Welcome to MRDF!Marine Resources Development Foundation (MRDF) is a 501(c)3 organization, created in 1970 with the goal of developing a better understanding of earth's marine resources. It has evolved into an organization with both an educational and scientific focus. Since 1985, nearly 5,000 students each year have been introduced to the ocean through our MarineLab STEM education programs. Through the years, we have hosted students from grades 5 - 12, college groups, teacher workshops and Elderhostel (now Road Scholars). Currently, our education programs focus on connecting students with active research projects through our partnerships with researchers and citizen science opportunities. We also strive to help the general public understand the use and benefits of living and working in the sea through our interactive MarineLab Undersea Lab Museum. Support our ProgramsDonations are gratefully accepted to support our missions. We have two specific programs, or you can make a general donation. General donations are used to upgrade our equipment and enhance our campus.
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Bill Haynes, who brought our first students to MRDF and later become an instructor with us, recently passed away. The family has named us as their choice for donations in Bill's memory. We are humbled and grateful! Donors may choose to donate to one of the following programs, or make a general donation. 
Art Mitchell was the Director of the MarineLab Education Program for 20 years. He was instrumental in designing
the MarineLab program and much of our core curriculum remains structured the same way, over 30 years later. Art firmly believed that all students should have access to learning about the ocean. We have created this fund to give scholarships to students from Florida Title I schools so they can attend a MarineLab program with their classmates.
The MarineLab Undersea Laboratory was retrieved from the lagoon floor in March 2018 and renovated to become an interactive museum, available to students of all ages! This fund is used to keep the museum maintained and improve the museum's internal displays and activities.