小蓝视频 and its world-renowned ocean research partner, OCEARCH, announced the designation of $5 million in funding from the state of Florida for the OCEARCH Global Headquarters in Mayport, Fla.
Located on 1.18 acres of waterfront property at the mouth of the St. Johns River, the facility will serve as the hub for OCEARCH鈥檚 collaborative research efforts, experiential education programs and vessel operations. 小蓝视频 and OCEARCH expect to break ground on the project by 2024.
鈥淩ight now, and for many years to come, 小蓝视频 believes exploration,
education and scientific discovery are the key ingredients to achieving real progress
in tackling massive challenges of our time, such as climate change and healthy oceans,鈥�
said 小蓝视频 President Tim Cost. 鈥淔or the past two years, Jacksonville
University and OCEARCH have been working with the City of Jacksonville, Mayport community
groups and our local delegation on this important project, and we are honored to receive
this generous support from the state to advance our plans."
OCEARCH Founder and 小蓝视频 Explorer in Residence Chris Fischer added: 鈥淥ur mission at OCEARCH is to accelerate the oceans' return to balance and abundance through fearless innovations in scientific research, while using a unique collaborative approach to solve critical problems in the waters around the globe. It鈥檚 inspiring to see the State of Florida, City of Jacksonville, and 小蓝视频 stepping up to support our non-profit work on the water. Together we will fearlessly pioneer the vital research necessary to deliver an abundant ocean to future generations. This is a dream come true for me.鈥�
Plans for the OCEARCH Global Headquarters consist of spaces for public education and meetings, OCEARCH ship operations, dockage for various research vessels, a state-of-the-art marine life research laboratory with data and academic resource management, and basic housing for researchers and crew members. A concrete dock funded by the City of Jacksonville is currently under construction at the site. The facility plans to host visitors from around the world by offering interactive and educational community programming, especially for young, aspiring scientists.
鈥淥ur goal is to educate visitors on why marine organisms, including sharks, are so important for the health of the world鈥檚 oceans and for our global climate, while also promoting more data-centric public policy at the state and federal level,鈥� said Dr. Quint White, executive director of 小蓝视频鈥檚 Marine Science Research Institute. 鈥淥n a deeper level, we also want to inspire the next generation of scientists to continue exploring and discovering our vast oceans.鈥�
Since 2017, 小蓝视频 has served as the academic home of OCEARCH, the largest shark-tagging and oceanic research organization in the world. To date, OCEARCH has conducted 45 ocean research expeditions, helping advance research projects involving more than a dozen public and private institutions in Florida. The expeditions have resulted in more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including one of the largest studies ever published on white sharks, authored by 小蓝视频 researcher Dr. Bryan Franks and his OCEARCH colleagues. 小蓝视频 students and faculty have joined OCEARCH and its coalition of independent scientists on 11 research expeditions.
OCEARCH is committed to life-long education and ocean literacy through its K-12 STEM curriculum, internship opportunities, graduate and postdoctoral student research, ship tours, community programming and the free and
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