Lifelong Learning (Virtual)
Marine Science 101 Self-paced Course via Google Classroom We welcome you to explore the world of marine science through this engaging series of online, self-paced lessons recorded by a Mote education professional....
Classroom Outreach Programs (Sarasota)
Mote Educators bring fun, inquiry-based and hands-on learning experiences to your school. Using relevant, real time data and information, we dive into marine science with your students, helping them better understand science concepts...
Devin Burris
Devin, a South Jersey native, joined the Mote Marine Laboratory staff in 2016 after completing an internship with both Mote's Environmental Health and Phytoplankton Ecology Programs. Her research interests focus on ecosystem disruption,...
Mote Launches Sustainable Farming Program with Sarasota County
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is proud to announce the Beginning Farmer Education Program in partnership with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County with the goal of creating the future Florida workforce in food, sustainable farming,...
Camia Charniga
Camia came to Mote in 2005 after a stint in the Peace Corps and several years working in the medical field. She is Field Coordinator for the Chemical and Physical Ecology Department and organizes and oversees all sampling. She is...
Kathleen Sway
Kathleen joined the Chemical & Physical Ecology team in 2023 as a Staff Chemist after working in Aquarium Husbandry and Environmental Education in Georgia and New York. They participate in red tide mitigation experiments, monthly...
Dr. Jennifer Toyoda
Dr. Toyoda joined the Ecotoxicology research program at Mote in 2022 after completing her Ph.D. in Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Louisville. Her graduate work sought to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of metal-induced...
Susan Launay
Susan participates in all of the research and contract water quality and monitoring projects in the Chemical and Physical Ecology department, including the Red Tide project and the continuous monitoring of Sarasota Bay. Susan analyzes...
James “Jim” Culter
Mr. Culter joined Mote Marine Laboratory in 1979 to develop a Benthic Ecology Program specializing in marine/estuarine ecology and environmental assessment with emphasis on benthic habitats and invertebrate...
Marine Microbiology
The Marine Microbiology Program studies microscopic living things (called microorganisms or microbes), their roles in the marine environment and their ability to produce natural products that can benefit marine animal and human health.
Marine & Freshwater Aquaculture
https://youtu.be/oiPV5PxSgnk The mission of the Marine & Freshwater Aquaculture Research Program is to develop innovative technologies and systems to support sustainable aquaculture...
Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital
SEARCH FOR SPECIFIC ANIMAL PATIENTS Mote's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital provides state-of-the-art critical care and chronic...
Marine Immunology
Research in the Marine Immunology Program focuses on basic and applied research on the health and immune systems of marine vertebrates, including cartilaginous fishes (sharks, skates, and rays), Florida manatees, and sea turtles. Basic...
Benthic Ecology
Benthic ecology is the study of organisms that make up bottom communities (sediments, seagrass communities and rock outcrops) in lakes, streams, estuaries and oceans, to determine environmental health and conduct environmental impact...
Phytoplankton Ecology
The Phytoplankton Ecology program studies the ocean's phytoplankton community, with an emphasis on the West Florida Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. Our staff focuses on the biology and ecology of phytoplankton, both as individual species...
Ecotoxicology
The mission of the Ecotoxicology Research Program is to investigate the source, fate and effects of toxic substances in the environment, including natural biotoxins (harmful...
Chemical & Physical Ecology
The Chemical & Physical Ecology Program addresses both research and applied science questions on the impacts and interactions of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica) and physical parameters (salinity, light) in riverine,...
Amber Bankes
Amber is a lifetime resident of Sarasota and Manatee Counties, with a strong knowledge and passion for the local waterways and marine life. You can likely find her on the water every weekend! Before deciding to follow...
Eve Iavarone
During her time at the University of Florida, Eve studied abroad in Sorrento, Italy. There, she worked in the Marine Protected Area of Punta Campanella to protect the oldest seagrass species in the Mediterranean Sea, Posidonia oceanica....
Sarasota Research Campuses
About Sarasota Mote Research With two research facilities in Sarasota county, Mote is studying marine science like never before. From its original focus on sharks, Mote research has expanded to include studies of human cancer...
Mote science highlights decline of Goliath grouper population in new study
According to newly published data in the international, peer-reviewed scientific journal Fishes, Goliath grouper, an ecologically vital species, have experienced population...
Mote releases sea turtle “Steve” with satellite tag to improve conservation efforts
Thursday morning, June 1, Mote Marine Laboratory released a male loggerhead sea turtle, nicknamed "Steve," that has been outfitted with a satellite tag by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, which provides data critical for sea turtle...
Mote Marine Laboratory and The Florida Aquarium collaborate in successful rehabilitation efforts
Mote Marine Laboratory and The Florida Aquarium are thrilled to announce the release of two rescued loggerhead sea turtles nicknamed, "Valerie" and "Mahomes," at Anna Maria Bayfront Park Tuesday morning, May 30. This momentous...
Mote partners with Sarasota County to improve water quality of Alligator Creek
Portions of this press release are derived from Sarasota County. Sarasota County received a $14.5M grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal...
Opal Collection partners with Mote to support cutting-edge coral restoration efforts
On June 8, in honor of World Ocean Day, Opal has bought and is gifting 3,000 Coral Legend Bracelets to guests across all of their Florida properties. But this is more than just a bracelet. A portion of the proceeds from the purchase...
Mote returns two rehabilitated sea turtles to the big blue
Two loggerhead sea turtles, nicknamed “Lilly” and “Farmer,” were released from Lido Beach on Tuesday, May 16, after recovering from red tide toxins at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital. “Lilly”...
Mote welcomes ‘Voyage to the Deep’ exhibition Feb. 19
The temporary exhibition featured in this story has since concluded. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is proud to announce its newest temporary exhibition, “Voyage to the Deep,” presented by Flying...
Innovative incubator to jumpstart efforts to control harmful algal blooms
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is partnering with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) in a new $7.5 million grant from NOAA to lead an innovative U.S. Harmful Algal Bloom Control Technologies...
SEA Trek program receives recognition from Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration
Mote is pleased to announce that the SEA Trek program has received another Pinnacle Award from the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC). The Pinnacle Award is given...
Mote’s partnership with The Haven going strong, thanks to grant from the Community Foundation
Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is partnering with The Haven, a local nonprofit offering programs and services for children and adults with disabilities. The...