The Florida Aquarium Honored as Lightning Community Hero for Sea Turtle Conservation Program

January 9, 2026

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The Florida Aquarium was named a Lightning Community Hero during this week’s Tampa Bay Lightning home game, recognizing the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program and its decades-long commitment to marine conservation, rescue, and public education. The honor, presented by the Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation, includes a $50,000 grant designated to support the Aquarium’s sea turtle rehabilitation efforts.

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The Lightning Community Hero program celebrates individuals and organizations whose work creates a lasting, positive impact across Tampa Bay. Since the program’s launch in 2011, the Lightning Foundation has honored 634 Community Heroes and distributed more than $34 million to 709 nonprofits throughout the region.

The award was accepted on behalf of The Florida Aquarium by Dr. Lindsey Waxman, staff veterinarian, and Alyssa Fessett, senior biologist, who oversee medical care for rescued sea turtles at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center.

“This recognition is a testament to the extraordinary dedication and expertise of our veterinary team, animal care staff, and volunteers who work tirelessly to give injured and sick sea turtles a second chance at life,” said Tim Binder, Senior Vice President of Animal Care & Health at The Florida Aquarium. “Support from the Lightning Community Hero grant allows us to continue this vital work at a time when the need for sea turtle rehabilitation continues to rise.”

Responding to a Growing Conservation Challenge
For more than 30 years, The Florida Aquarium has played a vital role in rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles while educating the public about the threats these endangered animals face. Since opening the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center at the Aquarium’s Apollo Beach Conservation Campus in 2019, the program has experienced a 330% increase in annual turtle intakes, caring for more than 200 turtles to date. In 2025, the center cared for 56 turtles simultaneously and received 75 patients in a single year, reflecting the increasing pressures from habitat loss, marine debris, and extreme weather. Recent rescues included turtles suffering from cold stunning events and a juvenile found stranded more than a mile inland.

The $50,000 grant will help fund medical supplies, utilities to operate sophisticated life support systems providing optimal water quality, food for the sea turtles, specialized veterinary and animal care staff, and volunteer support. In 2024 alone, volunteers contributed more than 7,100 hours, valued at nearly $240,000, to animal care and facility operations.

Connecting People to Conservation
Public access and education remain central to the program’s mission. The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center is open to the public free of charge each year from November through April, allowing visitors to observe sea turtle rescue, treatment, and recovery firsthand. During the 2024–2025 season, the center welcomed a record-breaking 33,741 guests.

Through these experiences, visitors learn how everyday actions—such as reducing plastic use, reporting stranded turtles, and protecting nesting beaches—can directly contribute to sea turtle survival.

For more information about the Sea Turtle Conservation Program, click here.