The mission of the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory is to develop new strategies for responsible aquaculture and educate the community about aquatic organisms through research demonstrations and hands-on learning programs.

Quietly tucked next to Tracking Station Beach Park, the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory (VBML) is a field laboratory established in 1981 as a satellite campus for Florida Institute of Technology. This 4-acre oceanfront property offers an excellent setting for aquaculture. Fitted with three well points, the system pumps seawater directly from the Atlantic Ocean into various aquaculture systems and tanks for production and scientific research. From single celled algae, shrimp, and seahorses, a wide range of organisms have been studied for farming purposes. Since 2001, researchers from all over the world, private companies, and students have utilized the facility and published dozens of scientific articles.