The applicant, east coast zoological society of florida INC (ECZS), is a nonprofit organization in melbourne, florida, best known for its flagship campus, the association of zoos aquariumsaccredited…

The East Coast Zoological Society of Florida, Inc. (doing business as Brevard Zoo) was awarded a $196,213.82 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (CFDA 15.683). The grant will fund the operationalization of a new manatee rehabilitation center at the Brevard Zoo, enabling it to provide acute care and rehabilitative treatment for 2-8 sick, injured, or stranded West Indian manatees per year. This project will increase statewide manatee care capacity by adding a 7th acute care facility, a 17% increase. The grant will also allow the Brevard Zoo to enhance its manatee stranding response capabilities, resulting in the rescue, transport, and release of an estimated 20 or more stranded manatees by the end of the grant period. These efforts directly support the Prescott Grant Program's goals of enhancing marine mammal health, research, and conservation through targeted financial assistance to eligible entities.

The applicant, east coast zoological society of florida INC (ECZS), is a nonprofit organization in melbourne, florida, best known for its flagship campus, the association of zoos aquariumsaccredited brevard ZOO. The mission of ECZS is: we share our JOY of nature to help wildlife and people thrive.eczss brevard ZOO manatee response and rehabilitation center project will enhance the capability and support the operations of brevard zoos manatee response activities and forthcoming manatee rehabilitation center to recover and care for sick and injured west indian manatees (florida sub-species). The main objectives and activities of this project are to (1) operationalize a new manatee rehabilitation center at brevard ZOO and provide rehabilitative treatment and acute care to manatees as directed by the U.S. Fish wildlife service and the florida fish wildlife conservation commission (2) assist in the rescue, transport, and release of sick, injured, and stranded manatees in the field and (3) educate the community about manatee conservation at 13 in-person outreach events. This project will result in a major benefit to the manatee care network by increasing statewide capacity to provide acute care and holding of sick and injured manatees and eczss ability to engage in manatee stranding response. The new manatee rehabilitation center is expected to provide acute care and holding to two to eight manatees per year, including at least two by the end of the grant period. IT will relieve pressure on, and create bed space at, floridas three manatee critical care facilities and six acute care facilities, which frequently operate at or near maximum capacity. This project will increase the number of acute care facilities statewide from 6 to 7, a 17 percent increase. This project also will strengthen eczss capability to engage in manatee stranding response in the field and result in the rescue, transport, and or release of an estimated 20 or more stranded manatees by the end of the grant period. These outcomes directly support funding opportunity goals (a), (B), and (D), and the west indian manatee (florida sub-species) priorities 1 and 2.the primary beneficiaries will be stranded west indian manatees (florida sub-species), including those that are sick, injured, or malnourished. Community education activities will target a general audience, primarily residents of brevard county, florida.ECZS will partner with the U.S. Fish wildlife service, florida fish wildlife conservation commission, and the manatee rescue rehabilitation partnership on this project. This project includes no sub-recipient activities.