The Manatee Observation and Education Center is a waterfront environmental education and wildlife viewing center located on Florida’s east coast in beautiful downtown Fort Pierce. We are a not-for-profit organization operated by four full-time staff members and nearly 150 volunteers. Administrative oversight of MOEC is led by the publicly-owned Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, and additional 501(c)(3) support is provided by the Treasure Coast Manatee Foundation. Read more about our mission and history.

The Center lies just west of the Atlantic ocean and straddles the nationally recognized Indian River Lagoon, a saltwater estuary, and Moore’s Creek, a freshwater tributary. The site is a historical congregating place for Florida manatees as a result of warm water effluence from the long-retired Henry B. King Power Plant. While the plant is no longer there, it continues to be a congregating place for manatees and visitors alike……