ANNA MARIA – The Mote Marine Science, Education & Outreach Center on the City Pier is now open free of charge from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The long-awaited Mote facility opened Friday, May 5 after a grand opening ceremony at City Pier Park and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the City Pier entrance.
In early 2021, the Anna Maria City Commission voted 4-1 in favor of the Sarasota-based Mote Marine Laboratory occupying the vacant city-owned pier building rather than a full-service restaurant. The outreach center was initially supposed to open in 2022 but delays resulted in the facility opening a year later than originally expected.
Grand opening
Before the grand opening ceremony started, Anna Maria Commissioner Jon Crane said, “I’m thrilled. I’ve been a big proponent and I think it’s going to be a focal point of the cultural interests here in the city.”
Anna Maria Commissioner Robert Kingan said, “This is the culmination of years of work. We are finally getting to the last piece of renewing and rebuilding the pier. We’re delighted Mote is part of that. I’ve already seen the exhibits and they’re absolutely fabulous.”
Former Mote Marine board chair and Anna Maria resident Bob Carter was the first to suggest a Mote facility on the City Pier.
“This is going to be a real benefit to the community. The tourists will learn more about the environment they’re in when they come here. They’ll understand more about the ecology and the fragile nature of this Island. It’s going to be a wonderful educational experience,” Carter said.
Holmes Beach resident and charter fishing Capt. Scott Moore said, “We have so many people visit this Island from all over the world and they’re always asking about our waters and our wildlife. Educating people is much needed.”
A jazz combo consisting of Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra members played before the ceremony and performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the ceremony.
During his opening remarks, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said, “I can’t tell you the thrill it gives me to see what we’ve done out on that pier. It’s our way of saying the environment is important to us.”
Murphy thanked city staff for making the grand opening possible. He thanked the present and past Anna Maria city commissioners who supported the project and Bob Carter for suggesting it.
He also thanked Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and the Manatee County commission for providing $500,000 in county funds that covered most of Mote Marine’s interior buildout and installation costs.
Speaking next, County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge referenced coaching high school football and said, “We used to always say, ‘Begin with the end in mind.’ It didn’t matter how hard it was or how long it took to get there. This is a good example of that. The City Pier is the most-visited amenity in Manatee County. It’s an integral part of our community. The mayor and the city council and Mote Marine have helped us make something great that much better.”
Speaking last, Mote Marine President and CEO Dr. Michael Crosby said, “Mote is built on three foundational pillars: passion, partnership and philanthropy. This entire effort was a partnership from the very beginning.”
He thanked Murphy, the city commission, the county commission and the community for their support. He also noted some of the Mote volunteers in attendance would now volunteer at the new outreach center.
“Mr. Mote grew up fishing here. He had a home here on Anna Maria Island,” Crosby said.
Crosby thanked the Mote Marine staff for exceeding his expectations and architect Barron Schimberg and Willis Smith Construction for their efforts.
He touted the live exhibits, which include a Florida mangroves exhibit, a Florida grass flats exhibit, a live invertebrate touch tank and the “Under the Pier” exhibit that utilizes an underwater camera and a hydrophone under the pier.
“Everything you see and hear and learn about out there is connected back to the research Mote does,” Crosby said.
He mentioned the interactive and virtual exhibits, which include a fish identification exhibit and the Draw Alive exhibit that allows youngsters to color an image of a marine creature, which is then scanned and displayed on the digital screen in an animated underwater environment.
Crosby said Mote Marine’s science education team will host environmental classes on the pier and along the local beaches.
As the crowd headed to the pier entrance for the ribbon cutting, city staff handed out commemorative coins.
First impressions
Inside the outreach center, children were immediately drawn to the invertebrate touch tank. Accompanied by her grandfather, Benjamin Webb, Harper Chastain was among the first to visit the exhibit. When asked what she touched, she said, “A starfish.”
“This is amazing. This is probably the best thing that could come out here, especially with the environment in the state it’s in,” Webb said.
“The number of exhibits is more than I expected. It’s fabulous,” Carol Carter said.
The outreach center includes fish identification exhibit. – Joe Hendricks | SunTDC member, businessman and conservationist Ed Chiles said, “We sit here on the edge of the largest gulf in the world and we know we’ve got challenges. We’ve got to educate our visitors, our locals and, most of all, our kids. They’re the ones that are going to be dealing with this for the next 60-70 years and feeling more of the impacts we’re feeling right now. We need them to make sure the people in the policy positions understand that we’ve got to protect our environment and our marine resources. This is a great place to get that message across.”
City Commissioner Charlie Salem said, “It’s great for our tourists and residents to get educated about keeping our water clean and keeping vibrant the habitat that supports so many jobs and so much recreation in this area.”
Resident Mary Bacon said, “It’s fantastic. It’s just what we needed out here.”
Mote Marine is now referenced on the City Pier sign. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
