Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and Crane Point Museum & Nature Center celebrated a major milestone earlier this month, on October 6, 2025: the debut of Mote’s 10th location, the Mote Mangrove to Reef Exhibit at Crane Point’s newly renovated museum.
The Mangrove to Reef Exhibit is the first of two phases planned at Crane Point and immerses visitors in the fascinating connections among Florida Keys ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. Through interactive displays and engaging storytelling, the exhibit brings Mote’s cutting-edge marine research and education to life in Marathon.
“This opening represents an exciting new chapter for Mote Marine Laboratory as we establish our 6th location in the Keys in Marathon and continue building on our longstanding impact in the Florida Keys that we first established in 1993 with our former lab at Pigeon Key,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory. “By partnering with Crane Point, we are expanding access to science-based education and inspiring people of all ages to understand and protect our precious marine ecosystems.”
“This exhibit is a wonderful addition to Crane Point,” said Charlotte Quinn, CEO of Crane Point Museum & Nature Center. “We are proud to collaborate with Mote in making marine science accessible and relevant to the communities and visitors of Marathon.”
The exhibit was made possible thanks to the support of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.
The broader collaboration between Mote and Crane Point stems from a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mote and the Florida Keys Land and Sea Trust, which manages Crane Point. The MOU ensures long-term cooperation in education, outreach, and conservation of critical Florida Keys ecosystems.
Partnerships like this build on Mote’s long history of research and conservation in the Florida Keys, and with the support of Crane Point, Mote looks forward to continuing and expanding its positive impact on these vital ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Crane Point is located at 5550 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida. It is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm. For more information, visit https://mote.org/location/marathon-crane-point/.