Happy Birthday Jack Rudloe! |
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On Thursday, February 17th we celebrated the 79th birthday of our founder, Jack Rudloe.
Jack founded Gulf Specimen in 1963, when he was only 20 years old. Gulf Specimen started as a specimen distribution center and then later, evolved into the educational public aquarium that we see today.
Without him, we would not be the amazing, non-profit organization we are today! |
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In celebration of Jack's birthday, we stocked our Amazon Wishlist with supplies for our sea turtle hospital, our sea turtles themselves, and other supplies we use for aquarium maintenance! We are so grateful for all of our donors who continue to help out and support our cause! We are always overwhelmed by the support shown from our members and followers! |
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Our First Educational Tour in Our New Marine Science Center |
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On Friday, February 4th we were finally able to utilize our new classroom space with a school group from Creekside Middle School organized by the Educational Tours organization. We had about 100 students and teachers total for our morning tour. They had scheduled our Lab/Dock tour, but due to the weather, we decided to bring the dock to them for safety.
Over the course of two hours, we shuffled four different groups through the aquarium and through the new classroom, showing them what organisms live on our dock as well as demonstrating a sea urchin embryology experiment. We had collected several stringers from our dock for them to sift through and set up a couple microscopes showing the fertilized sea urchin eggs. We also set up a sea turtle work-up station for students to learn how we handle new patients coming into our sea turtle rehabilitation program here at Gulf Specimen!
We love our school groups and are excited for the field trip season to get busy! |
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We are currently seeing over 200 school students each week! If you are interested in booking a tour for your school group, family group or any other group, you can visit https://gulfspecimen.org/education/guided-tours/ or call (850) 984-5297 to learn more! |
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Gulf Specimen Goes to the RAW 2022 Conference in Galveston Texas |
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From February 20th through the 24th, Cypress Rudloe and Jack Rudloe traveled to Galveston Texas to attend the Regional Aquatics Workshop Conference at Moody Gardens. During this week, they were able to attend educational lectures on topics such as animal husbandry and transport and buoyancy in sea turtles.
These conferences also allow opportunities for networking to gain more zoo and aquarium customers! |
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Our 'Eel of Fortune is Almost Complete! |
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We are almost finished with this exhibit! We will be adding fencing around the back and some other smaller details to make this project perfection! Come and spin our 'Eel of Fortune and find our your fate as a sea turtle living in the wild ocean! |
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 | Kristie is a 3rd year student at FSU, studying as a double major in Biological Science with a concentration in marine biology and Environmental Science. She is excited to be interning at Gulf Specimen Marine Lab where she is directly interacting with the animals. Her favorite part of being an intern is working with the turtles, particularly the ones in rehab, she was thrilled to be a part of the turtle release for Hope. Her favorite specimens are the brown octopi, the sea turtles (loggerheads), and the nurse sharks. After her completion of her internship and her graduation, Kristie plans to attend graduate school for marine biology, specializing in coral and working on the reconstruction of the reefs in South Florida. |
| | | Keith has just recently graduated from College of the Ozarks with a bachelor's degree in Biology and Field Ecology and is hoping to move towards a master’s degree in Marine Biology. The natural world has been a part of his life ever since he was a child and interning with Gulf Specimen Marine Lab provides an excellent opportunity to develop his understanding of marine life. He has special interests in the stunningly colored sea slugs and the charming, intelligent octopus taking up residence at the aquarium. Keith is currently exploring his options for the future and is considering working with the state with a focus on environmental protection and conservation. |
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We are Accepting Applications for Our Summer 2022 Internship! |
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Are you or someone you know looking for a summer internship?
If you are a college student looking for experience in the marine conservation field, Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is currently accepting intern applications for Summer 2022! Explore the field of biological supply, aquarium husbandry, sea turtle rehabilitation, and marine life education through our unique internship program. To sign up or learn more about our internship program, visit our website https://gulfspecimen.org/internship/. If interested, please email a resume and cover letter to Tom Harrah at gulfspecimentom@hotmail.com. |
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Wonders of the Gulf: Creature Feature |
| North Florida is gifted with an amazing array of diverse animals where we find fascinating creatures. Our exhibits change every season. |
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Sea Hare: The most active, graceful, and best surviving of all the species of Aplysia. Aplysia is commonly studied by researchers for its easily accessible giant ganglia. Releases a purple ink when disturbed. Most unfortunately however, the mollusks are highly sporadic, appearing in huge numbers some years and completely unavailable in other years. Researchers are advised to place long term standing orders to insure a supply. |
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Spider Crab: Will tear an attractive orange or blue sponge apart and stick it on their backs as a decorating camouflage. Excellent scavengers and predators. Highly sensitive to salinity changes, used as examples of strict stenohaline osmoconformers in physiology experiments. |
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Southern Puffer: A drab smooth-skinned fish that will inflate itself into a tight, buoyant, impregnable ball when handled. |
| Chocolate Chip Sea Star: This species is usually very hardy. Its common name comes from its light brown color and black spikes on body. |
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