Florida Oceanographic Society 2015 Annual Report by Kelly Bruce

2015 Annual Report

Table of Contents Introduction Coastal Center Animal Care & Life Support Education Research Volunteers Major Gifts and Donors Financial Report Leadership, Board and Staff Directory

1 2 4 6 8 10 12 16 17

Editor Kelly Beard, New Growth Media Design Justin Beard, New Growth Media Photography Digital Motions Studio Florida Oceanographic Society Donna Murphy, Martin Health Systems New Growth Media Chris Schultz Eric Wickstrom

890 NE Ocean Boulevard, Stuart, FL 34996 (772) 225-0505 | FloridaOcean.org

Our Mission: To inspire environmental stewardship of Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coastal ecosystems through education and research.

A record year This has been a record year for the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center with more than 60,000 visitors, the highest annual attendance since opening in 1994. Compared to last year, our winter season was up by 13.8 percent and our summer season by 17.4 percent.

together with water quality monitoring in the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon estuaries.

Water releases from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries this year resulted in only minor impacts to the oyster reefs and seagrass beds. This is due to a record Our education programs truly inspired amount of lake water being sent south to the many participants and visitors. This summer, Everglades. We are now experiencing a strong we hosted eight weeks of camps with 117 El Ni単o, which has helped to minimize our participants, and conducted 18 guided sea turtle walks with 446 participants. The Coastal tropical storms during the summer, but may Center welcomed 69 self-guided groups totaling bring record rains in the 2016 winter season. 2,300 visitors, and our TEAM Ocean teen Our volunteers have given more than 14,000 program students from five regional high hours this year, helping with exhibits, schools assisted with education programs, oyster reef restoration and mangrove planting programs, habitat restoration in the estuaries, and much more. We extend our sincere efforts. appreciation to this special group, which also includes our board of directors and honorary As you read this annual report you will also trustees, who have given guidance and learn about the expert care our staff gives direction throughout the year. to the animal ambassadors in our aquatic exhibits. They provide all of the necessary life This has been the best year in our history support, habitat and food for the animals, thanks to our excellent professional staff who and coordinate with the State Stranding and make things happen and also to our major Salvage Network. donors and annual members who provide their Our research and conservation programs have generous support to our mission. focused on oyster reef and seagrass restoration Vicki Brown Board Chair

Mark Perry Executive Director 1

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center: a Treasure Coast gem Whether you’re 2 or 92, there’s something extraordinary about touching a stingray, seeing a sea turtle up close, or witnessing a feeding frenzy in a 750,000-gallon Game Fish Lagoon. During the 2014-15 fiscal year, more than 60,000 visitors enjoyed these activities and more at Florida Oceanographic Society’s 57-acre Coastal Center. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River Lagoon on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, the Coastal Center provides hands-on discovery for all ages. With coastal hardwood hammocks, mangrove swampland, and lagoon shoreline, these unique environments provide excellent opportunities for education and research. “Watching a child touch a stingray or sea star for the first time is a beautiful thing,” says Mark Perry, executive director. “Many are timid or scared at first, but once they learn about these animals, not only do they work up the nerve to interact with them, they want to protect them. That’s our mission at Florida Oceanographic – we want to inspire people of all ages to appreciate and preserve our coastal environment for generations to come.”

The expansive Coastal Center features: • 750,000-gallon Game Fish Lagoon with nurse sharks and various species of local game fish • Sea Turtle Pavilion with daily educational programs featuring the Coastal Center’s resident non-releasable sea turtles • 10,000-gallon stingray touch tank with daily feeding programs • Newly-refinished “Sea Star Touch Tank” showcasing local invertebrates • Children’s Activity Pavilion with games and interactive exhibits • Nature trail leading out to the Indian River Lagoon featuring Ais Indian Encampment and “I Spy” loop trail with daily guided walks • Butterfly garden featuring native plant species • Frances Langford Visitor Center with interactive educational exhibits, displays and aquariums • Gift Shop with a unique selection of jewelry, books, toys, and more! Visit the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, a Treasure Coast gem. You’ll find inspiration, education, and fun – and our local waterways will reap the rewards.

