- The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is asking for your help.
- They need donations to care of the sea animals.
- Watch the video to see what they need.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab attracts visitors from across Florida to Panacea.
According to their website, established in 1963, Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.
With high prices due to inflation, the nonprofit relies heavily on donations that go towards caring for the animals like everyday items like food and other equipment that helps protect them.
Hunter Eichler with the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab Aquarium tells me they need this so that, "we can make sure we give every animal the best possible diet, but that price is increasing just like the price of everything else around."
She explained to me how inflation is driving up the cost of the supplies they need to keep this place running. "It's harder for us to afford the food and also the tools."
I looked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics they say the current inflation rate increased by 3.1 percent. With prices still high, they're turning to this Amazon Wish List to get the tools they need. Buckets, tape measures and hoses are just some of the things they're asking for.
As they work to afford the essentials, they're also looking at ways to save.
"It's not their ideal diet and having to supplement with vitamins and other things that are also very costly like sea turtle vitamins that we give to our resident sea turtles and all of our sharks get vitamins as well and we've seen the cost on those increase."
They say more than a hundred school groups and over 20,000 people visit this laboratory each year to view hundreds of species.
With your help, Eichler hopes, "these animals are here for years to come."
