The future of marine science education is here. As the new Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA) celebrates its grand opening, it is unveiling a groundbreaking initiative that will redefine how students learn about the ocean.
The new 146,000-square-foot facility is debuting three state-of-the-art STEM teaching labs — the Marine Ecology Teaching Lab, Ocean Technology Teaching Lab and Biomedical and Immunology Teaching Lab — that immerse students in hands-on, real-world scientific research.
Unlike traditional classroom learning, these labs transform students into junior scientists, giving them access to the same tools, data and research techniques used by professional marine scientists. Students will work alongside Mote’s expert researchers to address pressing marine challenges, from sea turtle conservation and fisheries enhancement to coral reef restoration and red tide research.
“Our new facility allows us to align lab design and curriculum with ongoing research, creating authentic experiences that couldn’t be delivered in our former spaces,” said Aly Busse, Ph.D., associate vice president for education and education research program manager for Mote Marine Laboratory. “We’re not just teaching science — we’re giving young people the opportunity to think and act like scientists while addressing urgent challenges facing our oceans.”
The teaching labs are part of Mote SEA’s mission to connect academic learning to real-world environmental issues. Students use authentic equipment — microscopes, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), water quality probes and image-analysis software — to collect and interpret data firsthand.
“In addition, each teaching lab program is tied to current Mote research happening at Mote, such as coral reef restoration, biomedical research with sharks and rays, resilient seagrass genetics or artificial intelligence in marine science,” Dr. Busse added. “Students see firsthand how science is applied to solve environmental challenges.”
The labs are just one part of Mote SEA’s ambitious educational mission. The new aquarium includes four additional STEM workforce training labs focused on aquaculture, conservation, coral and veterinary science and will provide free, hands-on learning opportunities to more than 70,000 K-12 students in Sarasota and Manatee counties each year.
Mote SEA, located at 225 University Town Center Dr. in Sarasota, is open daily from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit https://mote.org/.