Visit FloridaOcean.org to learn more about Coastal Center exhibits and view the daily program schedule. 2

60,000 + Visitors Trend in attendence by fiscal year 70,000 60,000

Number of Guests

50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0

What’s happening at the Coastal Center? Be in the know! Get the latest news on special programs, events, and volunteer opportunities by subscribing to Florida Oceanographic Society’s e-newsletter and social media pages. 6,500+ E-newsletter subscribers

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Animal care and life support: beneath the surface The care and comfort of the Coastal Center’s advocacy animals is a top priority, which means the work of Florida Oceanographic’s animal care and life support team never ends. Continuing Education One way Florida Oceanographic achieves this level of care is by staying up-to-date with current husbandry and research studies. This year, the animal care team attended the Florida Keys sea turtle workshop hosted by the Marathon Turtle Hospital; the Fish Health workshop hosted by the University of Florida’s Fish Health Lab; and the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Workshop hosted by the Jekyll Island Sea Turtle Center.

Reynolds Advanced materials donated supplies and instruction for a casting project, enabling the animal care team to make an exact replica of Abe’s carapace. Now, research and development can be done without removing Abe from the water to measure or adjust the design. Martin Health Systems donated their equipment and time to perform an internal examination for Abe through the use of their state-of-the-art CT scan. Florida Oceanographic is proud to be part of a community that continues to step up and help care for these animal ambassadors.

Sea Turtle Stranding and Transportation Florida Oceanographic continued its involvement These workshops covered many aspects of with the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage sea turtle rehabilitative care, fish disease and Network, in addition to serving as a drop-off treatments, and wild sea turtle research. Florida point for distressed hatchlings during the summer Oceanographic prides itself on staying current months. Beachside sea turtle education and and informed with regional and global issues that advocacy was achieved by responding to calls could impact its animals’ well-being or that of the made by concerned beachgoers during daytime local wild population. nest eruptions and other situations. Sea Turtle Long Term Care Updates Gender reveal: Plasma samples from each of Florida Oceanographic’s sea turtles were tested for hormone levels. The tests determined the genders for two out of the three green sea turtles: Turt is a male, as well as Anna Belle, now known as “Abe.” Hank’s test results could not concretely determine gender and will be retested at a later date. Lily wasn’t tested as he began displaying physical “male” characteristics and behaviors last year.

Sea Star Touch Tank Renovation After years of countless students and visitors learning and leaning on the Sea Star Touch Tank, the exhibit was in desperate need of a facelift. With a fresh coat of heavy-duty paint on the outside, and bright blue Aqua guard 5000 on the inside, the animal care team was able to refresh one of the Coastal Center’s most popular exhibits. This improvement came at a very low cost thanks to the help of Aquatic Surfaces. Carib Sea was also kind enough to donate their Aragonite substrate to brighten the exhibit even further.

A big year for Abe: The animal care team is in the process of designing a weighting system that would take into account Abe’s pre-existing Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tags carapace injury so that nearly neutral buoyancy is From stingrays to conchs, these tags help monitor achieved while preventing additional deformity. growth rates of many of the animals individually.

10,000+

pounds of food per year

$15,000+ food cost per year

Animal Ambassadors

The Coastal Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s animal ambassadors are the number one priority for the animal care team. More than 400 fishes and four endangered and threatened sea turtles call nearly 760,000 gallons of saltwater aquariums home. These animal ambassadors provide the public with an opportunity to get up close and personal, adding to the educational experience provided by staff and volunteers. Florida Oceanographic Society hopes to inspire their protection by teaching visitors about these animals and their natural habitats.

