Industry Profiles

Commercialize It! SRI International Marine Sciences division is working with USF to create innovative solutions in port defense and alternative energy.

Marine Sciences – Water in the Bay and Beyond

 
The natural wonder of Tampa Bay, long valued and enjoyed by both residents and visitors, has spawned a growing cluster of companies and institutes dedicated to innovation and commercialization of marine science technology and services.  SRI-St. Petersburg, the University of South Florida College of Marine Science - Center for Ocean Technology and the US Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Science Center are on the cutting edge of renewable energy, ocean monitoring, and homeland defense research.  Recently these institutes and others, along with businesses such as Marine Desalination Systems – currently assisting NASA-sponsored research to measure gas hydrates on Mars, Saturn’s moon Titan, and comets – and CodaOctopus have created a formal collaborative alliance to further develop this cluster.
 
 
The region also is home to a thriving aquacultural and marine “edu-tainment” industry.  Tampa Bay historically accounts for two-thirds of the state’s annual $50M-plus ornamental fish production.  Mote Marine Aquarium, the Florida Aquarium and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium investigate and advance marine mammal prosthetics, coral farming, and fresh fish farming and now even caviar!