The Brevard Zoo is preparing to open a new rehabilitation center for manatees in late March or early April. The facility will accommodate up to 10 non-critical manatees at a time, with three tanks and a lettuce-stocked refrigerator to support their recovery. Funded by a grant from Florida Fish and Wildlife, the center aims to address the rising number of manatee mortalities linked to seagrass loss in the Indian River Lagoon.