Inspiration through environmental education Environmental education is at the core of Florida Oceanographic Society’s mission. The education department is dedicated to raising awareness about Florida’s imperiled coastal ecosystems and creating a sense of environmental stewardship through daily educational programming at the Coastal Center, field trips, summer camps, and unique outreach activities. Here are some highlights: Youth Education: FOS led 52 educational field trips reaching 1,789 students and 394 adult chaperones – an 89% increase over 2014! An additional 2,476 children and chaperones from 69 different groups visited the Coastal Center as part of the self-guided group field trip program, a 31% increase from 2014. In total, 4,659 guests partook in 121 separate field trips to FOS this year. Many of these groups were repeat visitors, underscoring the quality of the educational programming provided by FOS.

combined classroom lessons with hands-on interactive visits to an FOS oyster restoration site, where students built their own section of reef.

Deserving Kids to the Coast: FOS initiated the “Deserving Kids to the Coast” marine science education program for children living in Indiantown. As part of this program, FOS brought the entire second grade from Warfield Elementary School – a Title 1 school that serves a 96% minority student body – to the Virtual Field Trips: The SEASTAR (Sharing Coastal Center for a marine science-themed Educational And Scientific Topics Across educational field trip. Through a combination Regions) Virtual Field Trip Program has grown of programs, FOS reached more than 400 exponentially. SEASTAR used Skype to stream Indiantown students in 2015. live, interactive lessons into classrooms around the country, reaching 796 middle and high Sea Turtle Nesting Walks: During June and school students (up from 100 last year). The July, FOS hosted 18 guided sea turtle nesting program allowed “virtual visits” to the Coastal walks reaching 446 participants (up from 397 Center for students who would otherwise be last summer). These educational walks provided unable to visit in person due to financial or a once-in-a-lifetime experience for guests, who geographic constraints. were able to view a nesting loggerhead sea turtle during 14 out of 18 walks, a 78% success Coastal Lecture Series: FOS works tirelessly rate. Sea turtle walks were led by education to bridge the gap between the scientific department staff, with the assistance of 15 community and the general public. The Coastal highly trained volunteers. Lecture Series – a critical part of achieving this goal – attracted more than 800 guests to Special Programs: FOS hosted a number of the Blake Library for eight thought-provoking outreach programs geared towards children, lectures focused on a variety of topics related to adults, and families, including guided beach coastal Florida (up from 600 last year). walks, an astronomy program, a Florida Master Naturalist training course, Ais on the Lagoon Florida Oceanographic Oyster Restoration educational paddle, birthday parties, family Education and Discovery (FLOORED): The reunions, and guided nature walks for adult FLOORED program gave students from Felix groups, like the Audubon Society. The incredibly Williams Elementary School and Imagine Nau popular marine science summer camp program Charter School the chance to learn about FOS’s was again a huge hit, attracting 117 campers over oyster reef restoration work. The curriculum the course of 8 weeks.

13 Anglers hooked more than 140 Fish

and spent hundreds of hours off the couch on the water!

Game Fish and Fish Games

At Florida Oceanographicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4th annual youth fishing clinic, 36 children learned essential fishing skills from a team of dedicated volunteers. Participants then put their new fishing skills to the test during the inaugural Youth Fishing Tournament. In a high-tech twist, anglers used a smartphone app to log their catches digitally. Participants caught an incredible 140 fish, spending hundreds of hours off the couch and on the water! More than $500 in prizes were awarded.

Research: cultivating knowledge and stewardship Florida Oceanographic Society is leading efforts in researching, monitoring and restoring habitats in South Florida, particularly in the Indian River Lagoon, North America’s most bio-diverse estuary. This precious habitat is home to more than 4,300 species of plants and animals, including 36 rare and endangered species. Northern Estuaries Resource Recovery: Funding for NERR began in 2015, with the objective of restoring oyster and seagrass habitat lost during the “Lost Summer” of 2013 discharges. To increase ecosystem resiliency, habitat restorations are planned in areas further downstream from the effects of future discharges. Accomplishments include construction of a 1-acre subtidal oyster reef in the St. Lucie Estuary; construction of a remote setting facility to produce spat-on-shell oysters for reef restorations; partnership with five waterfront property owners to restore oyster and seagrass habitats on their shorelines; construction of a seagrass nursery; and initiation of a volunteer-based program to collect seagrass fragments for the nursery and eventual seagrass restoration. Activities planned for 2016 include continued construction of oyster reef habitats; spawning of oysters and seeding of constructed reefs with oyster larvae; planting of seagrass at restoration sites; and monitoring of restored oyster and seagrass habitats.

