Our History

Florida Panhandle Marine Institute (FPMI), formerly Gulf World Marine Institute, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured, sick, and stranded sea turtles and marine mammals, including dolphins, throughout the Florida Panhandle.

In 1984, Ron Hardy and Brad Miller purchased Gulf World Marine Park from Wes Burnham. In 1987, they were contacted to assist with a mass marine mammal stranding and quickly mobilized to respond. That pivotal moment led to the development of a dedicated marine wildlife response team. Over the years, their efforts expanded into a structured rescue and rehabilitation program serving the region.

FPMI has served as the only long-term, primary sea turtle and dolphin stranding response and rehabilitation organization for approximately 200 miles of Northern Florida coastline, spanning from South Walton Beach to St. George Island and covering more than 1,500 square miles of bays, estuaries, rivers, and inland waterways.

The Institute became a registered Florida nonprofit organization in 2010 and received its 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status in 2012.

FPMI operates under permits and agreements with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). As a member of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN), FPMI conducts emergency response, rescue, rehabilitation, necropsies, and release operations for protected marine species.