Coral Reefs are essential to millions of plant and animal species in our marine ecosystem. Over the past three decades, coral reefs in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean have been damaged by diseases, storms and coral predators as well as ocean warming, pollution and ocean acidification. Warm ocean temperatures have bleached out the coral [...]
Mote Marine Laboratory scientists recently published a study in the journal “PLOS ONE”, that showed baby corals of some species are vulnerable to Deepwater Horizon oil and are especially likely to die when exposed to dispersants used during a spill. The Deepwater Horizon rig spilled more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf [...]
For twenty years Beggar the dolphin was a local icon and tourist attraction. He lived in the Intracoastal Waterway around Nokomis and the Casey Key area. His body was found near the Albee Road Bridge, a spot he could often be found begging and doing tricks for food. He was so successful with this pursuit [...]
Over the past two months, the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program has documented three dolphins that have been struck by boats. Two of the dolphins were recently born calves. Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program has also recovered several large sea turtles that had been struck by boats. These incidents offer a strong reminder that we share our [...]
A federally funded, multi-agency effort has begun on the largest coral reef restoration project in history. NOAA funded scientists with The Nature Conservancy and partner organizations including Mote Marine Laboratory, began growing staghorn and elkhorn corals at eight underwater nurseries located from Ft. Lauderdale south through the Florida Keys and U.S. Virgin Islands in 2009. [...]
A study published recently in the journal Biological Conservation used satellites to track threatened loggerhead sea turtles. Researchers with Mote Marine Laboratory, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Florida, first tagged the turtles from nesting areas on Casey Key, the Dry Tortugas and Cape San Blas. The female’s migrations were then tracked. A [...]
The Penguins have landed! Six black footed penguins are now enjoying their new “vacation” home at Mote Aquarium. The birds star in Penguin Island, a limited time exhibit running from November 2011 through spring 2012 at Mote. Sarasota’s first penguins include five male birds named Sly, South, Rudy, Oswald and Coaster along with a female [...]
