Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Mote's President & CEO, Dr. Michael P. Crosby, and Mote's Coral Reef Restoration Research Program Manager, Dr. Jason Spadaro, recently had the privilege of diving with Congressman Steube and his son (who recently received his SCUBA certification🤿!) in one of our coral nurseries in the Florida Keys. 🪸 During their visit, Congressman Steube and his family also: 🪸 took a tour of Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration🔬 🪸 learned about Mote's innovative, science-based coral restoration research methods🧑🔬 🪸 helped our team microfragment corals (a Mote pioneered technique and form of asexual coral reproduction that accelerates the corals' growth rate by 40-50 times what you’d see in nature, enabling us to outplant corals back to Florida’s coral reef tract faster!)💪 Thank you, Congressman Steube, for your continued interest in the conservation of our natural resources, and for your continued support of Mote's mission to conserve and power the sustainable use of our oceans. 🌊 #MoteMarineLab #ProtectOurReefs #CoralReefs #FloridasCoralReefTract #FloridaKeys #CoralReefRestoration #CoralFragging #CoralMicrofragmentation #SavetheReef

📢 We hope everyone is safe following Hurricane Debby. Fortunately, all animals and staff at Mote Aquarium and its many campuses are safe, and we’re happy to welcome you to visit today. Our doors are open at 9:30 a.m. this morning. SEA you soon! 💙

Due to Hurricane Debby, Mote Aquarium in Sarasota and Mote's Marine Science Education & Outreach Center on the Anna Maria City Pier are closed until further notice. All Mote Camps at these locations are cancelled until further notice. Our staff have been busy following our hurricane plan and working to secure our campuses to ensure the safety of our team and our animals. Updates about the reopening of both campuses and Mote Camps will be posted to social media and on mote.org as soon as we are able following the storm. Stay safe, everyone!

The Beach Conditions Reporting System (BCRS) has been growing, now with reporting locations in 8 states! 🏝️ We are excited to announce the addition of Louisiana to the BCRS in collaboration with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries! 🙌👏 New reporting locations include: ⛱️ Elmer’s Island, Jefferson Parish, LA ⛱️ Grand Isle, Jefferson Parish, LA You can check beach conditions at even more locations via the BCRS at visitbeaches.org. Reports are updated once or twice a day at most beaches. They are available online through Mote's free BCRS mobile app, or you can sign up for email updates for your favorite beaches. #MoteMarineLab #MoteBCRS #Louisiana #ElmersIsland #OurEstuary #BTNEP visitbeaches.org

We're #hiring a Marketing Coordinator in Sarasota, Florida. See below for more details. If this seems like a good fit for you, apply now!

Go run to Mote.org! 💻🌐 We are thrilled to announce that we have remodeled our website to enhance your browsing experience, which officially debuted today, June 10! Although the site may look a little different, all of the current links will still work by seamlessly redirecting you to the right places on the new site. The new website will showcase several new features, including: Animal Encyclopedia: This fun, educational tool will allow you to learn fun facts about the species living in our Aquarium or studied by Mote researchers! Areas of Research: The Areas of Research pages will introduce you to broad topics, like Coral Reef Ecosystems, with fun facts, photo galleries, topic-related news stories, and links to research programs' individual pages. Clickable Map of Mote Campuses and Research Locations: The clickable maps allow you to explore the locations and reach of Mote's projects, providing a visual understanding of where and how we conduct our research and conservation efforts. If you encounter any issues or have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at: info@mote.org Happy browsing! 👩🏽💻👨🏼💻

#WorldOceanDay is this Saturday, June 8! 🌊 Join us tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. as we celebrate and honor the shared ocean that connects us all. 💙 Guests will enjoy: 🔬 Learning about marine science 🌊 Ocean-themed games ✨ Face painting 🦈 Mote mascots 🎸 Live music 🐟 And more! All activities are included with general admission to Mote Aquarium, the public outreach arm of Mote's innovative research!

Happy #WorldSeaTurtleDay! As the weather warms up and you head out to enjoy Southwest Florida's coastal waters this boating season, help us protect not just sea turtles, but all wildlife, this summer by: ⛵Following Coast Guard-approved safe boating guidelines, complying with slow speed zone signs and using vigilance to avoid striking sea turtles, manatees and dolphins by accident ⛵Wearing polarized sunglasses to see marine life in your path better ⛵Never feeding marine wildlife ⛵Stowing trash and line when under way. Marine debris that accidentally blows overboard or out of a vehicle can become ingested by or entangled around marine life ⛵Looking out for manatees and observing them from a distance ⛵Based on research, Hot Spots for boat-struck sea turtles are Longboat Pass, New Pass, Big Pass, Siesta Key, Venice Inlet, and offshore 2 miles north of New Pass to 2 miles south of Big Pass extending out one mile; limit travel time within these Hot Spots and travel at a minimum safe speed when in these areas For more information, on how to keep the beaches turtle friendly visit mote.org. ☀️ #MoteMarineLab #Summer #BoatSafety #LoveFl

❓Did you know? Marine protected areas (MPAs), areas that provide legal protection to important marine and coastal ecosystems, often have more reef sharks compared to non-protected areas? 📣 Even better? According to a new study in Nature Ecology and Evolution by researchers of Curtin University Australia, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, and others, finds that when MPAs are established in nations that also limit shark fishing through catch limits or gear restrictions, conservation benefits are DOUBLED! 🦈🦈 Based on the world’s largest reef shark and ray survey, Global FinPrint, a project funded by Paul G. Allen Family Foundation these findings emphasize that nations should use both approaches (the use of MPAs and effective fisheries management) to rebuild reef shark populations, which have declined on average globally by 63%. Read more: https://ow.ly/u8uJ50RRNx1

📢 Check out Mote on the season premiere of PBS's Changing Planet TOMORROW! 🎥🌎 Changing Planet, a show that chooses one of six of Earth's most vulnerable ecosystems to focus on each season, premieres its third season tomorrow, April 24! This season focuses on coral reefs. PBS visited Florida to better understand the present condition of coral reefs and the pivotal efforts undertaken by Mote to safeguard their survival. 🪸 The Changing Planet premiere explores Mote's International Center for Coral Reef Restoration and Research in the Florida Keys and International Coral Gene Bank nestled within the Mote Aquaculture Research Park in Sarasota. Engaging with leading scientists such as Drs. Jason Spadaro and Erinn Muller, the episode illuminates groundbreaking research and its profound implications for the future of coral ecosystems. https://lnkd.in/ezD4vSAc #Mote #ChangingPlanet #OurChangingPlanet #PBS #BBC #CoralReefRestoration