[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 19 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E297-E298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATIONS TO MOTE MARINE LABORATORY ON ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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                         HON. KATHERINE HARRIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2005

  Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mote Marine 
Laboratory on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.
  In 2004, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy released a ground-
breaking report that underscored the need to strengthen public 
awareness regarding the critical importance of the oceans in supporting 
life on earth.
  Based in my hometown of Sarasota, Florida, Mote Marine Laboratory has 
vigorously and successfully pursued this goal for 50 years. Through its 
manifold programs emphasizing research and education, Mote Marine 
Laboratory has advanced the science of the sea while enthralling 
children and adults alike with the adventure of discovery.
  Cape Haze Marine Laboratory was founded in 1955 by the now-famous 
shark researcher Dr. Eugenie Clark. William and Alfred Vanderbilt 
financed the project, issuing Dr. Clark the charge to ``teach people 
about the sea.'' While the Laboratory initially operated in the humble 
surroundings of a 12-foot-by-20-foot shed in Placida, Florida, Dr. 
Clark's able direction enabled it to develop a strong reputation as a 
shark research center during its first ten years of existence.
  As the Laboratory's standing grew, so did its facilities. The 
Laboratory moved to Siesta Key in 1960, where it benefited from the 
munificence of William R. Mote and his sister, Elizabeth Mote Rose. 
Accordingly, the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory became Mote Marine 
Laboratory in 1967. The Laboratory moved to its current location on 
City Island, Florida, in 1978, thanks to a public-private partnership 
with the City of Sarasota that continues to thrive today.
  Thanks to the expert leadership of William Mote, former directors Dr. 
Sylvia Earle, Dr. Charles M. Breder, Jr., Dr. Perry W. Gilbert, Dr. 
William H. Taft, Dr. Robert F. Dunn; and current President Dr. Kumar 
Mahadevan, the Laboratory has expanded to encompass eight buildings on 
a 10.5-acre campus, providing nearly 200,000 square feet of research, 
education, and conference space. The Laboratory

[[Page E298]]

also performs research in a Sarasota inland aquaculture park and in 
field stations located on Charlotte Harbor and in the Florida Keys.
  Mote Marine Laboratory has become much more than an impressive 
facility, however. The little lab with a handful of researchers that 
once focused solely upon sharks has become a powerhouse of near-shore 
marine research. Through its seven centers, the Laboratory undertakes 
projects involving all kinds of marine life and ecology--from sharks to 
red tide to marine mammals and fisheries. Comprising one of the world's 
few remaining private, independent marine research centers, the 
Laboratory employs a staff of more than 230, which includes 
approximately 40 Ph.D. scientists who remain leaders in their 
respective fields.
  A diverse array of biologists, chemists, engineers, and education and 
information experts--as well as many other specialists--performs 
research under the aegis of Mote Marine Laboratory in more than 50 
countries. Moreover, the Laboratory hosts visiting scientists from 
across America and around the world. Due to the expanse of its reach 
and the quality of its contributions to scientific understanding, Mote 
Marine Laboratory has earned international acclaim.
  Despite the evolution of its functions, however, Mote Marine 
Laboratory has never abandoned William and Alfred Vanderbilt's 
directive to ``teach people about the sea.'' In fact, education remains 
at the core of its mission. Children and adults alike learn about our 
world's fragile marine and estuarine ecosystems through the 
Laboratory's educational opportunities, which include an annual science 
lecture series, a speakers' bureau, and a multitude of adult and family 
programs. The Laboratory teaches nearly 50,000 children per year, many 
of whom study through the Laboratory's own distance learning program 
entitled ``SeaTrek.'' This innovative initiative utilizes interactive 
videoconferencing to reach students in places as far away as 
Switzerland and Hungary.
  Established in 1980, Mote Aquarium provides the keystone of Mote 
Marine Laboratory's commitment to education. The Aquarium hosts almost 
400,000 visitors from the United States and abroad every year and 
provides educational materials in five languages. As in the 
Laboratory's other pursuits, the Aquarium's main strength rests in its 
people. Trained volunteers thrill visitors with tales of science and 
the sea, while a mobile aquarium ensures that all Floridians can enjoy 
a similar voyage through these wonders.
  For one-half century, Mote Marine Laboratory has explored some of the 
oceans' most pressing questions, sharing its findings with the world. 
This time of perpetual change has revealed one constant truth: Much 
remains to be discoved.

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