Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is proud to recognize the Community Foundation of Sarasota County (Community Foundation) for its continued support of Mote’s programs. For decades, the funding has gone a long way towards supporting Mote’s ongoing mission of advancing marine research, conservation and education. Built on a shared commitment to enhancing quality of life in Sarasota County, this long-standing collaboration will continue to create meaningful benefits for local families, students, and Florida’s coastal ecosystems.
The Community Foundation’s generous support has helped advance several of Mote’s animal welfare initiatives, ensuring high standards of care for vulnerable marine species. Most recently, the Community Foundation provided funding for specialized equipment that allows Mote to create the carefully controlled environments needed for successful manatee rehabilitation.
Mote was designated as a secondary care holding facility for manatee rehabilitation under the direction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in 2024. However, Mote’s designation was recently updated to light-critical care, which allows the patients to come directly to Mote’s rehab facility, due to ongoing over-capacity conditions at Florida’s primary critical care manatee facilities.
Through this support, Mote is expanding its ability to assist Florida’s coordinated manatee rescue network, allowing for more available space at primary care facilities for more critical patients. The Community Foundation’s investment strengthens regional response efforts and helps improve outcomes for one of the state’s most vulnerable marine mammals. This assistance comes at a particularly important time, as Mote has rescued, rehabilitated and released five manatees in the past three months alone.
Beyond animal care, the Community Foundation has also played an important role in advancing Mote’s education programs. Their support helps expand hands-on STEM learning opportunities, with curriculum aligned to Florida State Science Standards, and developed by Mote’s scientists and educators, youth will explore new ideas, test possibilities, and see themselves as the next generation of researchers, innovators, and conservationists.
The support also extends to community events that celebrate innovation and responsible stewardship of our coastal resources. The Community Foundation has sponsored two signature events at the Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA): Mote’s “Oceanic Evening” gala and the “Guardians of the Sea” celebration. In March, the Community Foundation will also sponsor “Farm to Fillet,” Mote’s annual one-of-a-kind brunch at Mote’s Aquaculture Research Park, where every ticket directly supports Mote research.
Through strategic investments and a shared vision, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and the Community Foundation continue working to protect marine life, inspire the next generation of ocean stewards, and ensure Sarasota County remains a leader in environmental science and community engagement for years to come.
About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $605 million in more than 1,600 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $44.7 million last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant $542 million to nonprofits in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families and businesses. For more information, visit cfsrasota.org or call 941-955-3000.