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Turtle Hospital Updates:
Five de-oiled sea turtles from Mote released in Collier County
Five
sea turtles rescued from oily waters near Louisiana and given follow-up
care at Mote Marine Laboratory were released Sept. 16, in oil-free
waters off Collier County.
These
turtles were released as part of a group of 28 that were rescued and
rehabilitated from the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The
turtles were brought to several Florida facilities for final care and
release.
The
group includes Kemp's ridley and green sea turtles, both endangered
species. The five turtles from Mote are juvenile Kemp's ridleys. The 28
turtles were released by Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida off Goodland.
Since
Aug. 4, Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital has accepted 11
juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtles rescued from Louisiana waters
affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. To date, 10 of these
turtles have been released. One Kemp’s ridley sea turtle from the spill
area — an animal that did not come into direct contact with oil but
whose blood work shows other potential health problems requiring further
monitoring and care — will continue to be treated at Mote.
All
of the Louisiana Kemp’s ridleys brought to Mote since Aug. 4 were first
treated at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans. Mote’s Sea
Turtle Hospital is likely to receive more de-oiled sea turtles in the
coming weeks.
Cold-stunned turtle to be released Monday from Manasota after rehab at Mote
A
sea turtle chilled to the bone by this past winter’s cold snap will be
released Monday from Manasota Key by Mote staff, who helped the turtle
recover from severe cold-related tissue damage.
Nicknamed
“CiCi,” the juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is one of Mote’s three
remaining cold-stress patients. Record low temperatures earlier this
year “cold-stunned” more than 4,500 sea turtles in Florida waters,
causing their body processes to shut down. CiCi will be released at 9:30
a.m. on Monday, Sept. 20 from Manasota Beach. For directions, visit: http://www.bestbeaches.org/manasotabeach/.
Parking is available in the small lot just after the drawbridge. Media
should arrive at least 15 minutes early to cover the release.
CiCi
arrived at Mote on April 17 after being rescued by Laurence Cook, who
was kayaking when he found the turtle weak and unable to dive near
Manasota Key. The turtle is named CiCi after Cook’s mother.
Cook
brought the turtle to shore on his kayak and gave it to volunteers in
Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol, who took it to Mote’s Sea Turtle
Rehabilitation Hospital.
“CiCi
suffered severe exposure, but the full damage wasn’t clear right away,”
said Lynne Byrd, Mote’s animal care coordinator. “Then, when the turtle
started healing, its scutes started falling off all over.”
Scutes
are the broad scales covering the turtle’s bony shell. The turtle
suffered deep wounds, including lesions on the bone of its shell and
skin damage on its neck — possibly from frostbite — before stranding.
Mote staff treated CiCi with antibiotics and a medical paste.
The
turtle required more time and energy than most patients, Byrd said, but
CiCi’s recovery was worth it. “CiCi went through an amazing
transformation during her rehab,” Byrd said. “The wounds have really
healed up and CiCi looks like a different turtle.”
 
Left image: CiCi upon arrival; Right image: CiCi after wounds have healed.
Edgar’s 18th Birthday Party
More
than 150 party animals turned out to bid happy birthday to Edgar the
loggerhead sea turtle on Sept. 15 at Mote Aquarium. Visitors filled our
exhibit “Sea Turtles: Ancient Survivors,” where a not-so-ancient Edgar
celebrated her 18th birthday by snacking on pink, purple and green squid
treats provided by Mote’s animal care staff and interns.
Guests dined on less fishy fare — cupcakes generously provided by Cupcakes a Go-Go and then sang happy birthday to Edgar.
>Want a birthday party as cool as Edgar’s? Check out Mote’s birthday parties for kids at www.mote.org/birthday.
Sept. 22
Mote Science Café: Symphony of the Sea
Curious to know what sea animals and orchestras have in common? Ever wonder about the relationship between music and language?
Enjoy
fine cuisine at Ceviché and come away with a little brain food, too,
during Mote's next Science Café - a conversation about the roles of
sound and music in human society and in the animal world — from 7 p.m.
to 8:30 p.m Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010.
Harkening
back to the days of the popular salons that explored the topics of the
day during the 1920s, Mote Science Cafés are informal discussions that
give everyone the chance to participate. Hosted by "This Week in
Sarasota's" Matt Orr, Mote's Science Café will feature Sarasota
Orchestra Artistic Director Leif Bjaland and Dr. David Mann, head of the
Marine Sensory Biology program at the University of South Florida and
adjunct scientist at Mote.
