Mote Marine Laboratory

A Mote Marine diver returns staghorn corals to one of the marine laboratory's in-water nurseries after they were evacuated from the water during this summer’s heat event and kept at one of Mote’s land-based nurseries

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Mote Marine discovers huge potential in corals that thrived in this summer's super-heated seas

Tom Bayles

Some corals were left behind during an evacuation of many corals off Florida despite water temperatures that rose far above 87 degrees.

A pregnant Caribbean king crab, a direct result of the reproduction efforts at Mote's Florida Coral Reef Restoration Crab Hatchery Research Center.

Environment

First fully operational Caribbean king crab hatchery opens, will help in Florida coral reef efforts

WGCU Staff

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium celebrated the official opening of its Florida Coral Reef Restoration Crab Hatchery Research Center Monday as the first fully operational Caribbean king crab hatchery that will aid in efforts to save Florida’s coral reefs.

One of two large, acyclic windows was placed in the Gulf of Mexico habitat. The large acrylic windows have to be installed before the roof it put on. This acrylic piece, which measures 26’ L x 17’ H x 11” W, and weighs 27,900 pounds.

Environment

Mote Marine's new laboratory near I-75 will feature the Gulf of Mexico -- but miles from saltwater

Andrea Melendez and Tom Bayles

Mote Marine Laboratory’s $130 million science and education aquarium is being built at Nathan Benderson Park along Interstate 75 in Sarasota County.

Redfish grown at Mote Marine's inland aquaculture farm being released from blue barrels into Phillippe Creek, which empties into Sarasota Bay about a mile south of the city's downtown bayfront. A total of 20,000 reds spawned at the inland farm will be released throughout Sarasota and Charlotte county's bays and creeks in the coming weeks

Environment

Redfish grown at Mote Marine's inland aquaculture farm being released inshore

Tom Bayles

Several thousand redfish raised 17 miles inland are now swimming freely in Sarasota Bay.Those are the first of 20,000 redfish raised nowhere near a bay or inlet, but at Mote Marine’s Aquaculture Research Park, a 200-acre inland fish farm along Fruitville Road east of Interstate 75,

LCSO Deputy Nicholas Velotta worked with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission and the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation Saturday afternoon to rescue this injured sea turtle off Fort Myers Beach. The turtle was eventually turned over to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium for treatment.

Environment

Combined effort helps injured sea turtle on Fort Myers Beach

WGCU Staff

A 300-pound male loggerhead sea turtle discovered in distress on Fort Myers Beach is undergoing treatment after it was rescued Saturday afternoon.

Mahomes, a loggerhead rehabilitated and released by Mote Marine Lab and The Florida Aquarium on Anna Maria Island May 30 2023

Environment

Two sea turtles made ill by red tide toxins, recover and are released into the Gulf of Mexico

Tom Bayles

A pair of sea turtles found dazed and confused by red tide toxins in Sarasota County in February were returned to the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday after being nursed back to health

“Lilly” was found floating on the south end of Naples Bay and transported to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital on March 30. She and and another loggerhead turtle, “Farmer” were released from Lido Beach in Sarasota on Tuesday after recovering from red tide toxins at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.

Environment

Loggerheads rescued from Naples, Manatee County returned to Gulf

WGCU Staff

Two loggerhead sea turtles, nicknamed “Lilly” and “Farmer,” were released from Lido Beach on Tuesday after recovering from red tide toxins at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.

Research involving Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium found bottlenose dolphins encountering a strong red tide will “cough” and “sneeze” in ways similar to humans with a bad cold

Environment

Bless you: Red tide can make dolphins 'cough' and 'sneeze'

Tom Bayles

Dolphins have respiratory systems that can become congested or infected, which can cause them to cough hard enough to clear the airways and remove mucus, irritants, or other substances that may be blocking the airways or causing discomfort.

Florida's Coral Reef, which runs for 350 miles along the state's southern and eastern coasts, is being assaulted by a disease that threatens its continued existence. Reef rebuilders from Sarasota's Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium have been shrugging off the threat of impending tropical storms to continue healing the reef in an environmental struggle to save the largest coral reef in the continental U.S.

Environment

Hurricane Ian? Fuhgeddaboudit! Mote scientists don't stop working to save Florida's Coral Reef

Tom Bayles

Mote scientists have been growing a lot of coral at the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration on Summerland Key since 2000, restoring more than 173,000 coral plants to Florida’s Coral Reef.Even as Hurricane Ian sideswiped Summerland Key on its way to Southwest Florida, Mote staff were hosting a successful conference to teach reef restoration techniques to other scientists.

“Manakey,” a 1,005-pound male manatee, raises his head just before being released back to Florida Keys waters Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, in Key Colony Beach, Fla. The adult marine mammal was discovered severely emaciated on June 10, 2022, near Duck Key, Fla., weighing only 460 pounds. “Manakey” was one of three rehabilitated manatees that were released within an hour of each other Tuesday in the Florida Keys. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

Manatees communicate with one another using squeaks, squeals and chirps

Mike Kiniry

Manatees vocalize while feeding, resting, or playing using high-pitched squeaks, squeals, squeak-squeals, and chirps. Learn about innovative research being conducted at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota exploring how and why manatees vocalize.