Florida Oceanographic Seagrass Training, Education and Restoration (FOSTER): Monitoring of FOS’s seagrass beds and seagrassassociated fish species continued into 2015. Four species of seagrass (shoal grass, manatee grass, paddle grass and Johnson’s seagrass) are consistently observed off FOS’s Indian River Lagoon (IRL) shoreline. Johnson’s seagrass is considered “Threatened” on the Endangered Species List and is only found in the IRL. FOS noted a shift in dominance to paddle and Johnson’s seagrass in 2015. Seine net surveys showed declines in fish diversity and abundance since 2013. Fish diversity can still be quite high, however, in select spots of the IRL. A re-creation of a survey first performed in 1974 found 51

species of fish at one site (Bessey Cove) in the IRL, similar to the 1974 survey of 54 species, the highest fish diversity ever observed in a single beach net pull. This year, 35 volunteers contributed more than 642 hours to various seagrass project-related activities. St. Lucie Estuary Observatory project: This SFWMD-funded project allowed collaboration with ORCA and ECOS, Inc. (Dr. Grant Gilmore). Water quality stations and bio-acoustic monitoring equipment were located at four sites in Martin County. Water quality data showed precipitous declines in salinity as a result of the 2013 discharges. Bio-acoustic monitoring detected a diverse set of animal sounds, most notably dolphin calls in the south fork of the St. Lucie Estuary (SLE), goliath grouper, spotted and sand sea trout, oyster toadfish, snapping shrimp and numerous unknown sounds. Despite the project ending, the monitoring stations will be maintained. Future data collection and studies will focus on analyzing effects of water quality on biological soundscapes. Citizens’ Water Quality Monitoring: Since 1998, FOS staff and volunteers have tested water quality every week in the SLE and IRL. Results are published as a report card in the Stuart News and at FloridaOcean.org. Currently, 26 sites are monitored by 27 volunteers, resulting in more than 1,000 hours of contributed service yearly. Great Annual Fish Count: Every July, FOS participates in Reef Environmental Education Foundation’s (REEF) Great Annual Fish Count at Bathtub Reef. 2015 marked FOS’s third straight year of hosting this event at Bathtub Beach with 21 volunteers attending the fish ID workshop and participating in the snorkel survey.

TO DATE: Locations in Martin and St. Lucie counties

Volunteers

Hours

Square feet of oyster reefs restored

Tons of oyster shell collected

1,200 feet of shoreline

In 2015, the shell recycling program expanded to 10 local restaurants and doubled its shell collection amounts from 12 to 25 tons per year. Partnership support from Martin County and the City of Stuart, as well as restaurant partners, have continued to help operate this very successful program. In partnership with Martin County, the FLOOR program has established oyster reefs and living shorelines at Flagler and Indian Riverside Parks. This year, 400 volunteers contributing 700 hours created and deployed more than 3,500 bags of shell (roughly over 50,000 lbs of shell) to construct nearly 2,000 square feet of oyster reef. Additionally, 500 shoreline plants were installed at Indian Riverside Park as part of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 feet of living shoreline 9

Volunteers: the life force of Florida Oceanographic Volunteers are the life force of Florida Oceanographic Society, making it possible for the organization to carry out its mission. Volunteers from the community lend their background, enthusiasm and time to FOS to provide Coastal Center guests with a quality experience. Volunteers are also heavily involved in citizen science through the research department, participating in monthly seagrass surveys, oyster reef restoration projects, and water quality testing. Without this team of dedicated volunteers, Florida Oceanographic simply could not function.

Florida Oceanographic has more than 363 active volunteers who reported 14,238 hours in fiscal year 2014-15. Some volunteers work several days a week, while others are only able to contribute a few hours per month. Florida Oceanographic’s oyster reef restoration program allows volunteer opportunities for the entire family and often engages children as young as 8 years old (and some younger) in meaningful activities that raise awareness about environmental issues and inspire stewardship.

