WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The electric atmosphere is buzzing with budding scientists and marine biologists at the Cox Science Center.
“This right here shows our coral reef tanks,” said Carla Duhaney, the chief operating officer at the Cox Science Center.
It's a hub of exploration where science is always in season— from deep below the sea to high in the sky.
"We have a drone simulator and a plane simulator, so if you want to learn to be a pilot this is the right place to come to gain that interest," Duhaney said.
We started in the aquarium of the Atlantic, featuring 10,000 gallons of water and 15 tanks.
"So were gonna go through the different tanks, including our mangrove tanks,” explained Duhaney.
The diverse flora and fauna that call South Florida home are on full display at the Cox Science Center, as well as sea life. A unique fish that looks like it has a bumper on its forehead is called a "flowerhorn cichlid."
“As Floridians we have fish right in our backyard. A lot of us have our canals and waterways, and some of these tanks actually feature those fish,” said Duhaney.
The science center also a huge fish tank perfect for a selfie.
“It is a great photo op you can be right in the middle of the coral and fish that are in this tank," exclaimed Duhaney.
It's not just fish at the science center, you'll find reptiles too.
"This is one of our American alligators. We call this one Minus. We have Plus and Minus, and they’re both about 15 months old, ” said Jake Rosner, vice president of aquarium operations.
It's one of more than 100 hands-on exhibits at the Cox Science Center.
“You can build your own rocket you can shoot off an airplane and test it for how far it goes,” explained Duhaney.
An area of the science center called Mission Aerospace allows visitors to build their own rocket.
“I think we should actually try to build a rocket," said Duhaney. “So we grab our paper rockets and then we’re going to cut them into triangles. It's better to tape on four than two, I find, in how far it goes."
There is purpose in this play is by teaching kids the building blocks of aerospace.
"They look at gyroscopes and airplanes. It’s not just the spaceships and all, it’s the testing behind it, the science behind it, "said Duhaney.
The center is gearing up for a big expansion in the years ahead and hoping to make the world of STEM more accessible to everyone.
"We aim to open every mind to science. They can dig for fossils, they can learn about marine life in our aquarium and they can shoot for the stars in our planetarium," said Duhaney.
Watch "Finding Florida" each Sunday at 10 a.m. on WPTV!
