In this episode, Adam Dolman tells hosts Hayley and Joe about the continuing animal care duties Mote Aquarium biologists carry out even while the Aquarium is closed temporarily to protect public health amid COVID-19. In particular, he shares a few highlights on taking excellent care of corals, including the rescued corals Mote Aquarium is hosting through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project.
Please note: The sound quality of this episode is rough because it's a remote recording made during a time of social distancing. Your Two Sea Fans are working to improve the audio for future remote recordings. We can't wait until we're able to get back to the studio, and we especially can't wait until we're able to see your smiling faces in the Aquarium again. Stay well, everyone!
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April 27, 2020
Hayley Rutger
Just in time for sea turtle nesting season, Mote Marine Laboratory is pleased to welcome Mote Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Jake Lasala, who studies sea turtle mating systems and other population features to support conservation and management of these endangered and threatened reptiles. Read our Q&A with Dr. Lasala.
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April 21, 2020
Hayley Rutger
Just like other community members, many marine scientists were self-isolating to protect public health in April 2020. In the meantime, researchers from multiple institutions were joining forces—mostly virtually, for now—to arrange the next major steps in a quest to fight impacts of Florida red tide, through new competitive grants from the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative.
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April 20, 2020
Stephannie Kettle
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium's Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program documents the first 2020 sea turtle nest in the Sarasota region on April 20.
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April 10, 2020
Hayley Rutger
Mote Marine Laboratory scientists are launching a new, underwater spawning nursery for elkhorn coral, with the goal of strategically breeding and restoring this rapidly declining, native species that is at risk of disappearing from Florida’s Coral Reef in our lifetime.
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Our Medical Care & Rehabilitation Coordinator Lynne Byrd returns to the podcast to share stories of the sea turtles being treated in Mote Marine Laboratory's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital!
During this recording on March 31, 2020, many were working from home because of COVID-19, while marine wildlife responders like Lynne and her team continued their essential roles of treating animals in critical condition. Hosts Hayley and Joe joined Lynne for a wonderful conversation—sitting a good distance apart but enjoying the amazing shared experience of talking about sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation and release. Lynne and her colleagues in Mote's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and Stranding Investigations Program are a ray of light even in the most challenging times.
Tune in for this fun, fascinating conversation, and get ready for more episodes of Two Sea Fans in the coming weeks!
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April 1, 2020
Hayley Rutger
As our communities scramble to cope with COVID-19, ocean scientists are working with similar fervor to help ecosystems that depend upon us—coral reefs, the “rainforests of the sea”—fight their own disease battle. This month, a team of scientists led by Mote Marine Laboratory’s Dr. Erinn Muller published the largest-scale, peer-reviewed epidemiological study to date on the unprecedented and deadly outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) across multiple years throughout Florida’s Coral Reef.
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March 30, 2020
Stephannie Kettle
With assistance from a private citizen and local law enforcement, Mote rescued a loggerhead sea turtle, nicknamed Joyce.
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March 25, 2020
Stephannie Kettle
Despite some changes to Mote operations, Mote’s hospital team is still dedicated to saving local marine life.
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