TEAM Ocean During the summer months, Florida Oceanographic Society welcomes a team of high school students into the competitive TEAM Ocean summer internship program. These interns are exposed to all departments at Florida Oceanographic, gaining handson experience in marine science education, research, restoration, and aquatic life support. FOS embraces its diverse volunteer population and extends its thanks to everyone who contributes to the organization’s ongoing success by donating time, talent and treasure.

Students

890

Volunteer hours 10

This year’s team of dedicated teenagers completed 14 service learning projects including oyster reef restoration, seagrass surveys, Treasure Coast Waterway Clean-Up, and the REEF Great Annual Fish Count. As part of their dayto-day work, they served a combined total of 890 hours at the Coastal Center. Many learned to present the stingray, game fish lagoon and sea turtle programs. All of these bright students helped Florida Oceanographic Society reach thousands of people and inspire environmental stewardship of Florida’s coastal ecosystems.

Local high schools Bags of oyster shell

363 Active volunteers

14,238 Hours contributed

Major Donors (As of Sept. 30, 2015) Robert & Carol Weissman Robert & Suzanne Pearson $1,000,000 + Cindy & Jim Ziemba John & Janey Pratt Frances Langford Foundation William and Helen Thomas $25,000 + Charitable Trust $500,000 + Bill & Lolly Anderson Gail & Lois Warden Thomas A. Evinrude & Family Frank M Byers Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Francis Roach Carib Sea, Betsey Moore $50,000 + Shirley Family Foundation Mary W. Chaplin Victoria Brown & Ed Botwinick Karl Wickstrom Family Comerica Bank Dan & Janet Chabot Bob & Ellen Drisner Jean Ford Deal $200,000 + Tom Duff John & Lore Dodge Robert Bauman The Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Free Family Foundation Jim & Diney Burke Foundaton Paul G. Gemeinhardt Martial Trust Margaret B. Hurlburt Charitable David & Cheryl East MAH Foundation Remainder Trust Lee & Gaby Elsey John & Carolyn Hanson Anonymous Florida Power & Light The Wolcott Henry Foundation Community Foundation of Palm The Ted and Lorraine Glasrud Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation Beach and Martin Counties Family Foundation Charles E. Knopf Jr. Marmot Foundation Robert & Mary Graves Natalie MacDonald Clayton & Anna May Timmons John & Barbara Grimmer Peter M. Panchura Barbara Briggs Trimble William & Carole Hauke, Jr. Kevin Peterson Sam Zemsky Bob & Corinne Healey John Pierson David & Yancey Hillegas Louise Potter $100,000 + Mary Ann Houghland Carolyn Donigan & Deane MacMillan Mildred & Frank Savastano Dale & Mary Hudson Paul & Tasha Shirley Melissa W. Escobar Wayne & Marti Huizenga Jock & Twinks Irvine John & Susan Sullivan Bruce Jerner Judy Viny Andrea Lutz 12

Kantner Foundation Austin Kiplinger Paul & Helen Kleinfeld Fred & Betty Kopf H.W. & Patricia Lichtenberger Peg Lindberg New England Fish Market Northern Trust, NA Arthur & Augusta Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara Patricia Oldford Alden & Jane Peck Perkins Charitable Foundation Nils & Susan Peterson Bonnie Pitman Premier Party Rentals Thomas & Suzanne Reynolds, Jr. Rotary Club of Stuart, Sunrise Allan & Anne Salvatori Seacoast National Bank & Trust Susan Sullivan John A & Elizabeth F. Taylor Charitable Foundation The Everglades Foundation Jill & Stan Wattles John & Dot Whiticar Pat Zygmun

Lifetime Legacy Members (As of Sept. 30, 2015) Richard & Terri Almandi Jim & Mary Jo Askew Liz Ball Robert Bauman Bruce & Ann Bedford Sandra & William Bevins Margaret Bradley Victoria Brown & Ed Botwinick Jim & Diney Burke Dan & Janet Chabot Bill & Sue Conner Stuart & Barbara Cozzens Doug Crompton Larry & Diana Cusick Charles deGarmo John & Lore Dodge Carolyn Donigan & Deane MacMillan Eunice H. Drewsen Bob & Ellen Drisner Mr. and Mrs. Willis H duPont David & Cheryl East Lee & Gaby Elsey Melissa W. Escobar Thomas A. Evinrude & Family Jonathan F. Fanton Jordan & Jean Fields

