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 salt marshes, with ready access to nearshore sponge reefs and offshore drowned patch reefs. More About Us