This episode of 27:Fifty offers a look at Kennedy Space Center, areas where high-tech and nature live side-by-side, a look at probably the largest gold treasure ever found in the Atlantic Ocean, and spend time with the Coast Guard as they patrol Florida's coast,
This segment starts with a full-scale replica of a space shuttle orbiter, and the history of Cape Canaveral is shared. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is located on the property of Kennedy Space Center. Paul Gauger, Army Corps of Engineers, retired, discusses the history of the areas and their uses in the space program. The barrier island is discussed, as well as its habitats, and the migratory birds that populate the area during the winter. Over 300 kinds of birds live permanently or seasonally in the refuge. The Refuge has the highest concentration of threatened and endangered species of any facility of its kind in the United States, including manatees. When the Kennedy Space Center acquired the property, they set up a restricted area that prohibited boats. During the time the manatees have been monitored, the population in those areas that are boat-free has increased dramatically. Other species are also observed.
