Mote is both a working marine research institution and a public aquarium — the largest sharks in the tanks are actual research animals, not just exhibits. The aquarium covers Gulf of Mexico marine life, with touch tanks for rays and horseshoe crabs, a seahorse gallery, and a manatee rehabilitation facility where injured animals recover before release.
It's not as large as a major city aquarium, but the research angle makes it more interesting than most — the displays explain what scientists are actually studying here, which includes red tide ecology, shark biology, and coral reef restoration. An hour to an hour and a half is enough time. Located on City Island near St. Armands.