Free Family Foundation The Ted and Lorraine Glasrud Foundation Barbara & Jerry Gordon Joseph & Ray Gordon Robert & Mary Graves Dave & Vicki Grove Allan Hadhazy Chuck & Diane Hanlon John & Carolyn Hanson William & Carole Hauke, Jr. Bob & Corinne Healey The Wolcott Henry Foundation David & Yancey Hillegas Robert & Ina Hochberg Mary Ann Houghland Dale & Mary Hudson Seacoast National Bank & Trust Co. Wayne & Marti Huizenga Marion L Hutchison Jock & Twinks Irvine Anonymous Leslie F. Johnson & Lisa Berry Bud & Marjorie Jordan Kantner Foundation Ulla & Harold Kaplan, Jr.

Austin Kiplinger Harold & Marjorie Kleiner Paul & Helen Kleinfeld Fred & Betty Kopf Frances Langford Foundation Arthur & Marylin Levitt Peg Lindberg Lindsay Marine, Kevin Lindsay Joseph LoTufo Andrea Lutz Natalie MacDonald Sean & Shannon Mann Kent & Judy Mergler John & Michele Mildenberger Jim & Judith Mitchell George & Nancy Montgomery Malcolm R. Myers Northern Trust, NA Jim Oehlberg Arthur & Augusta Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara Peter M. Panchura John & Joanne Payson Robert & Suzanne Pearson Alden & Jane Peck Perkins Charitable Foundation Nils & Susan Peterson

John Pierson Bonnie Pitman Louise Potter Thelma A. Powell John & Janey Pratt Premier Party Rentals Publix Super Market Charities Frances Rago Douglas & Carol Rearick Nathaniel P Reed Thomas & Suzanne Reynolds, Jr. Rich & Yvonne Ross Paul A & Tasha Shirley Virginia Skuse John & Joyce Slavsky Geoffrey & Aleta Smith Eugene & Gretchen Souther John & Susan Sullivan Susan Sullivan Frank & Edwardine Tasco Clayton & Anna May Timmons Toll Brothers, Ron Blum Barbara Briggs Trimble Hugo & Patti Unruh Judy Viny 13

Lifetime Legacy Members (continued) Gail & Lois Warden Jill & Stan Wattles Robert & Carol Weissman

George & Kathy Wentworth John & Dot Whiticar Bill & Donna Whittaker

Karl Wickstrom Family Sam Zemsky John & Kay Ziegler

Cindy & Jim Ziemba Pat Zygmun

Lifetime Legacy Members - In Memoriam

Edward Hagerty

The Hauser Foundation

Arthur G. Jager

Adele Roach

Art & Doris Schneyman

Endowment Fund Donors (Named Funds $10,000 or more) Arthur & Doris Schneyman Fund The Hauser Foundation Fund

Mr. & Mrs. George H. Swift III Fund William & Carole Hauke, Jr. Fund Harry & Helen Burbeck Fund, Barbara Briggs Trimble Fund Clifton & Margaret Perry Fund a gift of Kay & John Ziegler Robert & Suzanne Pearson Fund Dwyer Family Fund To start a fund, contribute to an existing fund, or designate a bequest, please contact us.

