The Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station is a field research and educational/outreach facility of Southeastern Louisiana University located in the Lake Pontchartrain estuarine ecosystem.
Because of its location at the upper end of this major estuary, Turtle Cove is within one hour by boat of various wetland environments and their aquatic counterparts. These environments range from entirely fresh to moderately saline environments and include bottomland hardwood forests, bald cypress swamps, and fresh and intermediate marshes.
Moreover, each of these habitat types exists in relatively undisturbed, degraded, and restored states, thus facilitating comparative research. Because of its unique location and characteristics, this facility complements other field stations in the state and across the nation.
Turtle Cove consists of two facilities: the Galva Canal Boatshed/Classroom and the Environmental Research Station. The Galva Canal Boatshed/Classroom is located off of I-55 near the Manchac exit. The official address is 87 Alligator Lane, Akers, LA 70421. The Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station is located on the 8,328-acre Manchac Wildlife Management Area along the south shore of Pass Manchac and is only accessible by boat.
For more information about our facilities, please visit our Boats, Facilities and Equipment page.
The Turtle Cove facility on Pass Manchac is a historic structure located on the Manchac Wildlife Management Area in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. Edward G. Schlieder constructed the three-story cypress wood frame building in 1908 as a hunting and fishing lodge. After his death in 1948, a private hunting and fishing club called the Turtle Cove Club began leasing the lodge as its headquarters.
In 1975, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) purchased the surrounding 5,261 acres and began establishing the Manchac Wildlife Management Area. Southeastern Louisiana University assumed control of the facility and surrounding ten acres in 1981 after signing a 99-year lease with LDWF. Once funding was secured and repairs to Turtle Cove were completed, the first full-time director, Dr. Robert Hastings, was hired in 1984.
Research activities increased in 1986 when the Galva Canal boatshed was completed, and the first teacher workshops were held at Turtle Cove in 1991. Since then, research and outreach programs flourished and continued to grow under Dr. Robert Moreau when he became the facility manager in 2001. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused significant damage to the Galva Canal boatshed and Turtle Cove in 2005, and renovations from Hurricane Ida in 2021 are still underway at Turtle Cove.
For more information, please view Dr. Robert Hasting’s article describing the history of Turtle Cove.
• University classes (at both undergraduate and graduate levels)
• Professional interdisciplinary research in biology (wetland ecology, aquatic microbiology, entomology, herpetology, etc.), environmental science, chemistry, history, economics, education, the arts and more
• Marsh restoration projects such as Christmas tree recycling and native tree planting events
• Graduate student research opportunities
• Community outreach programs
• K-12 field trips and inquiry-based learning experiences and field training program for young scientists
• Teacher workshops for continuing education credits
• Collaborative programs with agencies and non profit organizations such as the LDWF, Pontchartrain Conservancy, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), and University of New Orleans’ Coastal Education Program and Coastal Education Research Facility (UNO CERF)
For more information, please visit our Research Activities and Education and Outreach pages.
