University of Florida’s Whitney Lab Begins Construction on Marine Research Institute and Sea Turtle Hospital

Construction has begun on the Marine Research Institute and Sea Turtle Research Center and Hospital at the University of Florida’s Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience. The building, designed by Lord Aeck Sargent and TTV Architects, is planned for LEED Gold certification. DPR is the construction manager.

At over 38,000 sf, the $41.2 million project will replace a facility that is more than 50 years old with less than half the research space. The Marine Research and Conservation Discovery Lobby will welcome visitors to learn about the research programs, the local environment, and sea turtle conservation. Featuring 12 collaborative faculty labs and a natural products chemistry suite for drug discovery, the building will also include:

• Expanded STEM Career Training Center for doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students.
• Regenerative Medicine and Neuroscience Hub
• Sensory Biology / Biomechanics Laboratory Hub
• High Performance Multi Scale Flow Visualization Lab
• Shared Graduate Student Innovation/Maker Suite
• High Performance Multi Scale Flow Visualization Lab

Construction is slated for completion in summer 2025.