About KML

KML’s Impact

For more than 30 years, Keys Marine Laboratory (KML) has offered a unique location, dedicated on-site scientific support, and a comprehensive full-service marine field station. KML is a satellite campus of the University of South Florida (USF) operated by the State of Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO). Strategically located in the heart of the Florida Keys Island chain and surrounded by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, our facility spans eight acres on Long Key in Layton, Florida. With easy access to the Florida Bay, the Everglades National Park, Florida’s Coral Reef and the Atlantic Ocean, KML supports vital research in the subtropical and tropical marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the southeastern United States.

KML serves as a regional hub for academics, researchers, and restoration efforts, supporting over 150 research and academic groups totaling more than 800 individuals annually. The laboratory provides a nexus where leading minds in marine and oceanographic science collaborate to develop solutions for combating environmental challenges and restoring the only living coral barrier reef system in the continental United States.

KML facilitates college-level education and research for institutions and stakeholders at local, state, national, and international levels. Its primary purpose is to function as a hub facilitating a wide range of academic, research, and restoration. Over 41 states and 179 organizations from across the United States and 44 organizations from 26 countries worldwide, have benefited from the services and resources provided by KML.

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KML provides the tools and infrastructure to assist academic and research groups by providing captained vessels for marine field trips and research. Our location in the Middle Keys supports a variety of research projects requiring access to the diverse coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove ecosystems surrounding KML. Multiple temperature-controlled seawater systems at KML provide reef-quality seawater and holding capacity, enabling marine research, including manipulative studies to assess tolerances to current and future reef conditions (e.g. temperature, acidification, nutrient enrichment, pH, etc.) and restoration initiatives for Florida’s Coral Reef.

KML is also a regional hub for critical restoration work on Florida’s Coral Reef and recognized by NOAA as a Coral Reef Research Center. Our temperature-controlled seawater systems provide refuge for thousands of corals maintained by our restoration partners, most notably during the 2023 extreme summer heat and coral bleaching event.

Coral reefs are not only a popular tourist destination but also play a vital role in the economy of Florida, providing essential services such as coastal protection, support for fisheries, and advancements in medical research. In the U.S., coral reefs contribute an estimated $3.4 billion annually through various economic services, including: $200 million from fisheries and $1.8 billion in coastal protection against flooding and property damage. Additionally, nearly one billion people worldwide benefit directly or indirectly from the services provided by coral reef ecosystems.

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