Three months after a fire destroyed the University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s Marine Science Laboratory, the College of Marine Science has received $1.5 million in federal funding to replace and expand critical oceanographic equipment.
Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna presented the check Thursday at the Bayboro Harbor waterfront. The funding will purchase new offshore instruments and upgrade existing sensor systems that collect real-time data used to improve forecasts for hurricanes, storm surge, red tide and other coastal hazards.
The investment also supports the college’s recovery after the May fire heavily damaged the Marine Science Laboratory, a facility that housed decades of student, faculty and government agency research.
The funding will expand USF’s offshore observing network with fully instrumented buoy stations, upgraded sensors and autonomous underwater vehicles that collect oceanographic and meteorological data.
“This investment will allow the USF College of Marine Science to move forward from a difficult setback with stronger tools and greater capacity to continue the critical work being done,” Luna said in a prepared statement.
“The data collected offshore plays a direct role in how our coastal communities prepare onshore, from forecasting dangerous conditions to guiding emergency planning. I fought to secure this funding so that we can provide our communities with the best possible information and more time to prepare before the next threat reaches our shores.”
The data collected through the expanded network will be transmitted in real time to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Data Buoy Center through the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA). Researchers said the information strengthens forecasting models used by the National Hurricane Center while supporting coastal monitoring and environmental research.
In the statement, USF President Moez Limayem said the investment will help the university continue research with direct benefits for Florida communities.
“At the University of South Florida, we believe the best research solves real-world challenges and improves lives,” Limayem said. “This investment will strengthen the science behind forecasting hurricanes, storm surge and harmful algae blooms, helping our region better prepare for such natural hazards.”
The Marine Science Laboratory was heavily damaged by fire May 3 and is considered a total loss.
The building housed graduate student research, specialized laboratory equipment and projects supporting agencies including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey.
University officials previously said the fire destroyed or damaged research materials and forced the College of Marine Science to relocate classes and research activities while recovery efforts continue.
Luna presented the funding alongside Limayem and College of Marine Science Dean Tom Frazer this morning.