2019 Annual Report

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Science meets service

Mote is an independent, nonprofit marine research institution. Our world-class marine scientists are committed to the belief that conservation and sustainable use of our oceans begin with research and education.

• Mote President & CEO Dr. Michael P. Crosby, accompanied by an array of scientists from the Lab’s diverse research programs, provided more than 65 briefings and presentations to elected officials or government agency staff during fiscal year 2019—particularly on addressing Florida red tide and ensuring the future of threatened coral reefs.

  Crosby and colleagues translated and transferred Mote’s independent science for multiple members of U.S. Congress, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator Dr. Tim Gallaudet; Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; multiple Florida Legislators and leaders and staff of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

  Specifically, Mote provided briefings, presentations and/or laboratory tours to:

  Federal
  U.S. Congress, Florida Delegation
  U.S. Senate: Sens. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott,
  U.S. House of Representatives: Reps. Vern Buchanan, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and staff in the office of Reps. Charlie Crist and Nita Lowey, Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee.
  U.S. Department of Commerce: Assistant Secretary of Oceans and Atmosphere Dr. Tim Gallaudet
  U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President: Director Kelvin Droegemeier
  
  State
  Bay Area Legislative Delegation
  Charlotte County Legislative Delegation
  Monroe County Legislative Delegation
  Florida House of Representatives: Reps. James Buchanan, Margaret Good, Tommy Gregory, Michael Grant, Holly Raschein, Will Robinson, Chris Sprowls
  Florida Senate: Senate President Galvano and Sens. Ben Albritton and Joe Gruters
  Florida Governor’s Office: Governor Ron DeSantis, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez and staff in the  Office of Policy & Budget
  Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Commissioner Nikki Fried
  Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Secretary Noah Valenstein
  Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Executive Director Eric Sutton, staff/Coral Reef Panel
  
  Local
  Key West City Commission, including: Commissioners Gregory Davila, Mary Lou Hoover, Samuel Kaufman and Billy Wardlow
  Manatee County Commission and Commissioners including Vanessa Baugh, Reggie Bellamy, Betsy Benac, Misty Servia, Carol Whitmore
  Sarasota County Commission and Commissioners including Nancy Detert, Charles Hines, Al Maio, Mike Moran, Christian Ziegler. 

• In June-October 2019, Mote’s BleachWatch program received 487 reports from 31 trained volunteers, documenting the presence or absence of heat-driven coral bleaching (loss of the important algae in coral tissues). Most of this year’s reports showed mild to moderate impacts including paling and partial bleaching, but Mote staff and volunteers continue to monitor rampant coral disease, including the outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease.
  
  Mote scientists review NOAA’s remote sensing data to understand the risk of potential bleaching, and in turn, provide BleachWatch reports to federal officials at NOAA to inform their management of the Florida Reef Tract. 

• Mote’s C-OCEAN (Community-based Observations of Coastal Ecosystems & Assessment Network) allows the public to report various changes in the Florida Keys and surrounding waters, without special training. C-OCEAN received 497 reports from 43 different observers this year, primarily of coral bleaching and disease.

• In early 2019, Mote scientists helped rescue two young bottlenose dolphins from entanglements in fishing line through team efforts conducted under NOAA permits, including the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (a Chicago Zoological Society program in collaboration with Mote), FWC, University of Florida, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, NOAA Fisheries and Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office participating in one or both rescues. Fishing line and other marine debris is a serious threat to marine animals. 

  The best way to help marine life in trouble is to call trained responders, report your location and wait near the animal. In Sarasota and Manatee counties, please call Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program, 888-345-2335. Outside this area, you can call 1-877-WHALE HELP or use NOAA's Dolphin and Whale 911 phone app. 

• Mote raised awareness for the plight of coral reefs by joining the worldwide design competition “Glowing, Glowing, Gone" which included partners from Adobe, Pantone, United Nations Environment Programme and others. Check out Mote’s unique entries, which involved plenty of help from creative students at Ringling College of Art & Design: mote.org/glowinggone 

• A new memorandum of understanding between Mote and Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) was signed on April 4, 2019, launching a partnership focused on addressing the impacts of harmful algal blooms through productive scientific research, innovative technology development, and undergraduate and graduate education. 

  The MOU has a term of five years and the option to renew, allowing Mote and FGCU to collaborate on:

  • Improved understanding of dynamics and forecasting of harmful algal blooms.
  • Developing effective and ecologically sound mitigation technologies to decrease the adverse effects of harmful algal blooms.
  • Joint appointments of instructional and research faculty for undergraduate and graduate courses, procurement of funding for research, and implementation of cooperative research projects.

Photos by: Miguel Montalvo, The Ocean Agency, Conor Goulding