Mote Marine Laboratory

ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF THE SEA THROUGH RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.

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PROTECT OUR REEFSFLORIDA'S CORAL REEF IS THE THIRD-LARGEST BARRIER CORAL REEF SYSTEM IN THE WORLD. IT PROVIDES ESSENTIAL ECOLOGICAL SERVICES, PROTECTS COASTLINES FROM MAJOR STORM IMPACTS AND IS CRUCIAL TO FLORIDA'S ECONOMY, WITH AN ASSET VALUE OF $8.5 BILLION.SADLY, THIS NATURAL TREASURE HAS DECLINED DRASTICALLY OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES DUE TO MAJOR CORAL DISEASE OUTBREAKS, LOCAL TO REGIONAL HUMAN IMPACTS, HEAT-DRIVEN CORAL BLEACHING, AND LONG-TERM CLIMATE CHANGE THAT IS STRESSING CORALS IN FLORIDA AND AROUND THE WORLD.MOTE MARINE LABORATORY'S PROTECT OUR REEFS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON ADDRESSING THESE AND OTHER CHALLENGES BY SUPPORTING CORAL REEF RESEARCH, RESTORATION, CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION IN FLORIDA. THE PROTECT OUR REEFS (POR) SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATE (MOTEREEFPLATE.COM) WAS APPROVED BY THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE IN JULY 2003 AND IS ADMINISTERED BY MOTE AND AVAILABLE TO FLORIDA-LICENSED DRIVERS. EACH PLATE SALE PROVIDES $25 FOR REEF RESEARCH, RESTORATION, CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION IN FLORIDA, INCLUDING A SPECIAL PROTECT OUR REEFS GRANTS PROGRAM. 37.5% OF REVENUES SUPPORT GRANTS AND AN ADDITIONAL 37.5% OF REVENUES SUPPORTS MOTE'S CORAL REEF RESEARCH AND RESTORATION. IN GENERAL, POR GRANT PRIORITIES ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OUTLINED BY A NUMBER OF FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES, AND RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS, ALONG WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENTAL, LOCAL COMMUNITY AND NON-PROFIT ADVISORY GROUPS, WITH RESPECT TO CORAL REEF RESEARCH AND OTHER RELATED CORAL REEF PROGRAM PRIORITIES. BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO STRATEGICALLY FOCUS THE POR PLATE'S LIMITED RESOURCES ON CRITICAL CHALLENGES CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS ARE CURRENTLY FACING, PRIORITY FOR FUNDING IN ALL CATEGORIES OF POR PROPOSALS (RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION) WILL BE ON CORAL REEF RESTORATION PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE RESEARCH OF NEW RESTORATION METHODS THAT FURTHER THE ENHANCEMENT OF CORAL GENETIC DIVERSITY AND RESILIENCY IN THE RESTORATION OF CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS. EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH PROPOSALS DIRECTLY RELATED TO SCIENCE-BASED RESTORATION OF CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED. OTHER QUALITY PROPOSALS WILL BE GIVEN CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, BUT THE PRIORITY FOCUS WILL BE ON PROJECTS THAT SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM RESOURCE MANAGERS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY USE SCIENCE-BASED INFORMATION IN PROMOTING AND IMPLEMENTING RESTORATION AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE USE OF THESE ECOSYSTEMS. PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO PROJECTS WHOSE DELIVERABLES ASSOCIATED ARE