Mote Aquarium wins three readers’ choice awards
Mote Aquarium recently won three awards for its outstanding informal science education center. Mote Aquarium is the public outreach arm of Mote Marine Laboratory, displaying more than 100 marine species with a focus on local marine life. The Aquarium opened in 1980 on City Island in Sarasota Bay. Visitors can see otters, sharks, manatees, sea turtles, crocodilians, seahorses, rays, skates and invertebrates. Mote Aquarium also educates visitors about the exciting research of Mote Marine Laboratory, with windows into working labs.
Mote Aquarium is open 365 days a year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info, visit mote.org.
The three awards presented to Mote Aquarium are as follows:
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Reader's Choice Award - Best Local Children's Attraction.
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Reader's Choice Award - Runner up for Best Local Tourist Attraction.
- SRQ Magazine - Best Local Children's Attraction
For the Sarasota Herald-Tribune awards, readers named their favorite choice in each category that conducts business in and is located in Sarasota, Manatee or Charlotte counties. Entries were received by November 2016 and announced in January 2017.
For the SRQ magazine award, every year around October SRQ Magazine opens the polls of their yearly readers' choice competition, Best of SRQ Local. Readers cast their digital ballots in categories like the best community accomplishment, best local farm, best pediatrician and best local children's attraction. Results are published in the annual Best of SRQ Local edition of SRQ | The Magazine. Entries were received by February and announced in April 2017.