Mote Marine Laboratory's Aquarium will open its 146,000-square-foot facility — called Mote SEA (Science Education Aquarium) — on October 8, 2025, beside Nathan Benderson Park just off Interstate 75, doubling its former size. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is an independent, nonprofit marine science institution based near Sarasota, the Gulf Coast city known for white sand beaches. It uses the Sarasota aquarium as its primary public venue and is the top-earning cultural nonprofit in the Tampa Bay area. The original City Island aquarium closed on July 6 to begin relocating its animals and exhibits. Marine science is our mission."