Ann and Alfred Goldstein
Marine Mammal Center
The Goldstein
Center houses Mote’s
Animal Care Program, an adjunct to Mote Aquarium. The program is designed
to rehabilitate sea turtles, dolphins and whales that are stranded in the wild
and brought to Mote through the lab’s Stranding Investigations Program. At the
Dolphin and Whale Hospital and the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital,
the animals are cared for until they are well enough to be returned to the
wild.
Sometimes, though the animals’ health improves, they are still unable to fend for themselves in the wild, and state and federal officials – which regulate the care and handling of these animals – say they cannot be released. Some of these unreleasable animals have become permanent residents at Mote.
Mote Marine Laboratory has been a leader in marine research since it was founded in 1955. Today, we incorporate public outreach as a key part of our mission. Mote is an independent nonprofit organization and has seven centers for marine research, the public Mote Aquarium and an Education Division specializing in public programs for all ages.
