There’s no cover for MarineQuest 2024 happening Saturday, Feb. 10 at the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. Credit: Photo via myfwc/Flickr

Once a year, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s St. Pete’s outpost opens its doors to the public—kids and their parents alike—to celebrate Florida’s diverse wildlife, ecosystems and the state-wide organization’s cutting-edge research and conservation efforts. The latest get together happens this weekend.

From touch tanks filled with marine critters and interactive, kid-friendly activities to demonstrations from some of the state’s top wildlife researchers, this free-to-attend event is the ideal balance between educational and entertainment. Even adults can learn a thing or two about the Sunshine State’s many sharks, rays, manatees, birds, coral and red tide from the FWC’s annual open house.

Marinequest 2024 happens in conjunction with the annual St. Petersburg Science Festival, which happens on USF’s adjacent campus. Its waterfront grounds will be filled with even more educational exhibits and engineering demonstrations to help inspire the next generation of scientists.

There’s no cover for MarineQuest 2024 happening Saturday, Feb. 10 at the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.