Miami Fort Lauderdale, FL, June 17, 2026 —

Lightning Strike Destroys University of South Florida Marine Science Lab

A marine science laboratory building at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus was destroyed by a fire last month. The cause of the fire was determined to be a lightning strike.

Researchers are currently working to salvage years of scientific work and millions of dollars worth of equipment that was housed in the building. Some of the samples collected, including those from Antarctica, are reportedly difficult to replace.

In response to the destruction, the community has initiated support efforts for the recovery process. These efforts have successfully raised over $500,000 to aid in the rebuilding and recovery of the lost research and equipment.

Story summarized from the original created by Matthew Garcia on wsvn.com, see more information here.

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