Mote Marine brings environment education center to visitors of Anna Maria Island pier
Ribbon cutting for Mote Marine Science Education Outreach Center at Anna Maria City Pier.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. - The Anna Maria City Pier has a new draw for locals and visitors called the Mote Marine Science Education Outreach Center.
"I can’t tell you the thrill of coming out here and seeing, not only the fact that we have the center open, but all these people here to enjoy it with us," said Mayor Dan Murphy.
After a ribbon cutting, the Mote Marine Science Education Outreach Center officially opened on Friday morning.
The center became an idea as the city worked to rebuild the iconic pier following damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017.
"It really boiled down to do you want hamburgers or knowledge," said Mayor Murphy. "That is truly the essence of the decision that we made to put a center out here where people can learn about the environment."
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Once the City of Anna Maria made the decision, support came from Manatee County and Mote Marine.
Inside, exhibits draw visitors to learn and explore.
"There’s exhibits where they can learn about mangroves, they can learn about grass flats, they can learn about manatees, there’s a camera underwater under the pier to showcase the live animals that are swimming around," said Evan Barniskis the Associate Vice President of Mote Marine Aquarium. "There’s also acoustic sounds that folks can learn the different noises that fish make underneath the pier."
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Mote Marine hopes visitors walk away with a sense of responsibility to help the environment.
"Every exhibit they see is all about enhancing the level of ocean literacy amongst the public at large. The way you do that, from the Mote model, is you help them learn more about the connections that we all have with this environment," said Dr. Michael Crosby the President and CEO of Mote.
Mote Marine’s namesake, Dr. Bill Mote grew up fishing from the Anna Maria City Pier. He fostered a love for the sea and Mote hopes that continues for future generations.
"When they leave here, they leave with a big smile on their face, but they also leave with a little bit more understanding in their head as well," said Dr. Crosby.
The Mote Marine Science Education Outreach Center is free and will be open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.