On Dec. 2, an episode of WEDU Quest called “Sea Turtle Nesting Season,” featuring Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program, won a Suncoast Regional EMMY® in the Environmental Programs category.
“It was amazing working with the folks at Mote,” said Kenneth Cherry, Producer for WEDU Quest. “The work being conducted on the Gulf beaches and at Mote’s main campus is truly making a huge impact for both marine life and humans here in Florida. The Mote team made it easy to make a story that obviously impacted the judges and our audience.”
The episode was one of five finalists judged by a panel of veteran television professionals. Other entries covered topics like the future of seafood, manta rays and toxic algae. Submissions are accepted from the entire state of Florida, Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles and New Orleans, Louisiana, Mobile, Alabama, Thomasville, Georgia and Puerto Rico. The awards ceremony took place Dec. 2, 2017, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando.
“Mote’s mission is a team effort,” shared Shelby Isaacson, Public Relations Manager of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. “Much like it takes a village to raise a child, it will continue to take a community to overcome the issues faced by our oceans today. We are elated that the Suncoast Regional EMMY® judges were moved by the episode featuring our Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program. It shows that, as a team of ocean stewards, we can make an impact on our environment and the hearts of those can help us conserve it.”
Watch episode 211, “Sea Turtle Nesting Season.”
Here is a list of 2017 Suncoast Regional EMMY® winners. (WEDU program is listed on page 9.)