Pool News
A Sneak Peek at the new Mote Science Education Aquarium
One of the most incredible new projects on our radar is the new Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA) currently in development and planned for Sarasota, FL.
The new 110,000 square foot marine science education aquarium will be built on 12 acres on the northern end of Nathan Benderson Park. The construction of the facility is expected to have a $280 million economic impact on the city of Sarasota.
About Mote Marine & The New SEA Facility
Mote Marine Laboratory is a non-profit marine research organization centered on City Island in Sarasota, Florida, with other sites in eastern Sarasota County, Boca Grande, and the Florida Keys. Originally founded in Placida, Florida, the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory was established in 1955 by Eugenie Clark. It was recognized as such until 1967 when it was renamed in honor of major benefactor, William R. Mote and the contributions he and his family had made.
The laboratory’s mission is to enhance marine science and education while also promoting marine conservation and sustainability. For the general public, study is interpreted through a public aquarium and related education programs.
Mote SEA Breaks Ground
The new Mote SEA facility which broke ground in October of 2020 and is projected to open in early 2023, is part of a $130 million dollar facility planned for the region. More than 65,000 children from Sarasota and Manatee counties will benefit from Mote SEA’s interactive state-of-the-art STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) teaching labs and free educational programming. Mote SEA will be used to support their expanding scientific and technology programs, and expanded research facilities.
We were excited to learn more about the project and interviewed Michael Moore and Dan Bebak at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium along with Vito Mariano, President of Basecrete Technologies who has been consulting on the waterproofing aspects of the project.
Science Education Aquarium a Boon For Sarasota Community
“We are first and foremost a Marine research science laboratory,” said Dan Bebak, V.P. and Director of Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory, “the interest in the aquarium concept grew out of William R. Mote desire and some scientists at the time, to talk to the public about the research that the laboratory was doing and put a public face on our research.”
The aquarium portion of the currently facility displays more than 100 marine species including sharks, manatees, sea turtles, seahorses, rays, skates, and invertebrates including cuttlefish, octopuses, sea jellies, anemones, and corals. Other resident animals, such as sea turtles and river otters which are cared for by the trained staff and volunteers of the facility.
Emphasis on STEM and Workforce Development
“The impetetus for the new Science Education Aquarium is tied to the growth of research. In our City Island campus here, we are literally out of room. The concept was to build a new state of the art facility focusing not only on the public exhibits, but on STEM education. We’re going to have three interactive classes there hosting about 70,000 students every year to make use of those research laboratories totally free of charge,” said Bebak.
The three new STEM labs will be focused on Marine Ecology and Ocean Technology, while the third will deal with Bio Medical research. With resources and laboratories dedicated to workforce development, the excitement of expansion is focused on the educational benefits Mote SEA will offer the Sarasota community.
A large reason for the growth of the facility has to do with what is happening in our oceans and Mote’s researchers are right on the front lines. Expanding their conservation research is critical to their mission. “I think most of our exciting work we do is in coral reef restoration in the Florida keys, Turkey and the Carribean,” said Bebak, “we’re working with scientists around the world to grow these more resilient genotypes of corral and repopulate some of the damaged reef tracts that have been impacted by ocean acidification, temperature changes, and different diseases.”
Mote is Building a World Class Research Facility
The challenges of funding a world-class facility of this nature are considerable. In describing the process, Michael Moore, Special Advisor for Mote Marine elaborated. “$130 million by some standards is not a huge campaign but in our case, it’s the largest in the region that’s ever been done in.”
“The board and our CEO Dr. Michael Crosby have said we need to have all the commitments and pledges in place before we can actually start vertical construction of the building. So because a lot of people like to see something underway before they’ll step in and participate, it’s presented some challenges in that regard,” said Moore.
Getting Mote SEA Construction Started
“The 12 acres we’re actually building on is in a lake. We have to drain it, demuck it, put in the dirt and pack it down before we can even begin construction,” explained Moore, “for the funding, since it is the largest project in the region, we’re looking at three different sources, our philanthropic community, two counties are providing funding and the state, and corporate sponsorship. This building with 700,000 visitors a year, there’s a lot of opportunity there. We’re well on our way with over $90 million committed already.”
