Loggerhead Marinelife Center, located in Loggerhead Park,

Juno Beach, Florida Juno Beach is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Its population was 3,176 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was estimated at 3,648. Juno Beach is home to the headquarters of Florid ...

, is a sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education and conservation center. The center also manages the Juno Beach fishing pier, across the street from the park. Established in 1983, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center seeks to promote conservation of ocean ecosystems with a special focus on threatened and

endangered sea turtles Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles a year are accidentally caught in shrimp trawl nets, on longline hooks and in fishing gill-nets. Sea turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, and therefore many drown once caught. Loggerhead an ...

. Its facilities include a sea turtle hospital, a research laboratory, and exhibit areas including live sea turtles and other coastal creatures.

Conservation initiatives

In 2014, Loggerhead Marinelife Center staff began partnering with other sea turtle organizations to rescue turtles accidentally hooked on fishing piers. After spending time in critical sea turtle habitat around the world, staff realized that many of the issues faced by partners are greater than incidental capture alone. Project SHIELD is a multi-faceted program that provides conservation solutions to fishing piers, recreational boaters, beach-side hotels, snorkel and

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operators, fishing charter operators, and beach access points, as well as pollution prevention projects. Conservation Initiatives under Project SHIELD include promoting environmental sustainability, working to ban balloons on beaches,

monofilament A monofilament may refer to: * Monofilament fishing line, a type of thread * A monofilament as used in a monofilament test in a neurological examination * Monomolecular wire Monomolecular wire is a type of wire consisting of a single strand of s ...

recycling, the Responsible Pier Initiative and working to eliminate trash in oceans. LMC's conservation initiatives have reached Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Greece, Turkey and Puerto Rico.

Programs and activities

The center hosts astronomy nights, guided beach walks,

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and

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programs, Eco Tours (SWIM), evening turtle walks, hatchling releases, a marine summer camp program, sea turtle releases,

water quality monitoring Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tre ...

, beach cleanups and many other education programs, activities and events.

Juno Beach Pier

Loggerhead Marinelife Center manages the Juno Beach Pier, a 900-foot fishing pier located in

. The pier participates in the Responsible Pier Initiative which promotes responsible fishing and conservation. In 1999, the town of Juno Beach opened the Juno Beach Pier as a pedestrian pier. Activities on the pier conducted through Loggerhead Marinelife Center include a kid's fishing program, field trips, and private fishing lessons.

In popular culture

* Boston Globe – ''Shell-shocked Florida Refugees'' *

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

– ''Florida by Water: See Sea Turtles in the Wild'' * The Washington Post – ''At a South Florida hospital, heroes for the half-shell''

References

External links

*{{official, marinelife.org Marine conservation organizations Buildings and structures in Palm Beach County, Florida Environmental organizations based in Florida Wildlife rehabilitation and conservation centers Sea turtles Tourist attractions in Palm Beach County, Florida 1983 establishments in Florida Nature centers in Florida Turtle conservation Turtle conservation organizations