In
addition to drink specials for $3, Ceviché is offering special tapas
plates for just $5 each. Space is limited. Please RSVP to Mote at
941-388-4441, ext. 172, and come early to get a good seat. Ceviche is at
1216 1st Steet, Sarasota.
Please RSVP by calling 941-388-4441 ext. 172
>Start the conversation early at the Mote Science Café Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/motesciencecafe
>About David Mann: http://www.marine.usf.edu/faculty/david-mann.shtml
>About Leif Bjaland: http://www.sarasotaorchestra.org/leifbjaland.cfm
Register by Sept. 27: Teach-a-Kid Fishing Clinic
Kids
ages 6 to 15 are still invited to reel 'em in and learn from
professional guides and experienced anglers in a fishing clinic at Mote
Aquaculture Research Park in eastern Sarasota County. Young anglers and
their parents can school up on casting, cast netting, fish habitat and
biology, conservation, fishing safety, knot tying, catch-and-release
tactics, Gyotaku (Japanese art of fish printing) and fly fishing. Kids
can try their skills with help from pro anglers and guides at Mote’s
Snook Demonstration Pond. Please arrive by 8:45 a.m. The Teach-a-Kid
Fishing Clinic runs from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at Mote
Aquaculture Research Park, 12300 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, about 7
miles east of Interstate 75. Cost is $10 per child and includes lunch
sponsored by Sarasota Sportsmens Association. Pre-Registration is
required by Monday, Sept. 27. Registration limited to 100 youths. The
first 100 registered kids get a free rod, reel and tackle box courtesy
of Fish Florida.
>For registration and details, visit: www.mote.org/shindig.
Throughout September
Free Mote Ticket for your BFF
Mote
Aquarium is way better with a buddy, say our manatees Hugh and Buffett.
Now you can enjoy Mote with your own best friend through a special
two-for-one admission offer during September 2010.
“30
Days of Discovery” is a special deal providing two-for-one admission to
several Sarasota attractions, including Mote, The John and Mable
Ringling Museum of Art, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the South Florida
Museum, G.WIZ - The Science Museum, Warm Mineral Springs, the Classic
Car Museum and Historic Spanish Point.
>Watch a video on Mote's Facebook page: www.mote.org/30daysvideo.
>Learn more at: www.mote.org/30days.
Throughout September
Good eats, great cause at Columbia
Dining
out can satisfy much more than your appetite — eat at Columbia
Restaurant during September and five percent of your check will support
Mote or another non-profit of your choice. The 13th Annual Columbia
Restaurant Community Harvest builds on 12 years of raising more than $1
million for Florida nonprofit organizations.
Columbia
Restaurant is open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and from 11
a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 365 days a year at 411 St. Armands
Circle, Sarasota. Other participating locations: Tampa's Ybor City, St.
Augustine, The Pier in St. Petersburg, Sand Key on Clearwater Beach,
Central Florida's Town of Celebration, and the new Columbia Café in the
Tampa Bay History Center in Downtown Tampa. For more information about
the Community Harvest program, including a list of participating
nonprofits and restaurant locations, visit www.columbiarestaurant.org or contact Columbia Restaurant in Sarasota at 941-388-3987.
Oct. 7 and Nov. 9
Sign Up Now for Home School Days at Mote
Home-schooled
students and their families can enjoy exciting full-day, ocean-themed
learning experiences led by Mote’s professional marine science educators
in October and November. Home School Days, designed for
pre-kindergarten (age 4) through grade 12, includes age-appropriate
classroom experiences and in-water bay explorations. Home School Days
run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7, and Tuesday, Nov. 9.
Participants should arrive and check in at 9:30 a.m. Pre-registration is
required.
Students
will wade through the waters of Sarasota Bay to learn about coastal
ecosystems and work with nets and other tools. Groups can stroll beneath
the mangroves on a guided bay walk tour and then independently explore
Mote Aquarium, home to more than 100 marine species and to exhibits
showcasing the cutting-edge research of Mote Marine Laboratory.
All
students and adults must bring closed-toed, closed-heel water shoes
(like Aquasocks or Crocs). We recommend bringing a towel, bathing
suit/board shorts, change of clothes, sun protection, a filled water
bottle and walking shoes.
The
cost is $15 per participant ($10 for Mote Members) and includes
admission to Mote Aquarium. Pre-registration and pre-payment are
required by Oct. 1 for the Oct. 7 class and by Nov. 1 for the Nov. 9
class. Sign up now — spots fill up quickly.
Register and learn more at www.mote.org/homeschool.
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