From rescues to research: Sea turtle & marine mammal updates – 2020 Annual Report
This story is a highlight from Mote's 2020 Annual Report. NO SHUTDOWN FOR MARINE LIFE In...
Turtle tracks: Where in the world are Mote’s tagged sea turtles?
Male sea turtles are notoriously difficult to study: Once a male hatchling leaves the nest, there is no reason for him to return to the shore. Therefore, one of the few chances to study males up-close is when they need to be rescued...
Coral restoration takes center stage on World Oceans Day
June 8, 2020 – At a press conference earlier today in Islamorada, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium announced plans for future development to further coral reef research and restoration in the Florida Keys and...
New study: Bacteria associated with deadly coral disease on Florida’s Coral Reef
New research on stony coral tissue loss disease reveals similar “bacterial signatures” among sick corals and nearby water and sediments for the first time. Results hint at how this deadly disease might spread, and which bacteria...
New sea turtle scientist expanding Mote’s research this nesting season
PHOTO BELOW: NESTING LOGGERHEAD TURTLE (MOST LOGGERHEADS NEST AT NIGHT, AND DAYTIME SIGHTINGS ARE RARER). CREDIT: MOTE MARINE LABORATORY. MOTE'S SEA TURTLE ACTIVITIES ARE CONDUCTED UNDER FWC MARINE...
Mote launches elkhorn coral spawning nursery to aid threatened species
Mote Marine Laboratory scientists are launching a new, underwater spawning nursery for elkhorn coral, with the goal of strategically breeding and restoring this rapidly declining, native species that is at risk of disappearing from...
Mote joins state leaders to highlight coral reefs during Super Bowl LIV
Mote Marine Laboratory’s President & CEO joined Florida’s Governor, state agency leaders and partners at all levels to raise awareness for coral reefs on Jan. 30 in Miami, where Mote’s traveling exhibit Sanctuary Reef was...
Coral ‘matchmaker’ breeds threatened species
Florida’s coral reefs have enough problems—unprecedented levels of coral disease, climate change, pollution and hurricanes—without struggling to reproduce sexually. But struggle they do. As environmental stress grows and coral...
Local company teams up with Mote to support coral restoration
October 8, 2019 — Recognizing the critical need for healthy oceans, Enzymedica is devoting a portion of the sales of its new Aqua Biome fish oil supplements to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s vital coral...
Mote Coral Research Supported by New Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Grant
With strategic support from the Jacksonville, Florida-based Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is continuing to push forward with its vital coral research and...
Glowing, Glowing, Gone?
Coral reefs support more than 25 percent of ocean species, but they are declining around the world. Serious coral diseases, pollution and climate change can all stress corals. When water gets too warm, corals can bleach, or turn white,...
Southwest Florida experts spotlight water quality, red tide research
Water quality science and solutions took center stage at the Sarasota County Water Quality Summit, which convened local, regional and state leaders in research and management fields on June 5 at Riverview High School in Sarasota County. Dr....
Wildlife in World Heritage Site declines after heatwave reduces seagrass
Diverse marine animals from dugongs to sea snakes became rarer in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Shark Bay, Western Australia, after a heat wave devastated the dominant seagrass species, reports a newly published study demonstrating...
Argentina’s caiman conservationists get helping hand from Mote Aquarium biologist
A Mote Aquarium biologist recently took her crocodilian-care skills to Argentina, assisting with a conservation and research project that is helping the broad-snouted caiman recover from environmental threats. The broad-snouted...
Mote battles unprecedented threat to Florida’s coral reefs
New research results, expanded restoration efforts target stony coral tissue loss outbreak Florida’s coral reefs are facing an unprecedented, deadly and rapidly spreading coral disease outbreak — putting...
Florida Governor DeSantis visits Mote, prioritizes harmful algae science and solutions
Harmful algal blooms — and the urgent need for science and funding to address them — took center stage as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis greeted marine researchers, natural resource managers and journalists during a news conference...
End-of-year update: Seagrass may help protect corals from ocean acidification, Mote science affirms
Mote Marine Laboratory research in 2018 strengthened the concept that seagrasses could help protect nearby coral reefs from ocean acidification (OA), a chemistry shift occurring as part of global climate change. The research, led...
End-of-year update: Mote’s ocean acidification research system expands after Irma
This year, Mote Marine Laboratory staff rebuilt and enhanced their ocean acidification research system in the Florida Keys to double its capacity and incorporate finer-scale controls of experimental conditions, after Hurricane Irma...
Mote opens new exhibit at Keys History & Discovery Center in Islamorada
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is excited to announce the opening of a new offsite exhibit, Coral Reef Exploration, at the Keys History & Discovery Center in Islamorada....
Mote-led initiative will restore resilient corals across 130 acres thanks to new grant
Mote Marine Laboratory and partners will restore 70,000 coral “seeds” across 130 acres of depleted Florida reefs over three years — prioritizing coral genetic varieties resilient to disease and climate change impacts — thanks...
New study: Coral bleaching increases disease risk in threatened species
Researchers highlight the need to increase genetic diversity among staghorn corals to prevent further loss in the Florida Reef Tract, U.S. --- Bleaching events caused by rising water temperatures could increase...
June 16: Mote’s coral restoration presentation at Divers Direct in Key West
By Allison Delashmit Mote Marine Laboratory will continue its presentation series from 5-6 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at Divers Direct in Key West. These monthly...
Mote Welcomes Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow from Germany
Mote Marine Laboratory welcomes visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the German Research Foundation in Germany, Dr. Hanna R. Koch. Koch joins the growing team of next-generation scientists at Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International...
Coral disease ‘firebreak’ works in short term. Next goal: Making it last
The progression of Caribbean yellow-band disease — a widespread killer of reef-building corals — can be significantly impeded by chiseling a “firebreak” around the diseased coral tissue, but more research is needed to maintain...
Heat-tolerant corals may have bacterial secret useful for restoration, reports New College student
Corals that tolerate heat stress may harbor different bacteria than others, reports a New College undergraduate thesis study conducted in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This critical information may help scientists find or raise corals more...
Mote ranked No. 1 nonprofit in published research by top zoos and aquariums
Of 228 zoos and aquariums, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium produces the most research of any nonprofit and ranks No. 2 overall, reports a recent study of research productivity among Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) members....
Mote’s coral restoration initiative receives continued support by Florida budget appropriation
Mote Marine Laboratory’s science-based coral reef restoration initiative for the Florida Keys received major support in the State of Florida budget signed by Governor Rick Scott, Friday, March 16. A total of $500,000 was appropriated...
Love clean water, sustainable fishing and beautiful bays? Don’t miss the Environmental Summit!
Explore hot topics in science and the environment with local experts — including scientists, planners, managers, fishers, farmers and many others — during the 2018 Environmental Summit presented by the Science and Environment Council...
Mote welcomes two new scientists to Florida Keys campus
Mote Marine Laboratory is delighted to welcome new Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Heather Page and Staff Biologist Dr. Abigail Clark to its Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration (IC2R3) on...