About This Campus

To expand our positive impacts on coral reefs in the Upper Florida Keys, Mote Marine Laboratory created the first and only coral nursery in Islamorada. The Islamorada Coral Nursery, situated on the property of the famed Bud n’ Mary’s Marina on Upper Matecumbe Key, is a satellite campus of Mote’s primary Florida Keys location: the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration on Summerland Key.

Our Islamorada Nursery can host up to 20,000 coral fragments, facilitating first-in-class, resilience-focused restoration efforts on iconic Islamorada area reefs such as Alligator, Cheeca Rocks and Hens & Chickens. By expanding operations in Islamorada, Mote continues to directly respond to the urgent plight Florida’s Coral Reef is facing.