The Benthic program's focus is on the science and ecology of bottom dwelling organisms and the response of these organisms to environmental disturbance. Since the inception of the program in 1979, hundreds of research projects and monitoring studies have been conducted for Federal, State and local agencies, businesses, and industries. In addition, it has coordinated large multidisciplinary projects such as environmental assessments drawing upon the research programs within other Mote centers such as Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, Fisheries Enhancement, Ecotoxicology, Phytoplankton Ecology, Coral Reef Research, and Shark Research. </p>