Sea Turtle Hospital Project Marries Innovation, Technology + Education

In advance of World Sea Turtle Day in June, DPR Construction and the University of Florida’s Whitney Research Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, located in St. Augustine, Florida, began working together to help protect these creatures by constructing the Sea Turtle Hospital, a purpose-built facility dedicated to the rehabilitation and conservation of endangered sea turtles.

Overlooking the Matanzas Estuary, the new facility will expand the organization’s capabilities, including multiple laboratories, education areas and a sea turtle research center and hospital. The complex will provide critical care and innovative research opportunities, reinforcing Whitney Laboratory’s commitment to marine life preservation and environmental stewardship. Designed with innovation in mind, the facility boasts a 38,000-square-foot, two-story post-tension cast-in-place structure, featuring advanced self-performing concrete techniques.

Additionally, the Marine Research Institute Building will feature multiple laboratories and educational areas dedicated to fostering scientific discovery and learning including a marine research and conservation discovery entryway and a scientific education path, complemented by an outdoor classroom, facilitating interactive and immersive learning experiences for students and for visitors.

The building is being constructed to achieve LEED Gold certification.