Despite some flooding, Marine Science Center reopens in Ponce Inlet following Tropical Storm Ian

PONCE INLET — The Marine Science Center reopened Tuesday after Tropical Storm Ian flooded the facility’s main parking lot and equipment storage space almost three weeks ago.

Despite the flooding and some debris, the facility and its animals were not significantly affected, according to Executive Director Chad Macfie.

Macfie said that when staff returned to the center the day after the storm, they found a “substantial amount of flooding under the building” and the main parking lot was under water, forcing the center to close for guests.

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“Luckily the structure of the building was fine, but (the area) under the building was flooded,” he said. “That is where a lot of our life-support pumps and filters are. But luckily most of that was above water and wasn’t affected.”

He said the water under the building came within inches of most of the salvaged equipment.

In addition to waiting for the water to recede and trying to pump out the almost 4 feet of water from under building, some of the center’s staff and volunteers also dealt with flooding in their homes.

“We were a little short-staffed and didn’t want to open up to the public when we were 'all hands on deck' really helping out with the animals,” Macfie said.

‘We didn’t lose any animals’

In addition to its several exhibits for visitors to both enjoy and educate themselves about the local environment, the Marine Science Center, or MSC, also serves as a working rehabilitation hospital for shorebirds and sea turtles.

Macfie said the center's animals remained safe during the storm.

“Throughout the whole storm we didn’t lose any animals,” Macfie said. “Especially since we didn’t have power for a few days — three or four days.”

The center’s generator was crucial in keeping the animals safe.

“Our main thing that we focus on during hurricanes is loss of power,” he said. “We are pretty fortunate that we have backup emergency supplies for the aquarium and the turtles.”

Macfie said the center also has battery-powered aeration systems in case the generator does not work.

He said the fact that Ian was expected to hit the area as a tropical storm played into the decision to keep the turtles in the center.

“In the past, if it was going to be a direct hit, we would bring the turtles somewhere else in Florida, but the path was kind of so big that a lot of places were in the same position we were in.”

Keeping the turtles safe

Allie Bernstein, manager of turtle rehabilitation at the Marine Science Center, said staff took all necessary measures to prepare for the storm.

“We made sure things were bungeed down, that anything that could be a flying object was tied down,” Bernstein said. “And then, coordinating with our permitting agencies, trying to keep in good communication to make sure that if we did have to move turtles after the storm, we would be able to do so.”

She said that the influx of wild turtles affected by the storm was not as high as with other storms.

“In the days after the storm, we did have a small influx of turtles,” Bernstein said. “Not our typical after-a-big-storm-event influx of turtles like we have seen in the past with Hurricane Matthew or Hurricane Irma.”

So far, the center has seen eight hatchlings; five juvenile green sea turtles; four gopher tortoises; two box turtles; and eight freshwater turtles come in since Oct. 1 — not all as a result of the storm, however.

Last year, the MSC had its highest intake year of juvenile/adult size class with 221, including more than 150 gopher tortoises, box turtles and freshwater turtles. The center's record — 6,000 hatchlings/washback turtles — was back in 2007.

She added: “We did have a little influx of gopher tortoises and box turtles that were displaced due to flooded habitats or loss of dune space. We had a few hatchlings trickling in, but again, not like our typical post-storm recovery.”

Bernstein said that the number of displaced turtles in the wild is difficult to predict. She mentioned that in south Brevard County there was a higher influx of hatchlings on the beach.

“Sometimes it’s just the geography and condition of the beach,” she said.

‘We have a responsibility to the animals’

Macfie said the staff is 90% done with repairing the few pumps and other equipment that were lost to flooding.

The center’s upcoming 650-square-foot bird habitat exhibit project slated for 2023 is still on course, he said.

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Macfie said that the center was well-prepared for the storm.

“I think when it comes to hurricanes, the building was well-designed and I think that we made some improvements from lessons learned from previous storms.”

He said redundancy was key to the preparation’s success; not being fully dependent on the generator by having extra battery-powered aeration systems and having multiple pumps plugged in to separate circuits helped in reassuring that animals would be safe.

“Overall, I think we fared pretty well,” he said. “We have a responsibility to the animals, and we are pretty happy that they all made it through.”

The Marine Science Center is open to the public at 100 Lighthouse Drive, Ponce Inlet. Visitors may view the turtle hospital and explore a marine display area and gift shop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. It is closed to the public on Mondays. For information, visit marinesciencecenter.com or call 386-304-5545.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Marine Science Center reopens in Ponce Inlet with all animals safe