Going Green - Florida's Coral Reef Comeback: Meet the team working to restore one of our planet's most vital ecosystems

 Florida’s Coral Reef is in crisis, with only 2% of its living coral cover remaining—a stark reminder of the urgent need for action.

Mote Marine Laboratory is leading the charge with a science-driven revolution in coral reef restoration, having already restored over 216,000 corals to Florida’s waters and achieved the world’s first documented spawning of restored massive and branching corals. These breakthroughs mark a pivotal step toward self-sustaining reef populations and renewed hope for an $8 billion economy and the communities that depend on it.

Building on this momentum and as part of the new Mote SEA, the organization is launching new workforce labs as a cornerstone of its Coral Reef Restoration Program. These state-of-the-art labs will serve as training centers, equipping the next generation of scientists, technicians, and marine conservationists with hands-on skills in coral cultivation, restoration science, and advanced breeding techniques. 

 

By integrating workforce development into restoration efforts, Mote is not only scaling up coral production but also creating a pipeline of local talent prepared to address the challenges facing Florida’s reefs.

 

At the heart of these efforts, the new labs will empower trainees to work alongside Mote’s leading researchers, gaining experience with land-based and underwater nurseries, innovative assisted sexual reproduction methods, and the strategic breeding of resilient, native coral genotypes. This investment in human capital ensures that restoration progress will accelerate and adapt to emerging threats, from disease to climate change, safeguarding the reef for future generations.

 

Note image subject to copyright

 

Quick Facts about Mote SEA 

∙  Mote SEA is a 146,000-square-foot facility dedicated to marine science, education, and immersive public experiences

∙  The new facility contains three state-of-the-art STEM Teaching Labs - Biomedical, Microbiology and Immunology; Marine and Coastal Ecology; & Ocean Engineering, Technology, Robotics and Sensory Development – providing unparalleled, hands-on, experiential learning free of charge for over 70,000 K-12 students in Sarasota and Manatee schools. 

∙  There are also four STEM Workforce Training Labs, covering Aquaculture, Conservation, Coral, and Veterinary Clinic & Diagnostic Center 

∙  50,934 students attended City Island education programs in 2024; this number will increase significantly with Mote SEA

∙  Mote SEA will feature more than 1 million gallons of living ocean exhibits. 

∙  Mote SEA has the most state-of-the-art life support systems. These high-tech systems cover 24/7 water quality monitoring, filtration, and chemical balancing to mimic the natural ocean conditions perfectly.

∙  Mote created the first and only land-based coral nurseries in many areas in the Florida Keys. These coral nurseries house damaged corals that are carefully healed and grown before they are transported back to sea to hand craft the coral reefs.      

∙  Mote makes all its own salt water at Mote SEA. 

∙  Mote employs 306 professionals, including 45 PhD level staff and runs 38 research programs and Centers of Excellence. 

 

About Mote: 

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium has a nearly 70-year legacy as an independent, nonprofit, 501(c)3 global marine research and science education institution. Mote began in 1955 and flourished on the foundational pillars of “Passion, Partnership and Philanthropy” -  the passion of a single researcher, Dr. Eugenie Clark, her partnership with the community and philanthropic support, first of the Vanderbilt family, later with the significant support and guidance of the William R. Mote family, and today through donations by thousands of individuals who believe in the mission of Mote.

Today, Mote has grown into eight campuses stretching from Tampa Bay to Key West, with a ninth new campus, the Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA), currently under construction. Mote has 38 diverse world-class research programs and centers of excellence studying oceans locally and internationally, with an emphasis on positively impacting conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Learn more at mote.org.