Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing and Basin Board members and Executive Director David L. Moore; St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker; The Pier Aquarium Board of Director’s President Lari Johnson
What: The District and The Pier Aquarium are celebrating the dedication of an education station in honor of Roy G. Harrell, Jr., who served on the District’s Governing Board from Nov. 1985 until Feb. 1998.
The education station, located at The Pier Aquarium’s Spa Beach, is an outdoor marine lab designed to promote knowledge and understanding of Tampa Bay and its watershed.
When: Wednesday, June 6, 9 a.m.
Where: The Pier Aquarium, 800 2nd Ave. Northeast, St. Petersburg
District Contact: Robyn Hanke, 800-423-1476, Ext. 4770 or 813-781-9817 (cell)
Aquarium Contact: Emily Stehle, 727-895-7437, Ext. 207 or 727-688-7993 (cell)
Directions: From I-275: take The Pier exit (I-375), turn right on Beach Drive N.E. and then turn left on 2nd Avenue N.E. There are two parking lots (Pelican and Dolphin) at the approach to The Pier.
Roy G. Harrell, Jr. Education Station
The Roy G. Harrell, Jr. Education Station is located at The Pier Aquarium’s Spa Beach in St. Petersburg.
Roy G. Harrell, Jr. was a community leader in St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area who was committed to water conservation and sustainability as well as the preservation and protection of our water resources.
Harrell was appointed to the District’s Governing Board in 1985 by Governor Bob Graham. He also served on the Governing Board for governors Bob Martinez and Governor Lawton Chiles until his term ended in 1998. He also served as Governing Board Chair from April 1996 until February 1998.
During his tenure, Harrell was a driving force in the development of the District’s Partnership Plan which provides financial incentives to Tampa Bay Water to develop alternative water supplies and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. He was also a strong supporter of the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program.
Harrell considered The Pier Aquarium to be a great asset to the community and an ideal venue to reach out to children, adults and visitors.
The education station is a fully functional outdoor marine lab designed to promote knowledge and understanding about Tampa Bay and its watershed.
The District provided $15,000 for the construction of the education station. The Pier Aquarium received additional funding from other sources.