User:Rshalett/Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation (HBOIF) has a stated mission to support the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, a research institute of Florida Atlantic University (FAU). HBOIF provides funding and support for research and education in marine sciences and ocean engineering.

History The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution was founded in 1971 by J. Seward Johnson, Sr., whose vision was the preservation of the environment through a deep, scientific understanding of the ocean. Inventor Edwin A. Link furthered Johnson’s vision with his passion for sea exploration and engineering expertise. Together, Johnson and Link produced countless innovations, most notably the Johnson-Sea-Link Submersibles. Under the auspices of Harbor Branch, Mr. Link invented a unique ocean discovery asset – the underwater submersible that eventually led to a lockout sub with a distinctive acrylic bubble as the forward pilot/observer compartment. When developed, the sub was commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution at its Fort Pierce, FL, Smithsonian Marine Station at the Harbor Branch site and named the Johnson Sea Link after the two donors. The Johnson Sea Link I was recommissioned to Harbor Branch in 1972. In 1975, a second Johnson Sea Link was built. The scientific research dives of the Johnson Sea Links were regular features on National Geographic specials and in its magazine articles in the 1970s and 1980s. Other documentaries that featured the Johnson Sea Link submersible include:

Today, Johnson’s legacy is carried on by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, through its grantmaking to the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, a research institute of Florida Atlantic University.

In December 2007, the assets and parcels of land of the research institute were transferred to FAU and took its current name. To fund the acquisition, the State of Florida allocated $44.6 million in land acquisition costs and one-time construction costs plus $8.5 million in annual operating funds. Today, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution is the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, a research center within Florida Atlantic University. The governing board of the former HBOI then became the governing board of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation which retained other parcels of land, an endowment funded by the J. Seward Johnson, Sr. Charitable Trust Endowment Fund and the Seward Johnson Trust Fund for Oceanography, and as the legislatively-dictated recipient of four Florida Specialty License plates. The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation exists today with a mission to support the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at FAU.

Notable Accomplishments

The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation seeks to find the greatest opportunities to ensure that its grants are high impact and provide maximum visibility and raise the profile of Harbor Branch. Major grants initiatives help protect Florida’s dolphin and whale populations; monitor and safeguard many lagoon and lagoon fish populations; and research and protect Florida’s coral reefs.