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Operating in tandem with the Initiative, the Ron and Marla Wolf Seagrass Center for Ocean Sustainability (Center) will address many immediate seagrass ecosystem research needs in Florida, while also developing technologies for increasing long-term blue carbon sequestration that will have transferability to other regions.
The purpose of the Center is to achieve three main goals:
- Increase science-based restoration of seagrass beds in Florida with technologies that are both transferable to other regions and focus on the benefits restored seagrass provide to ocean health and marine life sustainability,
- Reduce greenhouse gases through blue carbon offsets, and
- Promote the restoration, sustainable use and conservation of coastal ecosystems that are vital for the recovery of threatened manatees in Florida.
Mote envisions this Center will have significant growth of land-based seagrass nurseries and seagrass gene bank as part of continued expansion of the Mote Aquaculture Research Park, establish satellite seagrass operations associated with Mote coral nurseries and restoration activities along the Florida coral reef, as well as expansion of the Seagrass Ecosystem Research and Restoration Program as part of the future evolution of its current Sarasota campus into an International Marine Science, Technology and Innovation Park. The Center will also implement seagrass education and public outreach programs through the new Mote Science Education Aquarium.
