FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2001
Marineland Beach
Enhancement and Shoreline Protection Project Nearly Complete
MARINELAND -- The
Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Beaches and
Coastal Systems is wrapping up construction of an expanded public beach
fronting Flagler County’s marine park in the River to Sea Preserve within
the Town of Marineland. A new granite rock revetment that replaced the
failed coquina revetment will provide vital shoreline protection to the
historic Marineland of Florida attraction has also been completed. In
addition, the north end of the project has reestablished protection for the
University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory seawater intake and research
campus. This intricate project, with a total construction cost of more than
$6 million, is being completed on time and under budget.
In September 1999, Hurricane
Floyd's 12-foot-high waves and high tides destroyed the old coquina
revetment that had provided shoreline protection for the Marineland
attraction and the Flagler County Park. Working closely with the Town of
Marineland and Flagler County, DEP contracted the consultant firm of
PBS&J to remove the old revetment and storm debris, create an emergency
shoreline stabilization system, and construct a new revetment and enhanced
public beach.
"The project was initially
only to repair the destroyed revetment, which protected the popular
Marineland exhibits, including the dolphins, from coastal wave action.
However, it became apparent that it was also possible to design it to create
a new public beach park where one did not exist, thus increasing the overall
tourist opportunity in Flagler County. The new public beach park will be
managed by Flagler County," says Al Devereaux, Director of the Office
of Beaches and Coastal Systems.
This project represents the first
time that the Office of Beaches and Coastal Systems has directly engaged in
the design and construction of a complex coastal project, which is normally
done by contractors working for local governments.
Marineland of Florida, which opened
as Marine Studios on June 23, 1938, was named to the National Register of
Historic Places in 1988. The attraction is the world's first oceanarium, a
word coined to describe the new form of entertainment it offered. Marineland
is noted as being home to both the first trained dolphin and the first live
dolphin born in a marine park. The park is recognized worldwide as a major
contributor to the field of marine research. Today, the attraction is home
to the oldest living dolphin in human care and is undergoing a significant
retrofitting and preservation program.
Work is complete on the expanded
public beach and the new granite rock revetment. The public beach area
includes a protective seawall covered by a new dune, a boardwalk and public
access facility and fronted by an expanded sandy beach. The granite
revetment protecting the historic attraction was constructed from two to
four-ton granite boulders precisely placed along the shoreline. During
construction of the new revetment, the old coquina revetment was removed and
the permanent granite was put in place within the same day. Thus, the site
was never left unprotected.
With all the major components of
the project completed, the site clean-up efforts and remaining detail work
will be completed in 30 days.
-30-
2012 State of Florida