Marine Exploration Center St. Petersburg

The Marine Exploration Center is an immersive marine life research facility dedicated to educating, entertaining while protecting and conserving our delicate and robust marine habitats.  

Located at the Port of St Petersburg with a view of the beautiful Bayboro Harbor, we are conveniently adjacent to the University of South Florida College of Marine Science and led by a premier consortium for marine science known as The St. Petersburg Ocean Team. 

With such partnered leadership, The MEC serves as the epicenter and public face for the marine research, technology and innovation taking place within marine science, oceanographic, and environmental research in the Southeast United States.

The Marine Exploration Center provides a visionary, multi purpose facility and collaborative that will help all of us understand our connection with the ocean.  An active research facility exploring the living sea. 

Find yourself immersed in the awe-inspiring story of the sea through 11 interactive and entertaining museum style exhibits. Engage for a day of exploration through purposeful research. Be in awe of the vibrant marine animals featured in our state of the art aquariums.  Watch a film or join a live feed from a NOAA Rover at sea on our 3D Digital Video wall. All this fun while learning to protect and conserve the world we live in and the waters that surround us right here in Tampa Bay.