05/02/2026
Fire crews are actively responding to a fire at the Marine Science Laboratory (MSL).
While the cause is unclear, The Crow’s Nest received reports of either a chemical fire or a lightning strike as the cause.�
At approximately 5 p.m., USF St. Petersburg students were met with sirens and a scene of smoke billowing from the peninsula of the St. Petersburg campus. University faculty working near the area are being evacuated. �
The MSL is among the oldest buildings on the St. Petersburg, where the campus’s first classes were held in 1965. �
It was originally opened in 1939 as a maritime service training station. It currently houses research labs and faculty offices for the Marine Science Program.��This is a developing story.
🎥 Video courtesy of Joe Farías Alencar.