creatures happy and healthy.