Marine Science Center Releases Rehabbed Pelicans

The Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet released rehabilitated pelicans into the wild on Monday. The release marks the culmination of a painstaking process by scientists on-hand to restore the health of the birds from recent injuries. According to a statement by the Volusia County government on Friday, the release was planned for four to five individual pelicans. The Marine Science Center also made a statement the next day, but did not specify the quantity. Three brown pelicans were admitted to the Marine Science Center due to injuries sustained by entanglements with fishing hooks and lines. This emphasizes the importance of coastal anglers properly disposing of fishing line and hooks whenever possible, in order to minimize the impact on local wildlife. In order to accommodate the birds’ release, the Marine Science Center was deemed closed to the public on Monday. Still, residents were invited to attend the release by arriving at the parking lot and walking to Lighthouse Point Park. The release took place at 10:30 am. Brown pelicans are commonly seen all along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, as well as down Central America and into a substantial portion of South America. From 1972 to 2009 brown pelicans were listed under the Endangered Species Act due to the usage of DDT as an insecticide in the mid-20th century. The population was considered to have mostly recovered in Atlantic regions by the 1980s.