Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium set for Fall 2024 open

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium's $130 million project for a new Science Education Aquarium in Sarasota is progressing well, with the Gulf of Mexico exhibition tank soon to be placed before the walls are constructed around it.

Vertical construction is now underway, which is likely to stimulate corporate sponsorships, according to Michael Moore, special adviser to the president's office at Mote. The aquarium is on schedule to open in the autumn of 2024 and is expected to draw between 600,000 and 700,000 visitors in its first year.