Mote Science Education Aquarium Sets Opening Date In Sarasota

SARASOTA, FL — Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium has set the opening date for its Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA).

The new 12-acre campus at Nathan Benderson Park will officially open to the public on Oct. 8, according to a news release from Mote. Tickets can be reserved online.

“Mote SEA will transform 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 will enable 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,” according to the aquarium’s news release.

The facility features three state-of-the-art STEM teaching labs focused on biomedical, microbiology, and immunology; marine and coastal ecology; and ocean engineering, AI technology, robotics, and sensor development.

Mote SEA expects that these labs will provide hands-on learning to more than 70,000 students from Sarasota and Manatee county schools each year.

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The campus also has five STEM workforce training labs offering high school and university students professional experiences working with Mote scientists. These labs offer research opportunities in aquaculture and fisheries, conservation, coral genetics and restoration, artificial intelligence, veterinary clinic and diagnostic research and practice.

These labs include wall-to-wall glass windows allowing visitors to watch research projects in real time.

Mote was founded in 1955 in a one-room trailer in Placida. Today, it has more than 300 staff across nine campuses in Florida, including 22 research programs, two technical programs, 13 Centers of Excellence and 45 doctoral-level staff.

“Mote SEA is much more than just an aquarium; it stands at the intersection of paradigm-changing research, science education, and community engagement,” Dr. Michael P. Crosby, president and CEO, said. “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.”