Mote Marine Lab welcomes new veterinarian
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is pleased to welcome its new veterinarian Dr. Adrienne Atkins, who will oversee the care of the diverse collection of resident animals at Mote. In addition, she will be involved in the care of sick and injured dolphins, small whales and sea turtles at Mote’s Dolphin & Whale Hospital and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.
An experienced zoo and wildlife veterinarian born and raised in Florida, Atkins has worked with a range of species from fish to elephants. She has participated in conservation field projects both locally and abroad and has assisted with cetacean (dolphin and whale) strandings.
“Becoming a veterinarian was something that I always wanted to do. Growing up in northeastern Florida on the St. Johns River and coastal areas, I had an opportunity to develop an appreciation for the environment around me and this developed into a passion for conservation,” Atkins said. “Much of veterinary medicine and rehabilitation medicine focuses on the care of one animal at a time. With Conservation and One Health Medicine this translates to population health and the health of the environment — looking at illnesses and disease and how they can impact the whole population and ecosystem. You still have to identify the illness in the individual to understand what might be affecting the population. Conservation can involve everything from basic biology and health of a species, their surroundings and ecosystem, to determining population size, genetics and evaluating health risks and threats they might encounter in their environment from both natural and manmade causes.”
Atkins is beginning her work with the resident animal collection at Mote Aquarium, along with patients in the animal rehabilitation hospitals. “I’m looking forward to seeing how my background can assist with the research programs here and getting involved with them. The great part about zoo and wildlife medicine is that every day is something new, and I’m very excited to be working with the team here.”
Before coming to Mote, Atkins worked at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for the past 6.5 years. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in May 2003 from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville and then completed a rotating, small animal internship in Arizona and a zoo and wildlife internship then at Oklahoma State University and the Tulsa Zoo. In 2009, she completed her residency in Zoological Medicine at the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine, where she worked with the Lubee Bat Conservancy, Santa Fe Teaching Zoo, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, Central Florida Zoo, White Oak Conservation Center and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Atkins’ experience is a great asset to Mote, which hosts 25 diverse research programs focusing on sharks, sea turtles, marine mammals, coral reefs, fisheries, sustainable fish farming, environmental health, ocean technology and much more. Mote Aquarium translates and transfers the knowledge gained by Mote researchers, educating visitors about the oceans 365 days per year.
Mote’s animal hospitals have treated 71 marine mammals and more than 560 sea turtles affected by boat-strike injuries, fishing-gear entanglements, diseases, parasites and more. Mote aims to rehabilitate and release as many animals as possible, while expanding knowledge of their biology and disease processes.
With resident animals that need lifelong care in Mote’s public Aquarium, Mote uses special training programs to help veterinary procedures run more smoothly and to conduct behavioral research. For instance, Mote’s resident manatees, Hugh and Buffett, are trained for veterinary care and for research to help scientists understand their senses of vision, hearing and touch, and their physiology. Results are made available to Mote scientists and others who focus on wild manatees, along with resource managers working to conserve manatee populations.
Atkins said she looks forward to applying and expanding her knowledge through these diverse programs. She advises young people interested in similar careers to value each new opportunity. “Persistence is important — if you’re interested in a veterinary career, start looking for volunteer opportunities to get involved in early on. It’s really important to realize how each individual has an impact on the world around them and that one person can make a difference.”