Community Outreach
We are also involved in a county sponsored Waterfront Florida project to develop a community consensus for future revitalization of the Panacea community. This is aimed at providing an environmentally sound approach to economic revitalization of the locally depressed economy. We collaborate with the Florida State University Marine Laboratory, Wakulla Springs State Park, St Marks National Wildlife Refuge, the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science, the Wakulla and Franklin County Chambers of Commerce and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Sanctuary. We disseminate brochures produced by the State of Florida on environmental issues and natural resources. This involves both brochure distribution and referrals of visitors to their programs. We are members of the Community Classroom Consortium and participate in the annual public outreach program at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University. Information on our group field trip and tour program is distributed annually to all middle school and elementary teachers in 13 surrounding counties.We have collaborated with the Mary Brogan Museum of Arts and Science in Tallahassee to present the traveling exhibit, Life on the Edge, an exhibit about sea life in general. We provided live animals as well as other material to customize the exhibit to the northern Gulf of Mexico and to make its content more relevant to this region. As a result of that project, the Brogan Museum has continued to operate a small marine aquarium for which we provide animals.
We also serve student communities at area universities, including Florida State University, Florida A & M University and Tallahassee Community College. Such projects have included the development of a landscape plan by students in the FAMU Landscape Architecture program that will be implemented in upcoming months. Multimedia special project opportunities have been made available to students at TCC, and architecture students from FAMU have done projects on environmentally sensitive design. Student interns from Coe College and Long Island University have completed January internships at GSML. We are currently sponsoring a 12-month internship for an FSU student in recreational management.
A membership program was initiated in 1999 with current membership at about 75. We distribute a quarterly newsletter. Color brochures are distributed in over 100 area restaurants, tourist attractions, beach rental real estate offices and similar outlets. GSML is a member of the Tallahassee Visitor and Convention Bureau and of Visit Florida, the statewide tourist marketing organization. GSML receives ongoing publicity from area TV stations and newspapers, particularly in conjunction with the periodic release of tagged sea turtles and regional environmental issues.
Between 1966-2000, 35 nationally distributed feature articles, two book chapters, 18 national television features, 35 regional television features and 24 national and regional radio stories have appeared highlighting Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory and its activities. An additional 12 national newspaper stories, four national television stories, and eight national radio stories have appeared about a Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory project concerning development of a market for edible jellyfish. In 2001, a national TV piece on sharks was broadcast on Fox News Network as well as several regional pieces on sharks. All of these stories have prominently featured Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory. In addition, the Rudloes regularly publish articles in local, regional and national newspapers and magazines that further publicize the organization. A monthly display ad in a regional tourism and real estate publication, the Wakulla Digest, is provided in return for a column on marine life written by Jack Rudloe.
A 17-minute video highlighting GSML's field trip program produced in association with award winning Tallahassee producer Victor Nunez (feature films include Flash of Green, Gal Youngun, Eulee's Gold), is used to promote the aquarium and provided to teachers when requested by them.
GULF SPECIMEN MARINE LAB • PO BOX 237 • PANACEA, FL 32346 USA • (850) 984-5297 • FAX (850) 984-5233
