Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Bealls Stores is excited to announce that Guy Harvey will be available to sign autographs at the Pt. Charlotte Bealls Store, located at 1441 Tamiami Trail, on Friday, June 1st from 6pm – 8pm.

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Join in on the worldwide celebration of our magnificent oceans at World Oceans Day at Mote Aquarium from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 2. The festival is free with regular paid admission to the Aquarium and is free to members.

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Waterside residents: You probably have fishes in your backyard, whether you know it or not! Dr. Ryan Schloesser knows all about those fishes in southwest Florida, especially the treasured sport fish common snook. In this episode, he tells hosts Joe and Hayley how he and Mote colleagues release hatchery-reared snook to study their habitat preferences, likelihood of survival, ability to enhance the wild fishery, and more. Tune in for fish facts both practical and fun: How can southwest Florida anglers get involved in fisheries research, how are snook tagged for science, and how hard is it to catch a hatchery-reared fish with your hands? Stay for some nerdy discussion — for instance, why do scientists care so much about fish “otoliths,” or ear stones? Also, anglers should mark their calendars for the William R. Mote Memorial Snook Shindig on Sept. 28 and 29. This catch, sample and release tournament targets snook released by scientists from Mote’s Fisheries Ecology and Enhancement Program and colleagues at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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Mote Marine Laboratory will host a two-hour community-focused workshop on “Assessing and Mitigating Impacts From Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) in the Florida Keys,” from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23 at Marathon City Hall in Marathon, Florida.

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The week of Fourth of July is all about girl power at Mote Marine Laboratory—this summer, Mote will be offering an exciting, free, week-long opportunity for girls going into grades 6th to 8th. Mote is partnering again with SciGirls, a NSF-funded informational science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational program started by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to spark girls’ interest and engagement in STEM.

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On Friday, May 25, Mote Marine Laboratory will host a “Meet & Greet” reception with OCEARCH on Summerland Key, Florida.  This reception, from 6-8 p.m. at Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Coral Reef Research and Restoration (IC2R3), will feature an overview of OCEARCH’s upcoming expedition from its Founding Chairman and Expedition Leader, Chris Fischer. Guests can also meet collaborating scientists involved in the expedition, including Dr. Robert Nowicki, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Mote.

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How do Mote Aquarium staff develop exhibits healthy for animals and engaging for visitors? Mike Collins, Curator of Exhibits at Mote, tells Joe and Hayley about the excitement of developing a naturalistic home for Mote’s resident otters, the routine of cleaning fish habitats, and everything in between. How did Mike get involved in the professional aquarium world, why is the yellowhead jawfish one of his favorite fish species, and how does he gather and give great advice for marine animal care and exhibit development? Also, why shouldn't you tap on the glass? Tune in to find out!

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As Southwest Florida’s weather and coastal waters warm, Mote Marine Laboratory reminds boaters and beachgoers to respect and protect marine animals. Check out these wildlife-friendly tips!

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The progression of Caribbean yellow-band disease — a widespread killer of reef-building corals — can be significantly impeded by chiseling a “firebreak” around the diseased coral tissue, but more research is needed to maintain the firebreak long-term, reports a peer-reviewed research paper published this week in the journal PeerJ.

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