SNOWBIRD/FAMILY TRAVEL FEATURE: New aquarium opens to visitors with hundreds of species of marine animals

 

 

As snowbirds from Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and other cold weather cities begin their migration back to Florida for the winter, there’s a new attraction waiting for them when they arrive, filled with marine animals, education opportunities and more.

 

After a move 14 miles inland from coastal Sarasota to the Nathan Benderson Park, at the intersection of Sarasota and Manatee counties, the new 12-acre Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA) campus opened to the public last month.

 

Mote SEA transforms Mote’s ability to provide informal science education and enhanced levels of ocean literacy to much larger and more diverse populations from around the world. The 146,000-square-foot facility enables individuals of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the ocean and experience a window into Mote’s globally significant marine science research and conservation initiatives.

 

The aquarium moved hundreds of species of marine animals from its waterfront public facility to the new Mote SEA, including river otters, manatees, sea turtles and more than a dozen sharks while bringing in new animals like a giant Pacific octopus and penguins.

 

Science is the attraction at Mote SEA. The innovative facility features three state-of-the-art STEM Teaching Labs focused on Biomedical, Microbiology & Immunology; Marine & Coastal Ecology; and Ocean Engineering, AI Technology, Robotics & Sensor Development. These labs will provide hands-on experiential learning to more than 70,000 K–12 students annually from Sarasota and Manatee county schools (as well as those schools in nearby counties), including over 26,000 Title 1 students, completely free of charge.

 

Visitors looking for a more hands-on experience can participate in a citizen science program at Mote SEA. Citizen Science is when the public voluntarily helps gather and report data to assist with research. Often, these are short term projects that require little to no training or commitment. Among the many opportunities to participate in citizen science with Mote are coral restoration programs, beach conditions reporting, ray spotting and SEAFAN (Southeast Florida Action Network), an opportunity for beach goers to report coral disease and other unusual marine events .

 

In addition, Mote SEA will include five STEM Workforce Training Labs offering professional experience, alongside Mote scientists, as part of an array of high school, undergraduate and graduate research experiences in: Aquaculture & Fisheries, Conservation, Coral Genetics & Restoration, Artificial Intelligence, and Veterinary Clinic & Diagnostic Research & Practice. The STEM Teaching and Workforce Training Labs include wall-to-wall glass windows, so guests can observe and enjoy scientists and students learning and conducting research in real time.

 

Founded in 1955 in a one-room trailer in Placida, Florida, by world-renowned ichthyologist Dr. Eugenie (“Genie”) Clark, Mote has become one of the most unique and impactful independent marine research and science education institutions in the world. With over 300 staff, Mote has now expanded to 9 campuses across Florida with 22 diverse Research Programs, 2 Technical Programs, 13 Centers of Excellence and 45 doctoral-level staff. Today, Mote scientists conduct research on every continent and throughout the entire ocean as part of its International Marine Science Diplomacy Initiative.

 

“Mote SEA is much more than just an aquarium; it stands at the intersection of paradigm-changing research, science education, and community engagement,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. “We envision a future in which tens of millions of visitors will experience the transformative power of learning and discovery, changing the way they think about our oceans, conservation and sustainable use.”

 

Visitors are encouraged to pre-book their tickets to ensure entrance by visiting mote.org.