BRADENTON, Fla. — The South Florida Museum in Bradenton is now a piece of history. 

Officials announced Wednesday that after 73 years, the museum is re-branding and will be called The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. 

They chose to name the museum after the Bishop family, who were well-known philanthropists and longtime donors. The museum's CEO, Brynne Anne Besio, stated that the 'South Florida' name created confusion for people trying to locate the building and no longer represented the museum accurately. 

"Nobody knew who we were outside of the local area," she said. 

Officials said the process started back in 2007, when the museum's board of trustees identified the need for a name change. In 2016, they began the process of selecting a research firm to help identify the right name, and then hired a design studio out of Austin, Texas to assist is creating the new brand. 

For decades, the museum was known as the home to the world's oldest manatee, Snooty. The manatee drowned in 2017 after getting trapped in an underwater compartment when a panel, used to house plumbing, came loose. Museum officials later called it a preventable accident. 

"I think they did have a bit of a PR problem after Snooty died. There were obviously a lot of concerns and a lot of negativity, so perhaps a fresh start is a great idea," said Bradenton resident Ron Bender. 

Besio stated that attendance has been steady over the past few years and it often ebbs and flows with the seasons. 

The 'B' that is represented as a three-dimensional object in the logo stands for both Bishop and Bradenton, designers said.