International
Marine Science Diplomacy
In 1949, Mote Founding Director EuGenie Clark, Ph.D. spent time collecting specimens for the American Museum of Natural History from Fais Island in the Pacific Ocean. Here, she enjoys a conversation outside the island chieftan’s abai.
International Roots Mote Marine Laboratory’s scientific research has a long standing history of international reach and impact. In the late 1950’s Mote co-founder Dr. Genie Clark received a prestigious collaborative grant to bring the shark research methods she developed at Mote to the Middle East. Since Dr. Clark made that first trip to the Red Sea, Mote has experienced tremendous growth both locally and internationally. Today, 19 of Mote’s scientists are working on 136 projects that take them all over the world in pursuit of science-based marine conservation programs. Mote also has in place a dozen formal partnership agreements with collaborating organizations, that allows us to bring key stakeholders together on the international stage.
A Global Vision — Mote International Center for Marine Science Diplomacy
Today’s Research | Tomorrow’s Oceans
The core of Mote’s 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan is to significantly expand the institution’s world-class marine science research and deliver responsible public service to local, regional, national and international communities. As an internationally recognized and trusted leader in marine science, Mote is able to bring key stakeholders together for the
purpose of developing innovative solutions to the most pressing environmental issues, while also easing tensions on the international world stage through cooperative marine science programs. To this end, Mote seeks to employ marine science partnerships as a vehicle for doing much more than just “good science”, by establishing an International Center for Marine Science Diplomacy. As an independent organization, Mote is uniquely positioned to serve as a catalyst for improving international relations through cooperative marine science action while providing nations with competing interests a forum in which to build international partnerships, improve trans-boundary relationships and facilitate goodwill between peoples of differing cultures. The Mote International Center for Marine Science Diplomacy will be a conduit for international research partnerships, sharing best practices for science-based marine conservation and sustainable-use and establishing positive working relationships between the next generation of scientists around the world. The following international marine science partnerships serve as examples of the groundbreaking models that Mote seeks to expand upon.
The Red Sea Marine Peace Park Cooperative Research, Monitoring and Management Program (RSMPP Program) The RSMPP was a joint undertaking between the government of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that fostered trans-boundary cooperation leading to greater conservation and sustainable use of the outstanding coral reef ecosystems. Mote CEO, Dr. Michael Crosby, was instrumental in brokering the 1995 agreement between the two nations and served as director of this novel multi-year trans-boundary program.
Tri-national Partnership The U.S., Mexico and Cuba share the Gulf of Mexico and the challenges of marine