Connecting people to oceans.
For over 30 years, REEF has been helping people build meaningful connections with the oceans and empowering them to make a difference. Now, we are dreaming bigger in our pursuit of healthy, thriving oceans. We are very excited to share our plans for a new, state-of-the-art education center at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida.
The Ocean Exploration Center for Marine Conservation will inspire curiosity and wonder for the oceans, foster scientific research and collaboration, and serve as an immersive experience that helps everyone discover their unique role in protecting our blue planet.
This $6 million initiative is a pivotal next chapter for REEF and our ocean conservation mission. The grand opening is planned for June 7-8, 2025, to coincide with World Ocean Day. You're invited to join us in Key Largo, Florida, to celebrate! Visit www.REEF.org/OECgrandopening for details on the grand opening, and read on to learn more about the Center.
We're in the home stretch! Thanks to generous donors, we’ve raised 93% of the $6 million in funds needed to turn this dream into a reality. You can be part of the legacy, and support the Center by taking part in a $100,000 Challenge Grant! REEF members Byron and Sheila Bishop will match new donations and pledges to the Center made before June 30, 2025, doubling the impact of your gift! Click the button below to learn more.
Click here to support the Ocean Exploration Center for Marine Conservation
More than a museum or education center
The Center will be a launchpad for inspiring future ocean stewards, pioneering research, fostering collaboration, and transforming marine conservation. Visitors - both in person and online - will be empowered as citizen scientists, and become equipped with the knowledge, tools, and resources to act as guardians of our blue planet. Central to our ‘Oceans for All’ values, the Center will be free and open to the public - the only such visitor attraction in the area.
Renowned leaders, scientists, researchers, and arts and humanities scholars will convene at the Center to collaborate and address the challenges facing today’s oceans. Permanent and rotating exhibits will celebrate excellence in scientific innovation, history, humanities, and arts.
In the Florida Keys, the ocean is our classroom.
REEF’s 30-plus year legacy as a global leader in conservation is rooted in Key Largo. As one of the premier US destinations to experience the ocean up close, the Florida Keys are an ideal place to foster meaningful and long-lasting connections to the marine environment. More than 5 million people visit the Florida Keys each year, and the Ocean Exploration Center will help to drive positive change and motivate people to take action to protect the oceans.
Interested in learning more?
We hope you are as excited as we are about seeing this incredible vision come to life, and we would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. If you would like to chat about this project and how to get involved, please email martha@REEF.org or christy@REEF.org to get in touch.