John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo is moving closer to a major transformation, thanks in part to a $250,000 commitment from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, a Pittsburgh-based philanthropic organization with nearly eight decades of investment in American environmental heritage. The Florida State Parks Foundation announced the gift during Coral Reef Awareness Week as a milestone toward the park's ambitious new facility.
Groundbreaking on the $52 million Discovery Center and Aquarium took place in April, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony expected in 2028. The centerpiece of the complex will be seven saltwater aquarium tanks collectively holding 43,000 gallons of water. Beyond the aquariums, visitors can look forward to coral reef exploration displays, a storm simulator demonstrating how reefs protect Florida's coastline, a sensory wall, marine wildlife features, and a digital microscope.
The new facility will also serve as a working hub for coral science. Pennekamp has partnered with Mote Marine Laboratory to carry out coral restoration research and propagation on-site. Researchers have already replanted more than 200,000 corals along Florida's reef, and corals cultivated in the park's nurseries will be planted throughout its surrounding waters.
The park already draws more than 400,000 visitors each year for scuba diving, snorkeling, paddling, and glass-bottom boat tours. Park officials and foundation leaders say the new Discovery Center is designed to deepen that connection, giving guests hands-on, educational experiences tied directly to one of Florida's most fragile ecosystems.
This story was originally reported by Keys Weekly.