The team contracted to design the facility include TDS Design in Atlanta, who were the lead architects for the Georgia Aquarium, AOA Studios out of Orlando, FL. Two well known contracting firms Willis Smith Construction and Whiting-Turner will be working in partnership handling construction of the project.
On this specific type of facility, there are many different environmental concerns when using the different types of enclosures that will have to support marine life. “One of the challenges we’ve had here are is that this is a three store building. Some of our larger exhibits like the manatees and river otters are on the top floor. The Gulf of Mexico exhibit stands two floors,” said Bebak, “building a big pool on the roof of a hotel is a perfect example of kind of a similar thing. We’ve had to engineer it all so that it all supports itself.”
The Team Behind The Mote SEA Project
“Our lead engineers are EXP,” said Bebak, “the life support design and filtration, pumps motors, bio filters and ozone is being engineered by PCA Global out of San Diego. There’s a lot of materials involved but working with Basecrete’s been great, they’ve actually donated materials we’ve used here for our river otters and gator habitats and it’s been a great product. All of the products have to be resilient, we’re in there scrubbing down walls, animals are in there rubbing against it. Of course they have to be non-toxic because we have animals living in there.”
Waterproofing, Weatherproofing & Sustainability
Seeing as that aquatic enclosures are going to be suspended on the second and third floor of the structure, we asked Vito Mariano who has worked on numerous projects for Tampa, Miami, and Toronto Zoos what some of the technical challenges were with waterproofing these type of vessels.
“Deflection is probably the biggest issue we deal with. Depending on how much movement, how much support the beams and posts that are supporting it. We have pools that are 30, 40 stories up and sometimes they are quite challenging,” said Mariano, “if it goes beyond a certain percentage of movement we may have some difficulty. We want to make sure they are structurally sound enough before we do any waterproofing.”
“Waterproofing for marine life is a different challenge, we want to make sure that these animals are well taken care of and there’s no VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) or toxicities. Any elements that are harmful to marine life, we want to make sure that’s encapsulated,” said Mariano.
“Waterproofing and weather proofing is extremely important,” said Bebak, “there’s a lot of propriety additives in concrete mixes so we want to avoid water intrusion, cracking.”
Sustainability of the eco-environment is a big concern to Bebak, “We’re about 10 miles from the coast and so all of our seawater needs recirculating systems. In order to recapture as much of that saltwater and fresh water as we can we’re going to be using backwash recovery systems,” explained Bebak, “we’ll actually refilter and clean up that backwash, remove as much concentrated organic material as we can before that goes to waste. We’re also going to have heat exchangers that capture the thermal mass because we have to heat and cool water. All of these tanks require different temperatures all the way from our manatees to our penguins. To save on electricity we recapture the heat and cold from the backwash water to save as much as we can on utility costs.”
The design concept for the life support system and the plans to deploy green technologies to lower the carbon footprint of the facility are in line with the organizations goals for sustainability. This coupled with the exciting design plans for the Mote Sea facility make this intriguing project, one we’re following closely.
Learn more about this incredible project, and the Mote Marine mission on the Pool Magazin Podcast.
Poolside Adventures and Landmark Aquatic have joined forces to bring big-impact attractions with a small footprint to aquatic facilities across the country. The partnership pairs Poolside Adventures’ AquaClimb®, AquaZip’N® and AquaNinja® FLX attractions with Landmark’s expansive nationwide reach and proven expertise in aquatic facility design, construction, renovation, and maintenance.
Poolside Adventures attractions add excitement to aquatic facilities without a major renovation because they anchor directly to an existing pool deck with no water hookups, special tools or added concrete and reinforcement. In fact, the modular AquaClimb® walls can start with one section and grow with budgets. The AquaZip’N® is rapidly becoming a new, safer alternative to diving boards as it only requires four feet of water depth, can be installed in just a few hours, and has a throughput of six riders a minute.
“Some municipalities can’t afford a new water park or perhaps cannot renovate their pool this year,” said Cherie Moy, VP of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships for Poolside Adventures. “Our products are an easy answer: a big impact with a small footprint, adding an ‘active attraction’ that makes the pool more exciting.”