CLEARLY DEFINED AND ALIGNED WITH CORAL REEF RESTORATION ACTIONS. THE POR WILL ACCEPT CREATIVE PROPOSALS THAT ADDRESS NOVEL CORAL REEF RESTORATION IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT MAY REQUIRE INITIAL SUPPORT TO TEST THEIR MERIT. THE POR ENCOURAGES SCIENTISTS THAT MEET THE "YOUNG-INVESTIGATOR" CRITERIA TO NOTE THAT ON THEIR APPLICATION. MOTE AQUACULTURE RESEARCH PARK FACILITY OPERATIONSMOTE HAS A 200-ACRE, STATE-OF-THE-ART AQUACULTURE RESEARCH FACILITY SUPPORTING THE CONSERVATION OF THE WORLD'S FISHERIES AND SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD PRODUCTION. MOTE AQUACULTURE RESEARCH PARK INCLUDES MORE THAN 125,000 SQUARE FEET OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES DEDICATED TO MOTE'S MARINE AND FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE RESEARCH PROGRAM AND SUPPORTING THE WORK OF RELATED MOTE PROGRAMS FOCUSING ON FISHERIES ENHANCEMENT, MICROBIAL ECOLOGY AND ECOTOXICOLOGY.AT THE PARK, MOTE SCIENTISTS STUDY THE GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, SPAWNING, HEALTH, NUTRITION, GENETICS, MICROBIOLOGY AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF SALTWATER FISH SPECIES, SUCH AS COMMON SNOOK, POMPANO, RED DRUM, FLOUNDER AND ALMACO JACK FOR RESTOCKING PROGRAMS AND FOR SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD PRODUCTION AND/OR UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON FISH. MOTE'S SALTWATER AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS RECYCLE 100 PERCENT OF THEIR WATER AND DEMONSTRATE INNOVATIVE FISH-FARMING TECHNOLOGIES TO INFORM THE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY AND HELP U.S.-BASED PRODUCERS MEET THE GROWING, GLOBAL DEMAND FOR SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD. THE PARK OPERATES A PROTOTYPE MARINE AQUAPONICS GREENHOUSE WHERE EDIBLE SEA PURSLANE IS GROWN IN HIGH-NUTRIENT, PART-SALT WATER TOGETHER WITH THE POPULAR SPORTFISH RED DRUM, OR REDFISH. WITH THE PLANET'S LIMITED FRESHWATER RESOURCES, ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS TO EXPAND FOOD PRODUCTION IS THROUGH SEAFOOD AND SEA VEGETABLE PRODUCTION; THIS NECESSITATES RESEARCH TO FIND THE BEST CANDIDATE SPECIES AND DEVELOP EFFICIENT, ECO-FRIENDLY SYSTEMS. MOTE SCIENTISTS ALSO INVESTIGATE ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FISH FEED FOR AQUACULTURE, GIVEN THAT MANY WILD FISHERIES TAPPED FOR COMMERCIAL "FISH MEAL" HAVE PLATEAUED OR DECLINED. MOTE AQUACULTURE RESEARCH PARK IS ALSO THE HOME BASE FOR MAJOR STUDIES OF OIL-SPILL IMPACTS ON FISH HEALTH, IMMUNE SYSTEM AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS. THESE CONTROLLED, EXPOSURE STUDIES BEGAN IN THE WAKE OF THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL AND ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF RAPID HEALTH-DIAGNOSTIC TESTS BASED ON SUB-LETHAL RESPONSES THAT WILL BETTER PREDICT SHORT- AND LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF OIL EXPOSURE IN GULF OF MEXICO FISHES. MOTE'S MARINE & FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE RESEARCH PROGRAM COLLABORATES WITH MOTE'S ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY FOR FORENSICS ON THESE IMPORTANT STUDIES, WITHIN THE MULTI-INSTITUTION CONSORTIUM C-IMAGE FOCUSED ON DEEPWATER HORIZON.FLORIDA RED TIDE MITIGATION & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FACILITY -TO FIGHT THE IMPACTS OF FLORIDA RED TIDE (BLOOMS OF KARENIA BREVIS ALGAE) EFFECTIVELY WHILE CAUSING NO FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL HARM THAN RED TIDE ITSELF, SCIENTISTS MUST TEST RED TIDE MITIGATION COMPOUNDS AND TECHNOLOGIES IN THE ENVIRONMENT. LONG BEFORE THAT, THEY MUST TEST THEM IN THE LAB AND THEN IN LARGE "MESOCOSM OR "RACEWAY" TANKS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A PREVIEW OF THE POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. IN 2021, MOTE COMPLETED A CUTTING-EDGE FACILITY TO DO JUST THAT, AS PART OF THE FLORIDA RED TIDE MITIGATION & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE LED BY MOTE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION (FWC). THE FACILITY, OCCUPYING 28,800 SQUARE FEET OF THE MOTE AQUACULTURE RESEARCH PARK, CAN HOLD ALMOST 150,000 GALLONS OF TREATED AND RECIRCULATED SEAWATER. ITS SIX LABS INCLUDE A CULTURE ROOM FOR GROWING ALGAE, A CHEMISTRY LAB, AND LARGE SYSTEMS OF LONG TANKS CALLED RACEWAYS AND 5- OR 10-FOOT MESOCOSMS WHERE SCIENTISTS CAN CREATE MINI VERSIONS OF SARASOTA BAY, THE GULF OF MEXICO OR OTHER RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTS BY MAINTAINING SHELLFISH, SEAWEED, SPONGES, SEDIMENTS AND OTHER ECOSYSTEM COMPONENTS THAT COULD BE SENSITIVE TO MITIGATION EFFORTS. USE OF THE FACILITY AND ITS UNPRECEDENTED QUANTITIES OF KARENIA BREVIS CULTURE ARE FREE FOR SCIENTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHOSE PROJECTS ARE PART OF THE INITIATIVE. IN 2021, INITIATIVE SCIENTISTS ADVANCED MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES TO LARGER SCALE TESTING AND IMPROVED RED TIDE DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES FOR FASTER RESPONSE.MOTE'S INTERNATIONAL CORAL GENE BANK - CORAL REEFS ARE EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED DIE-OFFS WORLDWIDE, AND IT'S CRITICAL TO RESTORE THEM WITH RESILIENT AND GENETICALLY DIVERSE CORALS THAT HAVE THE BEST CHANCES TO SURVIVE AND REPRODUCE. HOWEVER, SCIENTISTS CAN ONLY DO THAT IF OUR NATIVE CORALS DON'T DISAPPEAR FIRST. TO PROTECT THE LIVING TREASURE OF CORAL GENETIC DIVERSITY, MOTE CREATED A UNIQUE, LARGE-SCALE, LAND-BASED, LIVING CORAL GENE BANK FOR 1,650 CORALS OF 14 SPECIES AND NEARLY 2,000 GENETIC TYPES OF CORALS, THE LARGEST SINGLE DIVERSE COLLECTION IN THE WORLD. MOTE'S INTERNATIONAL CORAL GENE BANK AT THE MOTE AQUACULTURE RESEARCH PARK FACILITY CONTAINS FOUR SEPARATE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS, SO IF ONE SYSTEM FAILS, CORALS SUPPORTED BY OTHER SYSTEMS WILL BE PRESERVED. THESE SYSTEMS HAVE ROOM FOR UP TO 500 MATURE PARENT CORALS OR 15,000 SMALL CORAL FRAGMENTS. THE FACILITY PROVIDES PRECISION CONTROL OF TEMPERATURE, CHEMISTRY, WATER LEVEL, LIGHTING AND MORE, TO KEEP THE CORALS HAPPY AND HEALTHY. MOTE'S GENE BANK ALSO PRODUCED NEW CORAL OFFSPRING THROUGH ITS DEDICATED LABORATORY FOR CONTROLLED, YEAR-ROUND, CORAL SEXUAL REPRODUCTION-A KEY STEP TO INFUSE FRESH GENETIC DIVERSITY INTO THE SCIENCE-BASED CORAL REEF RESTORATION MOTE IS SPEARHEADING. OUR GENE BANK VISION BEGAN WITH A FOCUS ON CORALS ENDEMIC TO FLORIDA AND U.S. JURISDICTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN, AND IT IS NOW EXPANDING TO INCLUDE CORAL GENETIC DIVERSITY FROM REEFS AROUND WORLD.