Annual Donors (Oct. 1, 2014 through Sept. 30, 2015)

Thank you to ALL of our loyal donors and members, including Benefactor, Patron, Family and Individual Members. We truly appreciate your support! $50,000 + Frances Langford Foundation $25,000 + Melissa W. Escobar $10,000 + Victoria Brown & Ed Botwinick Jean Ford Deal

Carolyn Donigan & Deane MacMillan Mr. and Mrs. Willis H duPont The Everglades Foundation The Ted and Lorraine Glasrud Family Foundation The Wolcott Henry Foundation Anonymous Charles E. Knopf Jr. H.W. & Patricia Lichtenberger

Andrea Lutz John A Moir Jr. William and Helen Thomas Charitable Trust Clayton & Anna May Timmons Barbara Briggs Trimble Karl Wickstrom Family

$5,000 + Jim & Mary Jo Askew Edward T Bedford Foundation Gretchen & Robert Bent Frances & James Berger Michael & Donna Boyd Bob & Ellen Drisner Maria & Daniel Dunn Rip & Noreen Fisher

Annual Donors (continued) $5,000 + (continued) Fox, Wackeen, Dungey, Beard, Bush, Goldman, Kilbride, Waters, McCluskey, LLP

Allen & Susan Herskowitz Grace Jacobs & Jill Jacobs-Quinn MAH Foundation

Northern Trust, NA Robert & Suzanne Pearson Paul & Tasha Shirley

W. Scott Turnbull, Crary Buchanan, PA

$1,000 + Bill & Lolly Anderson Kathleen Andrew & Brent Freihofer Beryl Anthony Sally Batz & Henley Sandidge Robert Bauman Thomas Buhr Elise & Tim Burns Jane & Robert Burton Victoria & George W. Bush Frank M Byers Jr. Steve Campbell Sharyn and Vincent Cerniglia John & Dorathea Coblentz Ray & Jean Compton Mark & Donna J Cocorullo Comerica Bank Timothy & Maureen Cotter Jean Schafer Cox William & Audrey Crandall Larry & Diana Cusick Stephen de Laszlo John & Lore Dodge Bernadette & Per Ellingsen Lee & Gaby Elsey Thomas A. Evinrude & Family

Sir John Ford Wayne & Debra Freihofer Robert & Mary Graves Peter & Gayle Grimm John & Barbara Grimmer James & Betsy-Rathbun Gunn Dr. George & Katherine Haas Mary Jane Heimann David & Yancey Hillegas Marge & Jack Hohman Mary Ann Houghland Linda & Tom Houston Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort Marianne Ireland & Peter Upton Jock & Twinks Irvine Bud & Marjorie Jordan Thomas & Peggy Kane James Knobel Fred & Betty Kopf George & Carol Labadie Loli Lindstrom Don Mader Marine Resources Council Ralf & Robert Massey Julianne & Steve McGovern Richard & Jean Meduski

Cynthia & Stan Merkin Jim & Judith Mitchell Carib Sea, Betsey Moore Ed Morgan Judith B. Mott New England Fish Market New York Physical Therapy Association Frank & Patricia Noonan Northern Trust, NA In-Suk Oh Elmar Oliveira William & Betty Olliges James F. & Ann L. Orr III Perkins Charitable Foundation Bonnie Pitman Rich & Angie Pontynen Jordan Potter Al & Sandra Ragl Douglas & Carol Rearick Mike & Beth Rosenberg Rich & Yvonne Ross Charlie & Gerry Ruibal Allan & Anne Salvatori Mildred & Frank Savastano Barbara A. Scheel-Melton Anne & Stuart Scott

Sea Turtle Grants Program Seacoast National Bank & Trust Janet & Charles Seidler John & Joyce Slavsky Nancy Lee Smith Shirley M. Sontheimer Peter & Marie Spirk Nelson & Sandra Stefany Robert Stengel & Valerie Crane John & Susan Sullivan Morgan Stanley, Steven Swann Mr. & Mrs. Bradley R. Thayer Thomas & Sandra Thurlow, Jr. Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch & Dr. Ed Lippisch Judy Viny Charles & Kathleen Walgreen Jill & Stan Wattles James & Magalen Webert Stanton & Margaret Weissenborn Robert & Carol Weissman Dickson L Whitney Beth & Leonard Wilf Michael Williams & Marcie Balow Ann Wilson Tinsley Larry & Jan Wzorek Sam Zemsky

Annual operating performace (Fiscal year Oct. 2014 - Sept. 2015) Research & Grants Annual Support

