Mote Marine and USF launch new partnership
NEW MOTE/USF CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN MARINE SCIENCE
Published Thursday, August 17, 2006
What: Mote Marine Laboratory and the University of South Florida to announce the new Center of Excellence in Marine Science and its flagship initiative called “BioSense,” aimed at addressing questions critical to the health of our coastal waters and oceans including red tide.
August 22, 2006: USF and Mote Marine Lab build new partnership
In a ceremony held Aug. 21 in Sarasota, Mote Marine Laboratory and the University of South Florida signed an agreement to create the Mote/USF Center of Excellence in Marine Science aimed at answering critical questions about the health of Florida's coastal and ocean waters. The new center's goal will be to unite and enhance existing programs at both institutions, allowing for a greater emphasis on understanding coastal and ocean physics, chemistry and biology. By combining studies of the oceans' physical and biological properties, researchers hope to provide a more comprehensive view of how coastal and ocean ecosystems operate and the role humans play in changes occurring in these ecosystems. A central focus will be to answer critical questions about Florida's red tide, the harmful algae bloom that periodically ravages coastal waters.
"The Gulf Coast was deeply affected by red tide in 2005, and a new bloom is in the Gulf now," said Mote Marine Laboratory President, Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, at the signing ceremony. "One of the best ways to address the problem is by creating new coastal monitoring systems that will allow for better understanding and prediction of red tides and other important coastal concerns."
To permanently endow the Center of Excellence in Marine Science, the partnership includes a strategic initiative to raise private funds of $10 million with $5 million contributed by each institution. The funds have the potential to receive a corresponding State of Florida matching grant.
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