CROW breaks ground on sea turtle complex
On June 16 — World Sea Turtle Day — the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) officially broke ground on its Harkey Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Complex at its campus on Sanibel.
A ceremony marked the major milestone in marine wildlife conservation for the region.
“Today marks an important step forward for CROW and for sea turtle conservation in Southwest Florida,” Executive Director Alison Charney Hussey said. “The Harkey Sea Turtle Complex will allow us to care for more sea turtles with greater efficiency and expertise, while also expanding our capacity for research and education.”
The state-of-the-art facility will replace the original sea turtle rehabilitation center, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. It will feature advanced medical equipment, custom-designed rehabilitation tanks and expanded research space to care for sick and injured sea turtles.
Once completed, the Harkey Sea Turtle Complex will be the only licensed sea turtle rehabilitation facility between Sarasota and the Keys, serving as a vital hub for rescue, rehabilitation and research.
“With threats such as habitat loss, marine debris, red tide and climate change on the rise, this facility is a critical step in strengthening sea turtle conservation along Florida’s Gulf Coast,” CROW shared.
The project is funded in part by a $1.2 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and a gift from Bill and Laurie Harkey, longtime supporters of wildlife conservation.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Harkeys, our project partners and our community for helping turn this vision into a reality,” Hussey said.
Holding the groundbreaking on World Sea Turtle Day made the occasion especially meaningful as CROW reaffirmed its mission to protect and care for sea turtles across the region.
The ceremony featured remarks from Hussey and the Harkeys, as well as CROW Research and Medical Director Dr. Jessica Comolli and representatives from Colliers Development Services, Owen-Ames-Kimball and Joyce Owens Architecture, partners in the facility’s design and construction.
“This groundbreaking marked not only the beginning of construction, but a powerful commitment to the long-term protection and care of one of the region’s most iconic and vulnerable species,” CROW shared.
For more information, visit https://crowclinic.org/.
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife is at 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.