East Coast Zoological Society Of Florida Inc

THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) IS PROVIDING $2,500,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO THE EAST COAST ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY (ECZS) OF FLORIDA IN MELBOURNE, FLORIDA FOR THE PROJECT TITLED COASTAL CONSERVATION HUB. WITH THESE FUNDS, ECZS AIMS TO STRENGTHEN THE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES WITHIN CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH THE CREATION OF THE DR. DUANE DEE FREESE COASTAL CONSERVATION HUBA 24,000 SQUARE FOOT SCIENCE CENTER WITH CLASSROOMS, LABS AND WORKSPACE. SPECIFICALLY, ALL FUNDS WILL BE USED TO COVER CONSTRUCTION COSTS OF THE CONSERVATION CENTER BY A TO-BE-SELECTED GENERAL CONTRACTOR.

THE APPLICANT EAST COAST ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF FLORIDA INC OR ECZS IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN MELBOURNE FLORIDA BEST KNOWN FOR ITS FLAGSHIP CAMPUS BREVARD ZOO WHICH IS ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AQUARIUMS. THE MISSION OF ECZS IS TO SHARE OUR JOY OF NATURE TO HELP WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE THRIVE.THE BREVARD ZOO MANATEE RESPONSE AND REHABILITATION CENTER PROJECT WILL ENHANCE THE CAPABILITY BREVARD ZOO MANATEE RESPONSE ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE MANATEE REHABILITATION CENTER. THIS IS CRITICAL TO ASSIST IN THE RECOVERY AND CARE OF SICK AND INJURED FLORIDA SUB SPECIES WEST INDIAN MANATEES IN BREVARD COUNTY. THE MAIN OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO 1 PROVIDE REHABILITATIVE TREATMENT AND ACUTE CARE TO MANATEES AS DIRECTED BY THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION AND U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AT THE BREVARD ZOO MANATEE REHABILITATION CENTER 2 ASSIST IN THE RESCUE TRANSPORT AND RELEASE OF SICK INJURED AND STRANDED MANATEES IN THE FIELD AND 3 EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT MANATEE CONSERVATION AT 8 IN PERSON OUTREACH EVENTS.THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A MAJOR BENEFIT TO THE MANATEE CARE NETWORK BY SUPPORTING AND INCREASING STATEWIDE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE ACUTE CARE AND HOLDING OF SICK AND INJURED MANATEES AND STRENGTHEN ECZSS ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN MANATEE STRANDING RESPONSE. THE MANATEE REHABILITATION CENTER IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE ACUTE CARE AND HOLDING TO AT LEAST SIX MANATEES BY THE END OF THE GRANT PERIOD. IT WILL RELIEVE PRESSURE ON AND CREATE BED SPACE AT THE TWO MANATEE CRITICAL CARE FACILITIES AND SIX OTHER ACUTE CARE FACILITIES IN FLORIDA WHICH FREQUENTLY OPERATE AT OR NEAR MAXIMUM CAPACITY. THIS PROJECT ALSO WILL STRENGTHEN ECZSS CAPABILITY TO ENGAGE IN MANATEE STRANDING RESPONSE IN THE FIELD AND RESULT IN THE RESCUE TRANSPORT AND OR RELEASE OF AN ESTIMATED 20 OR MORE STRANDED MANATEES BY THE END OF THE GRANT PERIOD. THESE OUTCOMES DIRECTLY SUPPORT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS A B AND D AND THE WEST INDIAN MANATEE FLORIDA SUB SPECIES PRIORITIES 1 AND 3.THE PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES WILL BE STRANDED FLORIDA SUB SPECIES WEST INDIAN MANATEES INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE SICK INJURED OR MALNOURISHED. COMMUNITY EDUCATION ACTIVITIES WILL TARGET A GENERAL AUDIENCE OF PRIMARILY RESIDENTS OF BREVARD COUNTY FLORIDA.ECZS WILL PARTNER WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION AND THE MANATEE RESCUE AND REHABILITATION PARTNERSHIP ON THIS PROJECT. THIS PROJECT INCLUDES NO SUB RECIPIENT ACTIVITIES.

