Brevard Zoo gets $5M gift to help fund future Sea Turtle Care Complex

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Brevard Zoo announced this week it received a $5 million gift to help fund the Sea Turtle Care Complex.

The complex will be part of the future Aquarium and Conservation Center at Port Canaveral.

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The gift came from the DSF Charitable Foundation, which is the charitable-giving organization of the David Scaife family. In honor of the family’s contribution, zoo officials said the new sea turtle rehabilitation facility will be named the Scaife Family Sea Turtle Care Complex.

“The generosity of the Scaife Family is fundamental to the successful completion of this Aquarium and the thousands of sea turtles our veterinary team will continue to help and save each year,” said Chief Executive Officer Keith Winsten. “We are grateful beyond measure for the family’s philanthropic leadership and look forward to realizing their profound impact on our community and environment.”

Read: Record number of sea turtle nests reported along Canaveral National Seashore this season

Zoo officials said the 13,000-square-foot complex will feature a state-of-the-art hospital facility equipped with advanced rehabilitation and veterinary clinical capabilities and an outdoor lagoon habitat to provide long-term sanctuary for rehabilitated turtles that can’t be released due to permanent health conditions.

“The generosity of the Scaife Family is fundamental to the successful completion of this Aquarium and the thousands of sea turtles our veterinary team will continue to help and save each year,” Winsten said.

Read: Off to the races: Brevard Zoo releases sea turtle to compete in ‘Tour de Turtles’

The aquarium is expected to break ground in the fall of 2024 and is scheduled to open in early 2027.

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Tour de Turtles Stromboli, a subadult green sea turtle, was released Sunday, July 30, at Melbourne Beach. (Brevard Zoo)

Video: Wildlife crews using artificial intelligence to help track sea turtle population Wildlife crews in Central Florida are using artificial intelligence to help track sea turtles. (James Tutten, WFTV.com/WFTV)

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