“Landmark has a large footprint across the country, and we’re especially excited about their reach into HOA communities, a growing market where our partnership has already led to multiple installations,” said Moy. “Together, we will help clients find the right fit for their space, their budget and to add action and adventure to their pool experience.”
Matt Cappello, Vice President of Design at Landmark Aquatic agrees saying, “We’re excited to collaborate with Poolside Adventures to promote the versatility, ease of installation and entertainment value their products will bring to more pools across the country.”
About Landmark
Since 1967, Landmark Aquatic has helped communities and organizations bring complex aquatic facilities to life and keep them performing. Today, we are the nation’s largest integrated commercial aquatics platform, providing design, construction, renovation, restoration, and maintenance services nationwide. Our construction-led expertise and long-term service capabilities give customers one trusted partner across every stage of a facility’s lifecycle. For the life of your pool. Learn more at www.landmarkaquatic.com.
About Poolside Adventures
For more than 20 years, Poolside Adventures’ flagship AquaClimb® has led the market for poolside climbing walls. Its full line, including the AquaClimb® Luxe, AquaZip’N® and AquaNinja® FLX, delivers challenging, safe fun for swimmers of all ages. For more about Poolside Adventures visit www.aquaclimb.com.
Vic Harshman brings extensive pool building experience to key leadership role
- Decades of proven pool construction experience across Nevada, Arizona and Texas
- Previously served as Shasta Pools’ exclusive excavation contractor
- Predecessor handpicked Harshman to grow position under new leadership team
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (October 5, 2026) – Shasta Pools, Phoenix Metro’s most recognized pool builder, named Vic Harshman as Head of Residential Construction. Harshman joins the new leadership team with more than three decades of hands-on industry experience and a long-standing relationship with the company to one of its most critical leadership roles.
Harshman has held senior construction leadership positions in Arizona and Texas, and worked closely with Shasta Pools, developing firsthand knowledge about the company’s standards, culture and customers. The appointment reflects the momentum Shasta Pools has built since its August 6 acquisition by Dansons Capital Group, Accrual Equity Partners, and Hydro Construction, and positions the full-service 60-year old pool company for continued growth.
Leadership Perspective
“Vic brings exactly the kind of no-nonsense, customer-first leadership our residential construction division needs,” said Jeff Thiessen, President, Dansons Capital Group. “His philosophy is deeply aligned with ours. Keeping customers’ needs as the foremost priority at every stage of the build process is at the center of everything we do, and Vic lives that every day.”
Harshman’s career in pool construction began at age 19, when he purchased a backhoe and launched a business digging plumbing trenches and footings. When the housing market declined in the late 1980s, he relocated to Las Vegas and began excavating swimming pools, a move that led to the creation of Harshman Excavating.
Harshman built and operated excavation businesses in Nevada, Arizona and Texas, primarily serving the pool industry, and served for a period as Shasta’s exclusive excavation contractor.
In 2012, Harshman joined A&A Manufacturing, serving pool builders across an eight-state region and growing annual sales by 10x. In 2020, he joined Keith Zars Pools in Texas as Director of Construction, where he brought together decades of ownership, leadership and industry knowledge.
A Return Rooted in Relationships
“I have always believed that strong relationships, hard work, accountability and taking care of people are the foundation of a successful business,” said Vic Harshman, Head of Residential Construction, Shasta Pools. “Shasta has been a meaningful part of my career for many years. I am genuinely excited to come back and help lead this team into a very exciting future.”
Harshman steps into the role with the full support of Dan Thiessen, Chairman of the new ownership team, and John Mortensen, the outgoing head of residential construction. Mortensen recommended Harshman for the position and will now serve as the company’s lead trainer. That transition reflects Shasta Pools’ commitment to investing in its people and preserving institutional knowledge as the organization continues to grow.
ABOUT SHASTA POOLS:
Shasta Pools is Arizona’s trusted name in custom pool building, proudly serving the Valley since 1966. For 60 years, Shasta has transformed backyards into beautiful, functional spaces where families relax, entertain and enjoy life. The company specializes in new pool construction, remodeling, pool service and landscape design with plans for expansion into the home services market to provide customers with complete home care solutions. Learn more at ShastaPools.com.
