The coast of northwest Florida is such a biologically rich area that it is considered one of six biodiversity hotspots in the United States. The region within which the Florida State University Coastal & Marine Laboratory is imbedded is relatively untouched by the development that plagues many of Florida's shores. As such, it includes a mosaic of habitats ranging from oyster reefs to seagrass meadows, from freshwater bogs to saltmarshes, with ready access to nearshore sponge reefs and offshore drowned patch reefs. More About Us