Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium says it is getting closer to the move from its current location to the new Mote Science Education Aquarium at Nathan Benderson Park.
According to the current timeline, the aquarium on City Island is set to close to visitors on July 6 as staff prepare to move to the new facility.
An opening date for the new facility, Mote says, is dependent on two critical factors: getting water chemistry and essential life support dynamics of the exhibits just right, as well as the quarantine, transfer and acclimation of the animals to the new facility.
According to Mote’s website, the artificial aquatic environment in the new aquarium must maintain a delicate balance. “Part of this exercise is simply waiting for the water chemistry to stabilize,” the website says.
“Once that occurs, critical life support microbial communities are inoculated into exhibit life support systems and must become stabilized before multi-cellular animal inhabitants of the exhibits are introduced.”
Once the animals’ new home is ready, the animals themselves must go through quarantine, then be moved to the new aquarium, and acclimation.
Mote SEA will open only after all animals have fully acclimated to their new habitats, Mote said.
