Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium to open Wednesday

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — It has been years in the making, but this week the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is making a splash in Sarasota, opening the doors to its new Science Education Aquarium to the public on Wednesday.

“At our heart, we are a marine science research laboratory. This is who we are,” said Vice President Kevin Cooper. “And this is not just a tourist attraction — it’s part of our informal marine science education experience that we’ve always offered the public from Mote Marine Laboratory.”

When it comes to creating a vision, Andrew Viera does it all from the heart.

His paintings bring visitors to a whole new world — yet a familiar one — at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

“When I’m painting, I just kind of let my mind and my eyesight do the thinking for me,” he said. “I want them to feel like they’re in old Florida, a natural Florida. Not a built one, but just organic.”

Viera’s murals include one at the otter exhibit. It was a favorite for Nyla Anderson and her mom, Nina, who had an unforgettable experience when they toured the new facility.

“It is my birthday, and I’m 11 years old today,” Nyla said. “I like that you can touch and feel a lot of different animals. And probably my favorite experience was definitely the otters.”

Nyla wants to be a marine biologist and uses experiences like the aquarium as a learning tool.

“I’m homeschooled. I’ve been homeschooling for about six years, and this year I’m in sixth grade,” she said.

Just like how visitors like Nyla will see nature up close, Viera hopes people will see his art and be inspired to help protect wildlife.

“Illustrations create more of a connected sense for kids and for generations,” he said. “So when they look at something, they’re like, ‘Oh, I want to protect that.’”

Viera is passionate about conservation — the same feeling that Mote Marine Laboratory leaders want to inspire with their new aquarium.

The aquarium has three STEM labs inside, as well as five workforce development laboratories. These will be used as educational tools for students.

“The Science Education Aquarium is really purposeful,” Cooper said. “When you walk in, the first thing you’re going to see is one of our three state-of-the-art STEM teaching laboratories. We’ve established a partnership with Sarasota and Manatee County school systems, and we’re going to bring 70,000 K–12 students here free of charge every year.”