Mote Marine Laboratory’s coral reef research facility in the Florida Keys has become the first U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Commercial certified building in Monroe County, honoring its eco-friendly design and construction. Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration (IC2R3), which opened in May 2017, is advancing Mote’s critical mission: marine research supporting conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Dovetailing with that mission, LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is the world’s most widespread rating system for green buildings, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). With Mote’s specifications in mind, Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc., built IC2R3 to include 30.1 kilowatt solar panels, a rainwater capture system, significant proportions of recycled and local building materials, and other eco-friendly features. The facility offers scientists and students eight residential suites, five offices, two wet labs and one prep lab on the second floor, three dry labs, one prep lab and one ocean acidification lab on the third floor, two electric car charging stations, two indoor classrooms and one outdoor classroom.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium