The Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium plans to build an expanded Research and Education Facility on Mote Property in Summerland Key, Florida. The main Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is located in Sarasota, Florida. Donations are coming in to support the Summerland Key Facility expansion and improvement, which will help to ensure Mote’s objectives of understanding and restoring Florida’s marine life and coral reefs.  A very generous $325,000 donation from the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation will allow the facility’s team to start the Summerland Key construction in January of 2016.

The Barancik Foundation representatives value the work Mote is doing at its existing property on Summerland Key, Fla., where the new facility will be built: “We are pleased to help Mote Marine Laboratory — a champion of the oceans — take this major step to enhance their marine research, restoration and education efforts,” said Teri A Hansen, President & CEO of the Barancik Foundation, a private family foundation based in Sarasota, Fla. “It is exciting that our gift will help launch the construction of this new facility, which will benefit scientists, students, the State of Florida and the oceans. We firmly believe that philanthropy can change our world, and we encourage others to support Mote’s efforts.”  The work is scheduled to start late next month, and will include demolishing two residential and office buildings on Mote‘s Summerland property, leaving the current science building and working lab fully to operate during construction. MORE