PANACEA, Fla. – At Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, open-air aquarium for visitors, staff and interns feels like an oceanic experience. It’s a place where childhood memories, marine science, and community education come together.

Hunter Eichler, the lab’s lead aquarist, has been connected to Gulf Specimen since she was young. Now, she spends her days teaching visitors about the Gulf’s fragile ecosystems and caring for injured sea turtles.

“Every day is different,” said Eichler. “We get to bring in field trips, tourists, and kids and teach them about the environment and the ocean. We also do sea turtle rescue and rehab, which is exciting.”

The lab’s outdoor-indoor layout didn’t come from a desire to be flashy as it grew out of the environment itself. Because this part of Florida stays warm most of the year, they didn’t need to rely on long, air-conditioned hallways or rows of glass tanks to show marine life.

Instead, they could use the natural climate as part of the experience. The result is a space where visitors move through open areas, not creating a theme-park feel, but because the weather and landscape make it possible to study and display marine species in a more natural setting.

“It’s a unique experience,” Eichler said. “You actually get to interact with the species. It feels more natural.”

Emily Drink is a semester intern at the lab, and working here has helped her see what she wants to do in the future. She graduated from the University of South Alabama and came to Gulf Specimen to follow her dream of becoming an aquarist.

One semester intern Emily Drink said, “The hands-on environment has shaped her career path. After graduating from the University of South Alabama, she came to Gulf Specimen to pursue her dream of becoming an aquarist.

“It’s been amazing,” she said. “A few weeks ago, we had a cold-stun event where we
rescued around 600 sea turtles. That experience really confirmed that this is what I want to do.”

Emily says the outdoor setting only adds to the experience.

“Even when it was cold, it was still fun,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re inside, or
outside, the work is rewarding.”

New staff member Chloe Broker agrees. Born and raised in the area, she grew up visiting Gulf Specimen and now finds joy in helping others discover it.

“The open concept lets people get hands‐on experience,” she said. “Instead of everything being behind glass, they get to pick up specimens and really learn.”
Broker came to the lab after leaving a career in healthcare, a shift she describes as both personal and practical.

“After COVID, healthcare changed in ways I didn’t align with anymore,” she said.
“I’ve always loved the outdoors, so these just fit. It’s like being in an outdoor ocean forest every day.”

People visit from many places. Most come from Florida and Georgia, but others travel from farther away too visiting the lab. Some groups drive hours for the chance to interact with marine life they’ve only seen in books.

“There aren’t many hands-on aquariums like this,” Broker said. “People of all ages enjoy it.”

For the staff, the mission is simple: protect the gulf, educate the public, and create
meaningful experiences that last long after visitors leave.

“You never know what impact you’ll have on someone,” Broker said. “Being positive and warm can change a person’s whole day.” And for Eichler, the lab’s longtime tagline still rings true:” Gulf Specimen, here sea reveals its secrets.”