The Keys Marine Laboratory is continuing to serve as a regional hub for marine research, education and restoration as scientists work to better understand and protect the Florida Keys’ marine ecosystem.
Dr. Cindy Lewis, director of the Keys Marine Laboratory, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the lab.
The University of Miami’s Saltwater Semester program brought about 30 students, along with four professors and several graduate students, to the lab recently for hands-on field studies. The semester-long program gives students the opportunity to study marine biology and ecology in the Florida Keys.
Lewis said the students spent time on the water, snorkeling and exploring seagrass beds, mangroves, patch reefs and the main reef. They also observed coral restoration efforts.
The visit also brought a bit of history to the laboratory.
Lewis said staff noticed a University of Miami banner hanging in the laboratory’s classroom that had been signed by students participating in the same program in 2008.
“We realized that, well, there is one from University of Miami, and it was dated 2008,” Lewis said.
The current professors promised to provide KML with a new banner bearing the signatures of the 2026 students.
Lewis said the University of Miami group is just one example of the academic and research activity taking place at the laboratory. KML supports more than 150 research and academic groups each year, with more than 800 students and researchers coming through its doors.
The facility is also technically the southernmost campus of the University of South Florida and serves as USF’s marine field station.
KML currently has 30 beds in its dormitories, but Lewis said the facility is in need of significant upgrades. Many of the buildings were constructed during the 1950s and 1960s. A major goal of the laboratory’s ongoing renovation and fundraising effort is to replace those aging structures and elevate the main buildings.
“All of the buildings are basically ground level right now, and all of us living in the Keys know what that means,” Lewis said.
With king tides approaching and the continuing threat of tropical storms and hurricanes, the buildings are vulnerable to flooding and storm surge.
“We have water on our doorstep, in our classrooms, in our offices, and these buildings are just so vulnerable,” she said.
KML is seeking funding from a combination of private donors, state and federal legislative budget requests and the University of South Florida. Lewis said several private donors have already contributed to the beginning of the fundraising effort.
At the same time, the laboratory is playing a role in efforts to protect coral reefs during another challenging summer.
Lewis said water temperatures remain extremely high, with corals experiencing significant heat stress and bleaching. The Florida Keys are currently under an elevated coral bleaching alert.
“Water temperatures are hot. The corals are bleaching,” Lewis said.
Lewis said corals have been experiencing heat stress since June. KML has temperature-controlled seawater systems that allow scientists and coral restoration practitioners to temporarily move vulnerable corals into cooler conditions.
Some corals have already been brought into the laboratory, where Lewis said they are beginning to recover their color after spending time in the cooler water.
“They’re beginning to color back up and looking very nice,” she said.
Other restoration practitioners are moving corals into deeper nurseries, where water temperatures may be a degree or two cooler and provide temporary relief from the heat.
The laboratory’s work extends well beyond the Florida Keys. Lewis said researchers from approximately 24 to 26 countries have used KML’s facilities over the past 35 years.
Last year, scientists from Australia used the laboratory for shark research, capturing sharks and bringing them into KML’s seawater systems for behavioral studies. Researchers from Germany and the United Kingdom have also used the facility.
Lewis said KML has the capacity to accommodate research involving larger marine animals through its large seawater lagoons.
As for Sunday’s reported shark bite in the Florida Keys, Lewis said she could not say whether the incident represented an increase in shark activity.
She emphasized that people are entering the animals’ natural habitat.
“We are in their world,” Lewis said. “We’re in their world, their habitat, and this is where they live, where they hunt.”
Lewis also addressed sargassum, saying KML has not conducted specific research on the seaweed recently, although its boats and other resources are available to researchers who need them.
She said sargassum is a naturally occurring part of the ocean environment and can thrive in warmer, nutrient-rich water. Winds can then push large quantities toward the Keys, creating a smelly cleanup problem on area beaches.
Lewis said KML’s mission remains focused on supporting the scientists, students and restoration practitioners working to understand and protect the marine environment.
She encouraged people interested in supporting the laboratory to visit the Florida Institute of Oceanography website, where donations can be made to the laboratory’s building fund or coral restoration efforts.
Lewis also reminded residents and visitors to stay safe on the water during what is expected to be another hot and busy week.
For more information, click here: https://www.fio.usf.edu/keys-marine-lab/