ABOUT DANSONS CAPITAL GROUP:
Dansons Capital Group, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a family-owned and family-managed investment firm built on shared values, integrity and long-term vision. The firm was established by the founders of Dansons, Inc., the company that launched and sold Pit Boss Grills. The company takes a hands-on approach, actively seeking opportunities across global markets and multiple asset classes. Its growing portfolio includes strategic real estate development holdings across multiple countries, oil drilling technologies, and limited partnership investments. Guided by a deep commitment to quality and the communities they serve, the Thiessen family leads with gratefulness for the blessings God has given them and in turn supports those less fortunate. Dansons Capital Group continues to identify and cultivate opportunities that reflect their family’s values and generational vision.
ABOUT ACCRUAL EQUITY PARTNERS:
Accrual Equity Partners (AEP) is a founder-led, privately funded private equity group built on the belief that every person, every percentage, and every product matters. This commitment, known as the “Power of One,” drives AEP’s mission to empower businesses and secure legacies across fragmented, service-based industries. AEP partners with founder-led and family-owned businesses to overcome barriers and unlock their full potential through strategic investment, operational performance enhancement, and advisory services. For more information, visit AccrualEquityPartners.com.
ABOUT HYDRO CONSTRUCTION:
Hydro Construction, LLC (HydroCon) was founded in 1986 to serve Arizona’s commercial pool construction and renovation market. Under the leadership of Curt Lonsdale, the company’s commercial pool construction division now manages some of the largest and most complex projects in the country.
Flowood, MS, October 1 – The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) is pleased to announce the addition of Jennifer Ibe as Membership and Sponsorship Sales Manager and Rachel Smith as Membership Marketing Manager. The two new positions strengthen NTCA’s focus on membership growth, retention, engagement, and delivering greater value to members.
“Growing and strengthening our membership is a key priority for the NTCA, and Jennifer and Rachel bring the experience and expertise to help us do that,” said Jeremy Sax, Deputy Director of NTCA. “Their complementary skills will allow us to take a more strategic approach to both membership development and the overall member experience.”
Jennifer Ibe, Membership and Sponsorship Sales Manager
Ibe brings more than 10 years of experience in association events, sales, sponsorships, relationship management, and strategic growth. Most recently, she served as Director of Sponsorship and Sales for the Global Workspace Association, where she led major conferences, sponsorship development, budgets, and initiatives that increased attendance by 33% and profitability by 30%.
At the NTCA, Ibe will lead membership recruitment, retention, re-engagement, and relationship development while supporting sponsorship and partner revenue opportunities. She will also represent the NTCA at major industry events and help strengthen relationships with members and prospective members.
Ibe holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Rachel Smith, Membership Marketing Manager
Smith brings extensive association experience in membership, communications, digital engagement, and member programming. Most recently, she served as Digital Communications Manager for the Association of Electric Companies of Texas. Previously, as Director of Membership for the Texas Economic Development Council, she managed more than 1,000 members and developed programs to increase member engagement and networking. She also served as Membership Coordinator for the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, where she managed more than 5,000 members and led new-member onboarding and retention initiatives.
At NTCA, Smith will focus on member onboarding, retention campaigns, communications, digital engagement, webinars, events, and community development. She will also support membership analytics and digital initiatives aimed at strengthening the member experience.
Smith holds a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Social Justice from West Virginia Wesleyan College.
“Jennifer’s focus on relationship-building and membership development, combined with Rachel’s experience in member communications and engagement, gives us a strong team focused on every stage of the member journey,” Sax added. “We’re excited about what this means for our members and for the future growth of NTCA.”
About NTCA
Established in 1947, the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to the professional installation of ceramic tile and natural stone. It is widely recognized as the largest and most respected tile contractors’ association in the world. For those seeking to improve their tile business, NTCA provides unparalleled educational experiences, supportive peer interaction, unique cost-savings programs, and a commitment to help develop the skills needed to improve your work, recruit, train, and manage your employees, and ultimately, make your business more profitable. Find out more at www.tile-assn.com.
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