The Keys Marine Laboratory (KML) , and our parent organization Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), are proud to announce the progress on an NSF ICBR Grant awarded to KML in the Fall of 2019 to expand and improve the facility’s seawater systems. This infrastructure improvement project has three main goals:

Add new seawater well degassing tower to increase the output of high-quality seawater for research projects at Keys Marine Laboratory

Repair, resurface, and increase the depth of existing ‘Shallows’ seawater pool to approximate depth of Florida Bay.

Increase capacity for temperature-controlled experimental tanks and supply temperature-controlled seawater to large ‘Shallows’ pool.

Currently the project nears completion on the Improvements to the ‘Shallows’ Mesocosm and has broken ground for the second degassing tower and the additional concrete seawater holding tanks, arriving in September 2020. We anticipate a completion date of Spring 2021!

These improvements, when completed, will provide the ability to conduct ex-situ research at expanded spatial and temporal scales. By providing high quality seawater with the ability to manipulate water quality, salinity, temperature to this expanded system, we hope to be able to better facilitate an increased variety of projects focused on the effects of climate change in the marine environment. KML’s proximity to the diverse subtropical ecosystems of South Florida and our expanded seawater system provide for the space and capability to run larger scale projects both ex-situ and in-situ simultaneously.

Projects such as;

Community based trials for reef restoration, disease mitigation or resistance, thermal tolerance, etc.

Mesocosm scale behavior trials

Prototype equipment testing (ROVs, Drones, etc)

And many more.

Do you have ideas of how KML’s Seawater System could better fit your research needs?

Take our 2-minute survey to tell us more about it.

We look forward to facilitating your next research project!

Questions? Contact Us!