MERR to build new education, science center

The Marine Education Research and Rehabilitation Institute is set to launch a campaign to bring an ocean education and science center to the First State.

“It will be a one-of-a-kind endeavor and venue,” said MERR Executive Director Suzanne Thurman. “We're so excited about this because there's nothing else like this in the state.”

While specifics about the project, including location, size and cost, have not been determined, MERR plans to launch a capital campaign in 2016.

Mike Wheedleton of Davis, Bowen & Friedel Inc. will handle architectural design for a LEED-certified facility. The center will include interactive museum exhibits of marine mammals and sea turtles, lab and classroom space, outdoor classrooms, a gift shop, offices and space for sea turtle rehabilitation.

“This has been an idea since I founded the organization back in 2000, and it gives the opportunity for so many more people to be exposed to this type of learning,” Thurman said. She said the new facility will provide a more accessible option for locals and visitors to learn about marine life.

MERR operates out of a small facility on Pilottown Road in Lewes, Thurman said, with a few tanks, storage space and a small office. The new education and science center would allow MERR staff to expand its animal-care capacity to include sea turtles, she said, and also provide educational opportunities for Delaware public schools, colleges and universities.

Thurman said negotiations are underway to place the new education center on a university-owned parcel of land next to MERR's current facility. For now, specifics about the new center will be dictated by site selection, which is not expected until after the New Year.

“Figures will be dictated by the size of the building, which is dictated by the site,” she said. Although LEED certification often comes with additional costs, she said, the investment will be worth it in the long run. Thurman said she and her staff also plan to apply for grants and public funding, as well as soliciting donations.

“It will be a multipronged funding approach,” she said. “It will definitely be a welcome addition to the community.”

While the capital campaign officially launches in January, MERR is accepting pledges for donations. MERR is a nonprofit that provides 24-hour rescue and response for stranded marine mammals and sea turtles, as well as research and education programs. For more information, go to www.merrinstitute.org.