2025 Perfect Pitch Honoree

Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO of of Mote Marine Laboratory

Dr. Crosby has over 35 years of diverse research, teaching, science management and leadership endeavors. He has developed, managed and conducted major multi-disciplinary research project and partnerships with numerous universities, national and international science and resource management agencies, programs and committees. Many of these endeavors focused on improving the “synthesis, translation and transfer” of science and technical information between research, public policy and stakeholder communities.

In May 2013, after serving for three years as Mote’s Senior Vice President for Research, Dr. Crosby was appointed as President & CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, an independent research institution that has been a leader in marine science, education and public outreach for nearly 70 years. He has secured over $80 million in research grants along with over $200 million in philanthropic support for marine research and STEM education, published over 60 science manuscripts, edited several books, and his past leadership appointments include: Associate Vice President, Research and Economic Development, George Mason University; Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Hawai’i, Hilo; Executive Director, National Science Board of the National Science Foundation; Senior Advisor for International Science Policy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Executive Director for the NOAA Science Advisory Board; and Chief Scientist & National Research Coordinator at NOAA for all U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries and National Estuarine Research Reserves. He has also held numerous faculty positions with the Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research at the University of South Carolina, the Department of Marine Science at Coastal Carolina University, the Graduate Program at the University of Charleston, and Salisbury State University, as well as science positions with the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and National Cancer Institute-NIH.

Dr. Crosby has consistently been named as one of the 25 most influential executive leaders in life sciences for the State of Florida, led the growth of Mote to become the top ranked revenue generating cultural nonprofit in southwest Florida, and in 2023 was named a “Living Legend” by Florida Trends Magazine for being one of the State of Florida’s most influential business leaders by creating positive waves of change. He is also Past-President for Sigma Xi-The Scientific Research Society, past Chair of the Florida Institute of Oceanography Council, Co-chair for the 2002 Middle East Regional Science Symposium and Workshop: Butterflyfish (Family Chaetodontidae) Research and Monitoring, Invited Keynote Speaker for the 2016 International Conference on the Marine Environment of the Red Sea (ICMERS), Invited Keynote Speaker for the 2022 International Conference on the Red Sea Ecosphere: Aspects of Conservation and Management of Red Sea Environment, Past-Chair of the Board for Southeast Coastal Ocean Observations Regional Association, and continues to serve on the Boards of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean (Past-President), Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital, Institute for Venture Science, and Pacific Congress on Marine Science and Technology (Past-President).