Support and revenues

6% 6%

Admissions Admissions 26%26%

15%15%

Admissions $385,875 Educational Programs 98,149 Gift Shop 171,827 General Contributions 335,609 Membership Contributions 188,705 Special Events 223,389 Research & Grants 90,041 Total Support and Revenues

Earned Income

GiftGift ShopShop General General Contributions Contributions

13%13%

7% 7% 11%11%

$1,493,595

22%22%

Development & Fundraising

Visitor Center $182,664 Facilities 201,051 Animal Care & Life Support 192,341 Education & Volunteer Department 186,520 Research & Conservation 180,127 Development & Fundraising 280,865 Administration 211,409 Total Expenses 16

$1,434,978

15%15%

Membership Membership Contributions Contributions Special Special Events Events Research Research & Grants & Grants

Administration

Expenses

Educational Educational Programs Programs

Programs

Visitor Center Visitor Center

13%13%

Facilities Facilities 14%14%

20%20%

Animal Care & & Life Support Aquariums Life Support

Education & Volunteer Department Education & Volunteer Departmen 13%13% 12%12%

Research & Conservation Research & Conservation Development & Fundraising Development & Fundraising

13%13%

Administration Administration

Board of directors and staff directory Executive Officers

Staff Directory

Board Chair Vicki Brown

Administration Mark Perry, Executive Director Jeannie Noon, Director of Business Administration & Operations Cathy Muir, Administrative Assistant

Vice Chair Melissa Williams Escobar Secretary Doyle Cloud Treasurer Mark Cocorullo Board of Directors Mary Jo Askew Frank Byers, Jr. Robert Drisner Allen Herskowitz Matthew Hooks Andrea Lutz Deane MacMillan Greg Sapp W. Scott Turnbull Phil Wintercorn Honorary Trustees Bob Bauman John B. Dodge Tom A. Evinrude Dale Hudson Dr. Edwin Massey Jack Nicklaus John Pratt Nathaniel P. Reed Paul A. Shirley Barbara Trimble Karl Wickstrom

Animal Care & Life Support Brittany Biber, Director of Animal Care & Life Support Chris Britton, Animal Care Specialist Elisa Kermani, Animal Care Specialist

In memory of Barbara Briggs Trimble All her friends knew her as “Bobbie.” She and her husband, Ted, moved to Stuart in 1979 and would go to their home in Clayton, NY in the summer. They began supporting Florida Oceanographic Society in 1989 and after Ted’s passing, Bobbie continued to dedicate her life to helping others. She gave most generously to many charitable causes in our area. Bobbie Trimble served on Florida Oceanographic’s Board of Directors for nine years, and as Honorary Trustee for the past six years. She loved to see the children learn about the coastal environment and celebrated her 90th birthday at the Coastal Center. Bobbie quietly passed away on May 5th at age 94 surrounded by family. This year, we say goodbye to Bobbie Trimble, but her spirit lives on in the organizations and facilities she helped to build and support.

Education Zack Jud, PhD, Director of Education & Exhibits Michelle Byriel, Education & Exhibit Specialist Shannon Dack, Education & Exhibit Specialist Development Linda Canada Bolin, Development Coordinator (Retired 2015) Karla George, Community Outreach Coordinator Samantha Griemsmann, Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator Abbie Flood, Development Coordinator (2015) Operations Steve Rusnak, Operations Manager Devon Steuart, Operations Technician

Research Vincent Encomio, PhD, Director of Scientific Research Pam Hopkins, PhD, Research Associate Josh Mills, Habitat Restoration Specialist Devon Steuart, Shell Recycling Coordinator Katie Tiling, Research Associate

Visitor Center Susana McHale, Visitor Services Manager Joyce Gherlone, Admissions Associate Gail Neward, Gift Shop Associate Angie Pontynen, Admissions Associate Bonnie Rech, Admissions Associate Shelli Ross, Admissions Associate Ann Sheehan, Gift Shop Associate 17

890 NE Ocean Boulevard Stuart, FL 34996 (772) 225-0505 | FloridaOcean.org