On Monday,  Mote Marine Laboratory (Mote) and Boy Scouts of America, Florida National High Adventure Sea Base (BSA Sea Base), formalized a collaboration combining Mote’s leadership in coral reef research and restoration with BSA’s Marine STEM Adventure program. This new initiative will enhance Mote’s existing partnership with BSA while benefiting coral reefs and encouraging young people to excel as ocean stewards.   The partnership was celebrated with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by Mote President & CEO Dr. Michael P. Crosby and BSA Sea Base General Manager Mike Johnson at Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration (IC2R3) on Summerland Key. The MOU outlines the collaboration in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education initiatives, conservation and research, citizen science and public outreach on priority ocean topics: particularly coral reef restoration and research.