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Mission statement: The invasion into Florida by exotic organisms has reached unprecedented levels. Exotic plants and insects pose a threat not only to agriculture, but also to the preservation of Florida’s unique natural ecosystems. Classical biological control is often the only economically and environmentally sustainable solution to manage exotic pests once they have become firmly established. Quarantine is an important step in a classical biological control program, as the studies conducted within it ensure that exotic natural enemies brought into the state are safe to release. The University of Florida’s Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory at Fort Pierce will introduce and evaluate natural enemies of invasive insects and plants under highly secure laboratory conditions to obtain information required to make informed decisions regarding their release into Florida’s environments. |
History: The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences officially initiated operations in the Biological Control Research & Containment Laboratory (BCRCL) on July 9, 2004 as part of its Indian River Research & Education Center in Ft. Pierce. The 17,000-square-foot facility, funded by the Florida Legislature, is used by entomologists to contain, evaluate, rear and release host-specific insects for biological control of invasive plants and arthropods. Work is conducted in a cooperative environment with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The BCRCL features two sections, one for containment and another for non-containment. The containment section includes two laboratories, one for research on biological control of invasive arthropods and another for research on biological control of invasive plants. Also in the containment area are a maximum security laboratory, a fumigation room, a pass-through autoclave, a fume hood, an olfactometry room, six 64 sq. ft., climate-controlled rearing rooms, a diet preparation room , a cold room and six spacious greenhouses. The greenhouses are constructed of durable lexan and will sustain hurricane winds up to 130 mph. Within the non-containment area are two additional laboratories, a conference room, a camera room and seven offices for scientists, staff, and students. An emergency generator supplies power to critical areas and equipment when outages occur. Maintenance and operation of the facility is funded annually by a grant from the Florida Legislature.
For Directions to BCRCL in Fort Pierce Click Here
Last Edited: 10/01/2007
Number of visits since created:
