Newsroom
| A Year in Review: Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in 2012 | | |
| Published Saturday, December 22, 2012 |
|
Media Contact & Holiday Info: Please note that Mote's administrative and research offices are closed through Jan. 2. However, Communications Director Nadine Slimak and Public Relations Coordinator Hayley Rutger are reachable via cell phone during the holiday break.
|
| A Year in Review: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in 2012 |
Mote Marine Laboratory is proud to wrap up this year of remarkable marine research, new scientific partnerships around the globe and exciting expansions to our education and outreach efforts.
Before we dive into 2013, though, we invite our supporters to take a closer look at Mote’s top news from 2012, including many stories that are still unfolding.
Mote is dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans and to informal science education and outreach for people of all ages. This winning combination sets Mote apart from its peers worldwide and makes the Lab and Aquarium a perfect Southwest Florida gem. |
| Take a Closer Look |
In 2012, Mote’s researchers brought in more than $8 million in grants, contracts and cooperative agreements on a wide range of studies critical to the region’s environment and also supporting Southwest Florida’s economy.
Our efforts resulted in 85 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and in popular media, as well as new books and book chapters. Mote scientists also expanded their international partnerships with researchers in Japan, Israel and other nations and continued current and developed new vital partnerships in our own community.
Mote continued its mission to foster science and ocean literacy. Our school and public programs reached nearly 17,000 people, and our Mote Mobile and other traveling exhibits reached more than 260,000 people. Mote laid the foundation for new education programs starting in 2013 in Charlotte County and Mote hosted 50 high school interns and 170 college interns — both new records.
The Aquarium at Mote welcomed an estimated 360,000 visitors, partly due to the success of our limited-time exhibit Penguin Island, which wrapped up in April 2012. In December, Mote debuted its new limited-time exhibit: Sea Lions: On The Water’s Edge.
Another 1,600 area residents volunteered at Mote, sharing their time and expertise as Aquarium docents, behind-the-scenes contributors and even research assistants in the Lab. In all, they donated 212,500 service hours, for a value of $4.6 million.
- For high-resolution photos from the press release, please contact Hayley at 941-374-0081 or hrutger@mote.org.
|
| January |
Former First Lady Tours Mote
Former First Lady Laura Bush toured Mote Marine Laboratory on Jan. 11 to meet Mote’s world-class research scientists and encounter some of Florida’s most iconic marine species.
Mrs. Bush met Mote’s resident manatees Hugh and Buffett, the world’s only manatees trained to participate in research, and visited Mote scientists who are shedding new light on the sensory biology and behavior of sharks — top predators that play crucial roles in ocean ecosystems. She also met Mote researchers leading renowned studies of coral reef ecosystems, which are impacted by ocean acidification and disease.
Mote was honored to host the former First Lady, who has championed ocean conservation and protection of the Gulf of Mexico.
|
New Exhibit Highlights Unsurpassed Bone Collection at Mote
A new exhibit on the nationally-recognized collection of dolphin and whale bones at Mote opened on Jan. 21.
The exhibit spotlights the Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection, which holds more than 650 bone specimens from 17 species of dolphin and whale. The collection was honored in July 2011 with accreditation from the nationwide American Society of Mammalogists, which called the collection’s scientific value unsurpassed. The accreditation is the highest seal of approval for such collections and marks the Osteological Collection as a treasured scientific resource.
The new exhibit, located near the gift shop in The Aquarium at Mote, honors the exceptional work of Ruth DeLynn, the Mote adjunct scientist and volunteer who founded the Osteological Collection and has curated it for more than 30 years.
|
Mote Featured in International Journal on the Gulf of Mexico
Mote’s 57-year history of marine science and education was featured during January in a special issue of an international journal about Gulf of Mexico research.
Mote’s unique story — from its founding by famous “Shark Lady” Dr. Eugenie Clark in 1955 to its world-class marine research today — is now published in Gulf of Mexico Science, a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to disseminating knowledge about the Gulf and surrounding areas. The journal is distributed across the U.S. and as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
|
| February |
Mote and USF Sarasota-Manatee Announce Partnership on Marine Science-Based Initiative
On Feb. 10, the leaders of Mote and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee signed a new agreement designed to create closer ties between the two organizations and lead to the development of new classrooms and teaching laboratories on Mote’s campus.
Through the agreement, USFSM will complete the build-out of classrooms and teaching laboratories in Mote’s Ann and Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Research and Rehabilitation Center, which already houses a conference room and offices for Mote staff dedicated to dolphin, sea turtle and manatee conservation programs. The buildout will include dry teaching labs, wet teaching labs, a lab support room, two research labs, offices, two academic support rooms and a lounge.
The Mote-USFSM partnership will serve to link the growing USFSM undergraduate science degree programs with both innovative basic research and applied science and technology programs taking place at Mote and bring even more students to Mote’s campus each year.
- Status Update, Dec. 2012: The build-out is under way at Mote. Plans were developed by Fawley-Bryant Architects and the construction is being completed by Willis A. Smith Construction Inc. USFSM students will begin using the facility in fall 2013.
|
Mote Hosts U.S.-Israeli Scientific Leaders, Announces Mote-Israel Cooperative Program
Scientific leaders from Israel and the U.S. — members of the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation’s Board of Governors — met to advance research between the two nations on Feb. 7 and 8 at Mote Marine Laboratory. Mote recently announced its own new efforts for international research: the Mote-Israel Cooperative Research Program.
|
| March |
Mote Names New Chief Advancement Officer
Mote was pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Waters of Sarasota as the nonprofit marine research organization’s new Chief Advancement Officer.
Mr. Waters, who assumed the new role on April 9, is leading the organization’s fundraising and brand development efforts as defined within Mote’s 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan, which was adopted unanimously by Mote’s Board of Trustees at the beginning of 2011. The 2020 Vision serves as the blueprint guiding Mote’s marine research, education, outreach and policy advice programs designed to meet the critical needs facing our oceans in this century and beyond.
|
| March/April |
Tiny Sea Turtle Treated at Mote’s Hospital
On March 20, Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital received a tiny new patient: a loggerhead turtle weighing just under 5 ounces.
Nicknamed “Stanley,” the turtle was brought to Mote after it was rescued it from a canal in Marco Island. Stanley’s case was unusual: Loggerhead sea turtles at this stage of life would normally be found far offshore in clumps of seaweed called Sargassum. How Stanley remained behind is unknown.
- Update: Stanley was successfully treated and returned to the wild on July 3. Read more
|
| April |
New Study Finds Manatee Hearing Good Despite Background Noise
A new study on manatee hearing by Mote and collaborators showed that these marine mammals can sense a wide range of pitches despite loud background noise.
The study, published on April 12 in the Journal of Experimental Biology, demonstrates that manatees can hear frequencies produced by boat engines, pointing to new questions about how manatee hearing operates in the wild and why these mammals remain vulnerable to watercraft.
|
| May |
Largest Reef Restoration Project Progresses in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Scientists transplanted nursery-grown staghorn and elkhorn corals to degraded reefs in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands during spring 2013 with the goal of transplanting up to 10,000 of the corals as part of the largest marine restoration project of its kind in the world in conjunction with our partners at numerous organizations. Experts hope that the transplanted young corals will thrive and reproduce, helping to recover populations of these two threatened species.
Mote Marine Laboratory, a partner in the project, is growing corals in an underwater nursery in the Lower Keys and outplanted hundreds to reefs in 2012.
- Read the May 14 press release
- Update: Mote scientists working on the Lower Keys portion of the project planted 600 coral fragments representing 10 different genotypes at four different reef sites during April and May 2012. As of Nov. 30, the corals appear to be doing well: 91 percent of the fragments survived, and on average, the fragments grew from about 6 inches (16 cm) at time of planting to 14 inches (37.1 cm) six months later. Mote scientists found no signs of significant disease or bleaching and only minimal breakage and damage from marine predators after six months.
|
| June |
Mote Treats Dolphin from Longboat Key Stranding
Mote provided critical care for a bottlenose dolphin that stranded June 6 on Longboat Key in Sarasota County.
The dolphin, nicknamed “Edna,” was found on the beach by  volunteers working with Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol. The patrollers came upon the dolphin stranded on the beach and played a critical role in helping to stabilize the animal and alerting Mote staff members who responded to the sick animal’s stranding.
|
Mote Hosts Japanese Researchers, Partners in Global Study on Science and Society
Mote scientists were honored to host three Japanese colleagues in May and to partner with them in a global study about how local grassroots community groups, scientists working in the same area, policymakers and others can blend traditional and scientific knowledge and techniques to restore, conserve and sustainably utilize natural resources.
The basic idea behind this international effort is a new paradigm concept that Mote Senior Vice President for Research, Dr. Michael Crosby, developed and began advocating for nearly two decades ago. According to his theory, bringing all parties together to work on common environmental problems will lead to more sustainable use of our limited natural resources.
The international program, with 11 core projects located in different communities around the world, is led by Prof. Tetsu Sato and funded by Japan’s Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN). The RIHN program, formally titled “Formation of Local Environmental Knowledge Systems for Creation and Sustainable Governance of New Commons,” is designed to find and encourage bottom-up solutions to environmental problems by combining and analyzing study findings from around the globe and looking at the transfer of knowledge at local, regional, national and global levels.
|
New Study: “Lazy” Shark Might Really Travel Far
A notoriously “lazy” shark might secretly be a great ocean voyager, according to a study released in June by scientists from Mote, the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology and James Cook University in Australia.
The study, featured on the cover of the Journal of Biogeography, ended nearly a decade of research using DNA to study the distribution of whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus). This species has puzzled scientists because it spends a lot of time resting on the bottom and seems to travel very little, but it is found throughout the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean — a wider range than many sharks that swim long distances.
|
Beyond the Horizon: Report Calls for New Protections in the Gulf of Mexico
Beyond the Horizon, a two-day workshop of scientists and stakeholders convened at Mote in 2011, resulted in a new vision statement for the Gulf of Mexico that stakeholders hope will help build consensus for new protected areas in one of the nation’s most important bodies of water.
The report — called “Beyond the Horizon: A Vision for the Gulf of Mexico on the Second Anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,” along with the proceedings from the two-day workshop — were released by organizers on June 8 during Capitol Hill Ocean Week, which examines the role of the ocean in the shaping of our nation.
|
| July |
"M*A*S*H" Star and Animal Advocate Loretta Swit Visits Mote
Loretta Swit, an Emmy® Award-winning TV and theater actress — famed for her role as Major Margaret Houlihan of “M*A*S*H” who is also a passionate animal advocate — toured world-class research facilities and animal hospitals at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium on July 2, paying a special visit to sick dolphin Edna.
Mote’s leaders, scientists and animal care professionals were honored to host Ms. Swit, and to discuss their shared interests in marine conservation.
|
New study: Genetic Gift from Bacteria Might be Helping Coral Reefs
Coral reefs might be getting a major boost from bacteria that share good genes, reported researchers who found the first evidence that genetic packets from these bacteria help pave the way for “baby” corals to grow.
The study is a key advance in understanding the processes underlying coral reef growth and health.
|
Mote Scientist to Co-Chair National Committee on Harmful Algae
The National Harmful Algal Bloom Committee (NHC) elected Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick — a leader in research on Florida red tide and human health at Mote Marine Laboratory — as co-chair.
The NHC brings together those from research organizations, government agencies, communities and other groups to focus on harmful algal blooms while raising national-level awareness of bloom-related issues. NHC coordinates the U.S. national program on harmful algal blooms, Harmful Algal Research and Response: A National Environmental Science Strategy.
|
New Mote Marine Laboratory Office will Offer Educational Programming in Charlotte County
In July, Mote announced plans to open a new office in Charlotte County, thanks to a generous donation by Regions Bank.
The Mote office, located at 1401 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda, houses two new science educators who will develop and provide new marine education programs to the community. The positions are funded through a generous grant from the West Coast Inland Navigation District.
- Read the July 31 press release
- Update on New Educators: Mote has selected Grant Fischer and Rachael Kraemer as marine science educators to carry out the new programs in Charlotte County. Together, the new educators will help Mote bring marine science to Charlotte County residents of all ages.
- Fischer previously served as Environmental Education Programs Supervisor for The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and has served in management, volunteer coordination and education roles for a variety of science- and nature-focused organizations, including Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park and Virginia Marine Science Museum. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Excelsior College in Albany, NY, and he has extensive professional training and volunteer experience in environmental education.
- Kraemer previously served as Sea Turtle Research Assistant for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center, as the RJ Dunlap Field Education and Research Assistant for University of Miami, as Marine Biology Teaching Assistant for Florida Southern College and in other positions ranging from professional aquarist to owner and founder of a private swim school. She holds a Master of Science in Marine Biology from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Florida Southern College, along with numerous college leadership awards.
- Update on Upcoming Education Programs: Mote will begin its education programs in Charlotte County in January 2013. Planned are a lecture series, Science Café community discussions and Mommy and Me programs geared toward ages 2-5. We also plan Behind the Science programs for ages 6 and older and summer camps for grades 1-4.
- Read about the new programs at www.mote.org/charlotteharbor.
|
| August |
Mote Study Sheds New Light on Sea Turtle Hearing
Loggerhead sea turtles have low-frequency hearing that might detect underwater noise from human activities, reported Mote scientists in the first published study of a behavioral hearing test for sea turtles.
The study was published online Wednesday, Aug. 8 and awarded “Editors' Choice” by the Journal of Experimental Biology.
|
Sea Turtle Nesting Breaks 31-Year Record on Local Beaches
Sea turtle nesting on beaches from Longboat Key through Venice broke a 31-year record this summer, according to Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program.
A total of 2,462 loggerhead sea turtle nests and seven of the more rare green sea turtle nests were documented by Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol — a group of scientists, interns and more than 300 volunteers who monitor 35 miles of local nesting beaches May 1-Oct. 31.
This season also brought significant challenges: Tropical Storm Debby destroyed more than 920 nests, washed away the yellow stakes used to mark many nests and depleted Mote’s supplies used to document and protect nests on local beaches. Despite this setback, nesting continued after Debby and the strong numbers helped offset losses from the storm.
- Read the Aug. 31 article with a breakdown of nesting numbers by area (numbers finalized Nov. 1). www.mote.org/2012nesting
- Updates: Tagging of Nesting Turtles during Summer 2012
- In 2012, Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program tagged 321 loggerhead sea turtles nesting on local beaches with flipper tags and microchips for identification. Of these, 57 had been tagged at least once before.
- Seven turtles from Casey Key were fitted with satellite tags to track their migrations at sea.
- Six turtles received prototypes of tags called accelerometers, which are designed to measure fine-scale movements and can document the turtles’ diving behaviors when they return to the sea between each time they emerge to nest.
- Updates: Notable Turtles Tracked During 2012
- Bayshore, originally given an ID tag by Mote in 1988, has the longest historical record of any turtle tagged by Mote (24 years). She received a satellite tag in 2012, which tracked her to her feeding grounds in Florida Bay.
- Annie, satellite tagged in 2010 on Casey Key, was still being tracked in early 2012 and is the first turtle from nesting beaches in Southwest Florida to be tracked over a complete “remigration interval” — the journey from her nesting beach to feeding grounds and back. Annie’s satellite transmitter tracked her in 2010 to the Florida Keys, and in spring 2012 she headed back north to the coast of Southwest Florida. In May, her tag transmitted for the final time, and in June she was seen crawling on the nesting beach at Manasota Key. Virginia2, originally satellite tagged in 2005, received her second satellite transmitter in 2012. Each time, the turtle has traveled from the nesting beach on Casey Key to feeding grounds in the northern Gulf near the area of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Mote scientists have collected biological samples from the turtle and unhatched eggs in her nest to support several lines of research, including studies of how the oil spill might have affected sea turtles.
- Updated Program Stats: During its 31-year history, Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program has:
- Monitored 30,012 sea turtle nests on 35 miles of local beaches from Longboat Key through Venice
- Documented 27,205 false crawls (adult females that return to sea without nesting)
- Protected 5,785 nests from predators
- Tagged 4,359 nesting turtles
- Protected 2,198,040 turtle eggs
- Documented the births of 1,565,767 sea turtle hatchlings
|
| September |
Mote Receives Patent for New Technology to Detect Wastewater Pollution
Mote scientists received a patent in September for an instrument that detects surrogates of human waste — substances that indicate waste may be present — in fresh and salt waters better than any known method.
The instrument, developed by Mote’s Chemical and Physical Ecology Program, detects optical brighteners — dyes used in laundry detergents. These dyes absorb ultraviolet light and give off a different color of light in a process called fluorescence — the same process that allows them to take in ultraviolet sunlight and make clothes look “brighter,” as some advertisements say.
The new device monitors fluorescent light at several wavelengths to measure the amount of dye in the water. Because dyes are associated exclusively with human sources, they provide a reliable method of detecting water pollution caused by septic tanks and wastewater treatment plants. Earlier markers used could have been influenced by natural sources of water color, masking the effect of pollution.
Mote is working with manufacturers to bring this device to market. In addition to detecting human wastes, it can also be adapted to detect oil and dispersants in seawater. |
Mote Adds New Solar Energy System, Launches New Sustainable Energy Initiative
A new solar-energy system was mounted on Sept. 4 on a rooftop at Mote, which launched its new Sustainable Energy Initiative that month, building upon two generous donations of solar panels from members of the Sarasota community.
One new system of 126 photovoltaic panels, valued at about $115,000, was donated by Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc. and was installed by RegionSolar. That system supplements electrical power at Mote’s nationally recognized hospitals for dolphins, small whales and sea turtles.
A second 30.2-kilowatt system provided by local donor and solar-energy supporter Jim Lampl and installed earlier in the year supplements power at Mote Aquaculture Park (MAP) — the Lab’s environmentally responsible fish farm and research facility in eastern Sarasota County.
The new solar installations kicked off Mote’s Sustainable Energy Initiative, which is designed to allow for more solar power and other environmentally responsible practices at our Lab, hospital facilities and The Aquarium.
|
Mote Scientist Tags Great White With Accelerometer
A great white shark was tagged for the first time with a fine-scale motion sensor on Sept. 13 by a Mote scientist during a joint research expedition with OCEARCH off Massachusetts. The shark was nicknamed “Genie” after Mote’s founding director, famous “Shark Lady” Dr. Eugenie Clark.
The female great white, which weighed over 2,500 pounds and measured nearly 15 feet long, was tagged and released during the expedition.
Mote’s accelerometer revealed that Genie swam very level after release. She started with frequent tail beats of lower power, and then she resumed a stronger, more typical swimming pattern with more force behind each tail beat. During the last few minutes before the tag came off (as it was designed to do, so Mote scientists could retrieve its data), Genie was very active — she might have been swimming in strong currents or chasing prey.
Genie was also fitted with a satellite tag, for real-time tracking of her location, by Dr. Gregory Skomal, Senior Scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
The expedition team also tagged a second great white shark nicknamed “Mary Lee” with an accelerometer and satellite tag on Sept. 17.
|
Manatee Mating Herd Documented by Mote Scientists at Siesta Key
A group of mating manatees spotted Sept. 13 off Siesta Key was documented by Mote scientists for genetic studies.
Mating herds occur when males try to mate with females that are ready to conceive. Often, as the female tries to evade her male suitors, large groups of up to 20 manatees will end up in shallow waters along beaches. This is normal behavior and not cause for alarm, but Mote scientists advise the public to keep a safe distance from mating herds for the safety of both the animals and people.
|
Beggar the Dolphin Found Dead
One of Sarasota’s most well known and ill-fed dolphins was found dead near the Albee Road Bridge in Sarasota on Sept. 21. Known as “Beggar,” the bottlenose dolphin was fed illegally by many people — an example of how human behavior can sometimes hurt wild animals. Beggar was one of the most studied wild dolphins in the world as scientists from Mote and federal and state resource managers worked hard to lessen the amount of attention humans paid to this dolphin.
- Read the Sept. 22 press release
- Another Sarasota Bay dolphin, known as FB93, was found dead on Dec. 8 after swallowing fishing gear. Read about FB93
- Updates on stranded dolphins and sea turtles this year: During 2012, Mote's Stranding Investigations Program — a 24-hour response service for sick, injured and dead marine mammals and sea turtles — responded to:
- 10 dolphins in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties. Four of the dolphins were alive and six were found dead. Four of this year's dolphins had signs of fishing gear interactions, such as fishing line on or inside their bodies.
- 52 sea turtles in 12 Florida counties. 28 were found alive. Eight had evidence of fishing interactions, 11 were struck by boats and two had signs of likely boat strikes.
|
| September |
Red Tide Bloom in Southwest Florida Waters
Mote scientists have been studying and monitoring a bloom of Florida red tide since September in Southwest Florida waters in conjunction with our local, state and national partners.
Mote has conducted 12 boat surveys and deployed underwater robots carrying red tide detectors on five missions to better understand the dynamics of the red tide bloom. Mote’s Beach Conditions Report System (www.mote.org/beaches) continues to provide twice-daily updates on whether red tide is affecting 26 Florida beaches.
- Red tide status update: As of Dec. 14, patches of red tide algae remained along certain areas of Southwest Florida’s coastline, according to bi-weekly monitoring reports by FWC.
- Read the latest report
- New Facebook page: Learn about red tide and other harmful algal blooms from a new Facebook page unveiled this fall by FWRI and Mote: www.facebook.com/flhabs
|
| October |
Mote and Girls Inc. Partner to Bring Girl Power to Science Education
Mote announced a brand-new educational partnership with local nonprofit, Girls Inc. in late October. The joint program is designed to share science with girls by introducing them to marine animals, environments and real mentors — female scientists at Mote. (Please note: This program is not open to the general public.)
|
Mote’s Oceanic Evening Honors Founding “Shark Lady,” Launches New Legacy Society
Mote honored its founder, 90-year-old “Shark Lady” Dr. Eugenie Clark, and launched the new Mote Legacy Society to support the Lab’s future on Oct. 27 during Mote’s annual gala, Oceanic Evening.
Genie Clark founded the Lab in 1955 as a one-room building in Placida, Fla. Today Mote has grown into a world-renowned marine laboratory with a 10.5-acre main campus in Sarasota, an aquaculture park in eastern Sarasota County, a field station in Charlotte Harbor and a Tropical Research Laboratory in the Florida Keys.
The Legacy Society was founded to honor those who have included Mote in their estate planning and to share this opportunity with others. This kind of planned giving is essential to Mote, an independent, nonprofit marine research institution with a scientific legacy like no other.
|
Mote Scientist Declared President of World Aquaculture Society
The world’s largest aquaculture organization inaugurated Dr. Kevan Main — a pioneer in sustainable aquaculture at Mote — as President.
The World Aquaculture Society (WAS), which advances progressive and sustainable aquaculture through members in nearly 100 nations, instated Main’s leadership during its annual meeting, co-organized this year by the European Aquaculture Society and held in Prague, Czech Republic.
|
Coral Diseases Might Not Be Contagious, New Study Says
Sick corals might be stressed but not necessarily contagious — an important finding for predicting disease outbreaks on threatened coral reefs, according to research by Mote and partner scientists who have completed the largest-ever study about the spatial distribution of coral diseases.
The study was published in October in the peer-reviewed journal Global Change Biology. Results show that three common diseases don’t tend to spread from coral to coral, suggesting instead that disease outbreaks might owe more to environmental stressors such as climate change.
|
| November |
Mote Develops New Test for Sturgeon Gender, Supporting Aquaculture and Conservation
Mote scientists have developed a blood test that can reveal the gender of sturgeon at a younger age than ever before — a major step forward for sturgeon aquaculture and for conservation in the wild. Mote scientists presented their findings at the International Sturgeon Conference in Warsaw, Poland in November.
The new gender test, now patented by Mote, could help MAP and other sturgeon aquaculture facilities focus on raising females to produce more caviar. It could also help scientists determine the gender of wild sturgeon — crucial information for conservation because reproducing females are especially valuable to endangered sturgeon populations.
The new gender test, now patented by Mote, could help MAP and other sturgeon aquaculture facilities focus on raising females to produce more caviar. It could also help scientists determine the gender of wild sturgeon — crucial information for conservation because reproducing females are especially valuable to endangered sturgeon populations.
|
New Web Site Features Mote Caviar
In November, Mote unveiled a new Web site featuring Mote Farm-Raised Caviar and announced a special offer for the caviar at Whole Foods Markets  throughout Florida.
The new Web site, www.motecaviar.com, tells the story of Mote’s Earth-friendly production of Siberian sturgeon caviar, provides caviar basics and showcases new recipes developed by top restaurants and caviar purveyors.
The special offer, running through Jan. 4, 2013, allows shoppers to purchase a 750-ml or larger bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and receive a coupon to save $10 instantly on 1 ounce of Mote Farm-Raised Caviar at Whole Foods in Florida.
|
Third Siesta Key Crystal Classic Declared a Success
The Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition was a hit for its third year in a row, culminating with an awards ceremony on Nov. 11. The competition, featuring 24 of the world’s top master sand sculptors, raised funds to benefit sea turtle research and conservation at Mote.
|
Art of Marine Science: Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification — a serious threat to marine life and a complex puzzle for both research and public outreach — got easier to understand this fall thanks to an educational ad campaign, a video game and creatively packaged candy.
These projects earned the highest scores in “The Art of Marine Science,” a special exhibit in The Aquarium at Mote created through a partnership between Mote and Ringling College of Art and Design. The exhibit wrapped up on Dec. 4.
|
| December |
“Sea Lions: On The Water’s Edge” Debuts at Mote
Sea lions Stella, Rose and Kitty debuted Dec. 1 in Sea Lions: On The Water’s Edge — a new limited-time exhibit in The Aquarium at Mote.
The exhibit allows visitors to get close to Patagonian  and California sea lions and learn about their astounding double lives on land and at sea and will highlight innovative health studies Mote scientists will conduct with the sea lions during their visit. The exhibit features educational presentations focused on the sea lions’ intelligence and natural abilities at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day.
|
Sea Turtles Released, Aiding Research
Three Kemp’s ridleys — the most endangered sea turtle species on Earth — were returned to the wild in Pinellas County following rehabilitation by Mote. Two of the turtles were tagged with special tracking devices, and their case histories are contributing to a major research study by Mote and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
“Allison” and “Squeaky,” juvenile Kemp’s ridleys, were rescued in October from Lee County waters in Charlotte Harbor after being harmed by toxins from Florida red tide. Another juvenile Kemp’s ridley, “Jax 2,” that was also released, was originally rescued in May in Pinellas County waters after swallowing fishing line and a hook.
All three turtles were returned to sea by Mote caregivers around noon on Thursday, Dec. 6 from a beach on Honeymoon Island in Pinellas County — an area with suitable habitat for young Kemp’s ridleys.
|
Mote Treating Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles
Mote is taking care of three loggerhead sea turtles that were affected by cold weather during late November in New England waters.
Dozens of “cold-stunned” sea turtles from the area were flown to Florida by the U.S. Coast Guard and distributed to animal care facilities across the state.
The turtles at Mote include Cindy, 33 pounds, Lou, 77 pounds and Stu, 48 pounds. Mote staff plan to take care of the turtles until they can be medically cleared for release.
|
 |
|
Founded in 1955, Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 research organization based in Sarasota, Fla., with field stations in eastern Sarasota County, Charlotte Harbor and the Florida Keys. Donations to Mote are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. 
Mote is dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans with an emphasis on world-class research relevant to conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, healthy habitats and natural resources. Research programs include studies of human cancer using marine models, the effects of man-made and natural toxins on humans and on the environment, the health of wild fisheries, developing sustainable and successful fish restocking techniques and food production technologies and the development of ocean technology to help us better understand the health of the environment. Mote research programs also focus on understanding the population dynamics of manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks and coral reefs and on conservation and restoration efforts related to these species and ecosystems.   Mote’s vision includes positively impacting public policy through science-based outreach and education. Showcasing this research is The Aquarium at Mote, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 365 days a year. Learn more at www.mote.org.
Contact: Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236. (941) 388-4441 or info@mote.org. |
Send this page to a friend
|
|
|
