Research Infrastructure: Environmental controlled recirculating seawater system for advanced marine science experimentation

An award is made to the University of Florida to enable infrastructure improvements at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, located on a barrier island in Northeast Florida. This award supports the construction of a state-of-the-art recirculating seawater system (RAS) that complements the existing open seawater facility, allowing precise control of environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity and nutrient levels. This infrastructure will significantly expand the Lab’s capacity to study and optimize the reproduction, development and behavior of local marine species, including commercially important finfish (e.g., red drum, snook, American red snapper) and shellfish (e.g., clams, oysters). The new facility will also support educational and outreach programs, including K-12 engagement, undergraduate and graduate research training and participation by the local community. These activities contribute to building a contemporary scientific workforce, enhancing aquaculture practices, rehabilitating endangered marine wildlife (e.g, sea turtles), and increasing public understanding of ocean science and conservation efforts that collectively support sustainable food systems and coastal ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. The intellectual merit of the project lies in its ability to transform the scope and precision of marine biological research in a natural coastal setting. By enabling researchers to stimulate seasonal cues, generate multiple spawning events per year and conduct high-resolution studies in semi-natural mesocosm conditions, this facility supports cutting-edge investigations into animal behavior, developmental physiology and the effects of environmental stressors and pollutants. Integration with advanced imaging and AI-based analytics will allow researchers to explore fundamental biological processes with unprecedented clarity. The recirculating systems will serve 11 full-time tenure-track faculty, students and visiting researchers, positioning the Whitney Lab as a national model for integrative marine science in a changing world. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.