(This story was updated to add new information.)
The grand opening for the new Mote Science Education Aquarium will be Oct. 8, with current Mote members able to preview the $130 million aquarium Oct. 6 and 7.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium broke the news to its members via a postcard inviting them to sign up for previews of the new aquarium, typically referred to as Mote SEA.
Ticket reservations are available online at: http://bit.ly/46uG3ZE.
Impacts of the 2024 hurricane season – especially hurricanes Helene and Milton – on the City Island campus were contributing factor that pushed the construction timetable back almost a year from the anticipated late 2024 soft opening date.
“Mote SEA is much more than just an aquarium; it stands at the intersection of paradigm-changing research, science education, and community engagement,” Mote President & CEO Michael Crosby wrote in a Sept. 15 email sent to the general public. “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.”
The October opening of the 146,000 square-foot facility is still in time to mark the 70th anniversary of the independent, nonprofit marine research organization.
The aquarium on City Island at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway closed to the public on July 6, when Mote staff began the transition to the Mote SEA campus.
“The new Mote SEA is a new facility designed to progress marine science education, access, and outreach,” Kevin Cooper, Mote’s vice president for communications and strategic initiatives, said in a prepared statement. “We have created new authentic habitats for all our species of marine life, including a massive manatee habitat, and homes for some of our newest animals, like the giant Pacific octopus and our penguins.
“We are also adding more opportunities to learn about marine science for our guests, school children and adult learners and offering new opportunities for citizen scientists to participate in marine science through outreach.”
How are the animals being moved?
As part of the opening procedure, tanks at Mote SEA had to be filled with saltwater and the appropriate water chemistry established, including the appropriate microbial community to support life.
Meanwhile, every single animal – including river otters, a giant Pacific octopus, manatees, sea turtles, penguins and more than a dozen sharks – were quarantined prior to the movem. Many were quarantined at a facility established at Mote Aquaculture Research Park.
Crosby told the Herald-Tribune in May that depending on the species, quarantine could take from 30 to 90 days.
The process started in August and will continue through September in what Cooper noted is a coordinated effort that includes monitoring animal behavior through transport, acclimation and ongoing care, while following guidelines and protocol from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
“While our expertly trained staff regularly transfer animals, each transfer presents a unique set of conditions and considerations,” Cooper said. “With a transfer operation of this scale, it takes rigorous monitoring, strict protocol adherence, complex coordination and the highest standard of care.”
What will Mote SEA be like?
In February 2018, Mote announced plans to relocate the aquarium from its location on City Island, with an emphasis on teaching. The new aquarium’s location at Nathan Benderson Park near University Town Center Mall is highly visible for travelers on Interstate 75.
Three interactive STEM teaching laboratories will be available for K-12 students in Sarasota and Manatee counties free of charge.
In 2024, 50,934 students attended education programs on City Island. Officials anticipate that number to increase with the opening of Mote SEA.
There are also four STEM Workforce Training Labs, covering aquaculture, conservation, coral, and a veterinary clinic/diagnostic center.
The Gulf habitat – the largest at Mote SEA – features a 400,000-gallon tank.
Mote SEA is projected to generate $28 million of economic impact to the region and serve as a science, technology, engineering and math hub for area schoolchildren.
What will happen in City Island?
Mote SEA will be Mote’s ninth campus and third in Sarasota County, along with the Mote Aquaculture Research Park off of Fruitville Road and the City Island complex.
While Mote SEA will be a center for research, its completion will free space in the existing facility on City Island for expanded research there.
The 10.5-acre City Island complex will not be regularly open to visitors, though tours may eventually be scheduled as plans call for the nonprofit to gain another 60,000 square feet of research infrastructure, giving it more than 100,000 square feet of research capacity and allowing Mote to expand doctoral research efforts.
Mote’s long-term strategic plan calls for City Island to become a catalyst for what Crosby foresees as an opportunity for Southwest Florida to really become a Silicon Valley of marine science and technology.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota’s new Mote SEA aquarium at UTC sets opening date
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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