Historical Highlights
1957 Dr. Charles Breder, renowned fish biologist who first discovered that brine shrimp could be a larval food for marine fishes, joins Mote staff.
1986 Mote Marine Laboratory begins aquaculture research with common snook.
1996 Mr. William R. Mote provides significant expansion of the Laboratory's snook hatchery.
1997 Mote Marine Laboratory produces over 6,000 4 to 6-inch snook fingerlings for stock enhancement research. The Laboratory launches first experimental evaluation of release-habitat impact on stocking success, in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
1998 Mote begins aquaculture research on Caspian Sea sturgeon.
2001 Center for Aquaculture Research and Development established. Construction begins on Mote Aquaculture Park 17 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
2002 First sturgeon production systems are completed at Mote Aquaculture Park and animals are moved from the Sarasota lab. Projects expand to include red snapper, Florida pompano and queen conch.
2003 Caspian Sea sturgeon are marketed, and hard coral aquaculture begins using new filtration and culture technologies.
2004 Marine shrimp demonstration project begins at Mote Aquaculture Park. Coral growth research focuses on field studies and environmentally controlled studies. Key West Conch Baby Farm is established to demonstrate queen conch growing efforts.
Mote Marine Laboratory has been a leader in marine research since it was founded in 1955. Today, we incorporate public outreach as a key part of our mission. Mote is an independent nonprofit organization and has seven centers for marine research, the public Mote Aquarium and an Education Division specializing in public programs for all ages.
