HR 9165

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution recognizing Mote Marine Laboratory on the
3	occasion of its 50th anniversary.
4
5	WHEREAS, housed in a 12-foot-by-20-foot shed in Placida,
6	Florida, Mote Marine Laboratory was created in 1955 as the Cape
7	Haze Marine Laboratory by the now-famous shark researcher Dr.
8	Eugenie Clark, with backing from William and Alfred Vanderbilt,
9	and
10	WHEREAS, during its first decade of existence, the
11	laboratory experienced a substantial growth in its reputation as
12	well as its facilities and, under the guidance of many people,
13	including former directors, benefactor William R. Mote, and
14	current president Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, now encompasses eight
15	buildings dedicated to research, education, and conference space
16	on its 10.5-acre campus in Sarasota, with research and education
17	also conducted in an inland aquaculture park in Sarasota and in
18	field stations in Charlotte Harbor and the Keys, and
19	WHEREAS, starting with only a handful of researchers
20	focused solely on sharks, Mote is now a powerhouse of near-shore
21	marine research, studying everything from sharks to red tide to
22	marine mammals to fisheries at seven centers, and today, as one
23	of the world's few remaining independent marine research
24	centers, boasts more than 230 staff members and 1,400
25	volunteers, and
26	WHEREAS, Mote has also made a significant commitment to
27	public education through its aquarium, which draws approximately
28	400,000 visitors annually, and through its online campus and
29	distance learning program that reaches more than 50,000 K-12 and
30	college students, and
31	WHEREAS, Mote Marine Laboratory has earned international
32	recognition for its contributions to the greater body of
33	scientific knowledge and public education relating to fragile
34	marine and estuarine ecosystems, NOW, THEREFORE,
35
36	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
37	Florida:
38
39	That Mote Marine Laboratory is recognized for its tireless
40	pursuit of answers to some of the ocean's most pressing
41	questions, is commended for sharing its knowledge with the
42	world, and is congratulated on the occasion of its 50th
43	anniversary year.
44	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be
45	presented to Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, President of Mote Marine
46	Laboratory, as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed
47	herein.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.