The Visitor Center, a project of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the National Estuarine Research Reserve, is located in Eastpoint, Florida at the center of Florida’s oyster industry. Full planning and design services were provided to over 10,000 SF of space, featuring live exhibits of estuarine life which require facilities to pump and filter salt, brackish, and freshwater.
Services
Exhibit planning and design.
10,000 SF of offices, labs, visitor facilities and aquarium tanks.
Interactive design and development.
Theming, lighting and architectural enclosures.
At the shore of Apalachicola Bay, the Center combines offices, labs, and visitor facilities. An estuary is the place where rivers meet the sea, the exhibits reinforce the concepts of connectivity and the importance of a healthy watershed. Much of the interpretation demonstrates the connectivity among habitats (River, Bay and Gulf), and suggests a continuum of habitat versus discreet, separate systems.
Exhibits include a 75-foot long mural depicting the transect from the Apalachicola River to the Gulf of Mexico. Three tabletop aquarium tanks display life from the river, bay, and gulf. Interactive exhibits present on-going research programs and the people who are managing this important estuary.
