News

By Cheryl Blackerby

    After fish and a moray eel died at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center when a pump failed in early August, Michele Peel, spokesperson for Friends of Gumbo Limbo, asked the city of Boca Raton and the Boca Raton Beach and Park District for help.
    That help came in late August when the city promised temporary fixes that would be done within the next three months.
    At the Aug. 4 district meeting, Peel told commissioners that Mike Woika, assistant city manager, promised repairs that would include 8-inch lines that would be installed within 30 to 60 days and saltwater pumps that would be installed within 12 weeks.
    Peel emphasized that the pumps and pipes were short-term solutions, but would keep the marine life at the center safe and give the city time to do an in-depth review of the current and future long-term system requirements for the health of the center’s marine life. Peel said more animals may die if the city continues to delay on making needed repairs at the center.
    “Two years ago, the city decided to take on the project to address that system,” she said.  But the city still has not given the center a timeline for long-term solutions.
    The aging pumps circulate saltwater from the ocean through four tanks, and are crucial for the survival of the center’s marine life, which includes sea turtles.
    The problems with the piping and pumps had been identified four years ago, she said.
The district spent $67,000 last fall for pipes that were a temporary fix to make sure the proper mix of saltwater was delivered at the times and quantities necessary.
    But still, there were “catastrophic failures of all the pump systems that were band-aid systems,” Peel said, that caused the recent loss of fish.
    Peel asked for the district’s continued support in “finding a way to help the city turn this project into a reality so that we stop losing wildlife in the tanks.”
    She urged the district to work with the city to fix the problems, and promised support from the Friends of Gumbo Limbo in order “to make sure that the project remains a priority.”
    More help for Gumbo Limbo is on the way from the district: $1.5 million for fixing the facility’s equipment problems is included in the district’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. But that money is dependent on the city’s plans for the center.