Sea Center Texas is a state-of-the-art marine fish hatchery and aquarium located on 75 acres in Lake Jackson, Texas. This $13 million facility was created by a partnership among the Dow Chemical Company, the Coastal Conservation Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with the support and assistance of Sportfish Restoration Funds administered through the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This showcase educational and entertainment facility opened in 1996. The Center’s facilities include an exceptional free aquarium, the largest red drum hatchery in the world and a wetland walkway and exhibit.

Sea Center Texas is located at 302 Medical Drive in Lake Jackson, Texas (979-292-0100).

Visitor Center

The Sea Center Texas Visitor Center houses graphic displays, aquaria and educational displays of the marine life of Texas bays and Gulf Waters.

Here, visitors learn about stewardship of the environment and its occupants with help from some of the hundreds of volunteers who guide tours and assist visitors throughout the center.

An awesome entrance greets guests in the lobby of the Visitor center. A collection of fiberglass replicas of state record saltwater fishes including a blue marlin, shark, dolphin, and tarpon hover overhead in the lobby.

Aquaria

The focus of Sea Center is the marine life of Texas bays and Gulf waters. Aquatic habitats from coastal marshes, bays, estuaries and the Gulf of Mexico are depicted in a unique series of habitats and aquaria.

Offshore Gulf of Mexico

The centerpiece of the educational exhibits, a 50,000-gallon aquarium, allows visitors to view large Gulf of Mexico marine animals. Within Gulf of Mexico waters live many species that can be viewed in Sea Center Gulf tank, including several varieties of shark, large red drum, gray snapper, a large school or jack crevalle and a large Queensland grouper named Gordon.

At nearly 300 pounds, Gordon clearly dominates all, even the very large nurse sharks in the tank. He flaps his fins slowly and from his position at the front of the tank stares back at amazed onlookers. Clearly this fish has a personality!.

Touch Pools

A 20-foot Touch Pool allows visitors to handle marine animals such as blue crabs, hermit crabs, clams, snails and even anemones. Volunteers are available to assist visitors and answer questions.

Coastal Marsh Exhibit

A salt marsh is the first area encountered when visiting the beach and is the first aquaria visitors see. The 1,000-gallon aquarium with a window more than 14 feet long opens onto a section of coastal salt marsh. Natural debris covers the floor which is dotted with oyster and clam shells. Visitors observe croaker, pompano, mojarra, whiting, killifish and other organisms in their natural habitat.

Coastal Bay Aquarium

At the Coastal Bay Aquarium, visitors view species such as redfish, hardhead catfish, speckled trout, and black drum cruising through 2,200 gallons of water over a sand and oyster reef bottom.

Jetty

A 5,000-gallon jetty exhibit nearly fills the back wall of the center. Granite blocks and boulders re-create a man-made jetty as the aquarium’s background. Barnacles, periwinkle, and other shelled animals encrust wooden pilings and moray eels inhabit rocks that spill across the bottom while finfish like sergeant majors, snook, tarpon,snapper and Bermuda chub hover among the pilings.

Artificial Reef

Angelfish, grunts, filefish, cowfish, squirrelfish, lookdowns and pompano swim in the 5,000-gallon artificial reef exhibit. Here visitors experience tripletail, jacks, snapper, scamp, and pompano swimming in the colorful habitats created by artificial reefs.

Coastal Marsh Walkway

On the grounds beside the Visitor Center are over 5 acres of coastal marshes – with both salt and freshwater ecosystems. Visitors can access the area on an elevated boardwalk. Interpretive displays help identify the animals and birds that can be seen in the area A recently completed nature checklist is available as you begin the walk, listing over 150 animal and plant species. An open-air pavilion surrounded by a butterfly and hummingbird garden provides an excellent place to sit and relax or eat lunch during a visit. Guided nature tours are available with a reservation.

Marine Hatchery

The hatchery building, in contrast to the Visitor Center, is a utilitarian facility, engineered for low maintenance, semi-intensive fish production. The high-tech life support systems are tailored for species such as red drum and spotted seatrout. Adult fish called broodfish are maintained i the hatchery building. From March through November, the broodfish are induced to spawn by manipulating water temperature and lights. The eggs produced by the redfish and speckled trout are incubated. three-day-old larval fish are transferred into ponds outside where they will grow out to a stocking length.

Andrew J. Sansom Fishing Pond

A half-acre pond that is routinely filled with catchable-size red drum is available for teaching youngsters how to fish and for providing a “first fishing experience” for developmentally challenged youth of the area. The Volunteer Youth Fishing Team was honored in 2000 as the Lone Star Legend volunteer team of the year for their work teaching youth. Reservations are required.

Volunteers

Sea Center Texas has one of the most versatile and active groups of supporters in the TPW system. At any one time, about more than 150 volunteers donate their time to act as Sea Center ambassadors, guiding tours, greeting visitors, and providing “expert” knowledge at off-site events. They also form the heart of more mundane activities by helping maintain the site and develop support within the community. This group’s work has been recognized both individually and as a group since its inception with awards for excellence. For more information about the volunteer program contact Sea Center.