Renovation of Research Laboratories in the College of Marine Science-MSL Building

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This project renovates a suite of 13 contiguous, outdated and marginally functioning, research laboratories and their associated infrastructure in the Marine Science Laboratory at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science. Renovations will allow students and faculty working in these facilities to carry out state-of-the-art marine research funded by NSF and other agencies in a variety of topical areas such as coral reefs, ocean optics, marine mass spectrochemistry, biogeochemical cycles, climate change, bio-indicator and chemical sensor development, ocean acidification, and plankton studies among others. Renovations include termite repair and installation of metal casework, installation of new fume hoods, and updates to the electrical, 70 year-old plumbing system, 25 year-old HVAC, and to building air handling. The renovation will ameliorate negative conditions that have become health and safety issues. Broader impacts include increasing the infrastructure for science by providing modern and safe resaerch facilities and dramatically increasing capacity for graduate and undergraduate student research training and external user collaborations. the work will also benefit local in-service K-12 science teacher training programs as well as the institution's and faculty's efforts outreach to high school girls through summer oceanography programs and middle school science students via a televised oceanography courses taught by Marine Science faculty.