THE APPLICANT, EAST COAST ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF FLORIDA INC (ECZS), IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN MELBOURNE, FLORIDA, BEST KNOWN FOR ITS FLAGSHIP CAMPUS, THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AQUARIUMSACCREDITED BREVARD ZOO. THE MISSION OF ECZS IS: WE SHARE OUR JOY OF NATURE TO HELP WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE THRIVE.ECZSS BREVARD ZOO MANATEE RESPONSE AND REHABILITATION CENTER PROJECT WILL ENHANCE THE CAPABILITY AND SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF BREVARD ZOOS MANATEE RESPONSE ACTIVITIES AND FORTHCOMING MANATEE REHABILITATION CENTER TO RECOVER AND CARE FOR SICK AND INJURED WEST INDIAN MANATEES (FLORIDA SUB-SPECIES). THE MAIN OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO (1) OPERATIONALIZE A NEW MANATEE REHABILITATION CENTER AT BREVARD ZOO AND PROVIDE REHABILITATIVE TREATMENT AND ACUTE CARE TO MANATEES AS DIRECTED BY THE U.S. FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE AND THE FLORIDA FISH WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION (2) ASSIST IN THE RESCUE, TRANSPORT, AND RELEASE OF SICK, INJURED, AND STRANDED MANATEES IN THE FIELD AND (3) EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT MANATEE CONSERVATION AT 13 IN-PERSON OUTREACH EVENTS.THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A MAJOR BENEFIT TO THE MANATEE CARE NETWORK BY INCREASING STATEWIDE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE ACUTE CARE AND HOLDING OF SICK AND INJURED MANATEES AND ECZSS ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN MANATEE STRANDING RESPONSE. THE NEW MANATEE REHABILITATION CENTER IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE ACUTE CARE AND HOLDING TO TWO TO EIGHT MANATEES PER YEAR, INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO BY THE END OF THE GRANT PERIOD. IT WILL RELIEVE PRESSURE ON, AND CREATE BED SPACE AT, FLORIDAS THREE MANATEE CRITICAL CARE FACILITIES AND SIX ACUTE CARE FACILITIES, WHICH FREQUENTLY OPERATE AT OR NEAR MAXIMUM CAPACITY. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACUTE CARE FACILITIES STATEWIDE FROM 6 TO 7, A 17 PERCENT INCREASE. THIS PROJECT ALSO WILL STRENGTHEN ECZSS CAPABILITY TO ENGAGE IN MANATEE STRANDING RESPONSE IN THE FIELD AND RESULT IN THE RESCUE, TRANSPORT, AND OR RELEASE OF AN ESTIMATED 20 OR MORE STRANDED MANATEES BY THE END OF THE GRANT PERIOD. THESE OUTCOMES DIRECTLY SUPPORT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS (A), (B), AND (D), AND THE WEST INDIAN MANATEE (FLORIDA SUB-SPECIES) PRIORITIES 1 AND 2.THE PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES WILL BE STRANDED WEST INDIAN MANATEES (FLORIDA SUB-SPECIES), INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE SICK, INJURED, OR MALNOURISHED. COMMUNITY EDUCATION ACTIVITIES WILL TARGET A GENERAL AUDIENCE, PRIMARILY RESIDENTS OF BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA.ECZS WILL PARTNER WITH THE U.S. FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE, FLORIDA FISH WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION, AND THE MANATEE RESCUE REHABILITATION PARTNERSHIP ON THIS PROJECT. THIS PROJECT INCLUDES NO SUB-RECIPIENT ACTIVITIES.

THE BREVARD ZOO WILL IMPLEMENT A 12-WEEK PAID ANIMAL KEEPER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR FIVE MINORITY STUDENTS OR RECENT GRADUATES DESIGNED TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE ANIMAL CARE FIELD. THE PROGRAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY, WILL PROVIDE HANDS-ON PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING, AND TRAINING FROM EXPERIENCED ANIMAL CARE STAFF, AND WILL SUPPORT PARTICIPANT HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, AND STIPENDS. THIS PROGRAM WILL NURTURE EACH PARTICIPANT’S PASSION FOR ANIMAL CARE AND CONSERVATION AND INCREASE CONFIDENCE IN, AND COMMITMENT TO, THE ANIMAL CARE FIELD. LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF THIS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM INCLUDE FUTURE EMPLOYMENT IN THE ZOOLOGICAL OR ANIMAL CARE FIELDS AND CONTRIBUTE TO GROWING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE THAT HAS A WIDER RANGE OF EXPERIENCE AND VIEWPOINTS, BETTER PREPARING THE ZOO AND THE FIELD TO ENGAGE DIVERSE AUDIENCES.

MAINTAINING THE CAPTIVE BRED PERDIDO KEY BEACH MICE POPULATION