Achieving fin-tastic firsts with sharks, rays, fisheries – 2020 Annual Report
This story is a highlight from Mote's 2020 Annual Report. SUSTAINING FISHERIES—GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT ON MOTE In November 2019, Mote...
Social distancing may be new for humans, not so much for whale sharks
In 2007 scientists from Mote Marine Laboratory and Ch’ooj Ajauil AC placed a location-tracking tag on a whale shark nicknamed "Rio Lady" and documented her epic migration spanning close to 5,000 miles. Now, Rio Lady is back in the...
Mote receives federal grant to study highly migratory sharks as part of new consortium
Sarasota, Fla. — October 2, 2019 — Mote Marine Laboratory is bringing its long history of shark expertise to a new consortium studying highly migratory species, thanks to new funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...
Global threat to sharks highlighted in Nature paper co-authored by Mote scientists
A new study in the prestigious, peer-reviewed, scientific journal Nature reveals that major high seas fishing activities overlap significantly with important shark hotspots worldwide. Study partners point out that North...
Mote scientists tag two whale sharks off southwest Florida
Written by Stephanie Hagan Thanks to whale shark sightings reported by the public off the southwest Florida coast in early June, scientists from Mote Marine Laboratory located five of the polka-dotted, filter-feeding giants...
Great white sharks off Nantucket in the scientific spotlight
OCEARCH EXPEDITION WITH FLORIDA SCIENTIFIC LEADER AIMS TO BUILD UPON SERIES OF SHARK-TAGGING SUCCESSES Today OCEARCH and its collaborating scientists launched a three-week expedition to tag mature great white sharks off Nantucket,...
Do sharks survive after the hook? New technology helping solve fisheries mystery
Fitbit-like sensors are the best tools for monitoring whether sharks survive catch-and-release fishing — essential data for fisheries management — according to a peer-reviewed study published today, June 23, by scientists from...
Earth Day Webcast: “Sharks Alive!” with Mote
Kids around the world can watch “Sharks Alive!” – a free webcast by Mote Marine Laboratory via Google Hangouts and Youtube from 10 – 10:25 a.m. EST on Earth Day, April 22. “Sharks Alive!” will focus on shark research...
Global variation and drivers of shark predation risk experienced by estuarine and coastal dolphins
Despite often being considered top predators, small delphinids (2.5 m total length) in several marine ecosystems around the globe. Yet, estimating relative shark predation pressure and risk to cetacean species and populations, and...
Shark Research: Emerging Technologies and Applications for the Field and Laboratory
The remarkable pace of advancements in technology, particularly in the last two decades, has contributed to the development of a toolbox that greatly enhances the range of investigations into the biology and life history of elasmobranchs....
Previous Research
Return to current research For decades under the leadership of program founder...
Spring Break Day Camps @ Mote SEA
Shark Squad Week Calling all ocean adventurers! From mysterious deep-sea sharks to coastal favorites, this camp is your chance to explore the coolest predators of the sea. Learn, play, and discover...
Mixed stock analysis of major markets and trade records reveals illegal trade of oceanic whitetip shark fins from the Atlantic ocean
Once abundant across all tropical and subtropical ocean basins, oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) have experienced major population declines, resulting in the species now being listed as “Critically Endangered”...
Electronic pulse device deters and delays shark feeding in a depredation context
Fishers losing their catch or gear to marine predators (‘depredation’), including sharks, is a growing problem around the world. Several types of devices have been tested to deter sharks from engaging in depredation but with limited...
Searching day and night: diel hierarchical search patterns in a large marine predator that never stops swimming
Animals may demonstrate area-restricted search (ARS) behaviour when encountering prey, where they turn frequently to remain in an area where the probability of finding additional prey is relatively high. We would expect optimally foraging...
New Global Study Reveals Widespread Illegal Shark Fin Trade Nearly a Decade After International Protections
Despite more than a decade of international efforts to curb the trade of threatened shark species, new research led by scientists from Florida International University and Dr. Demian Chapman, project leader and Director of the Shark...
Mote-ivational Science Lectures: Kim Bassos-Hull
Mote’s popular lecture series offers the opportunity to listen to Mote scientists as they share their latest findings, innovations and fieldwork — from coral reef research and marine animal health to red-tide breakthroughs, sustainable...
The effects of temperature and swimming speed on the metabolic rate of the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum, Bonaterre)
Sharks and other top predators have a substantial impact on their ecosystems through trophically mediated effects, and understanding the scope of this impact is essential to forming an accurate picture of energy flow within an ecosystem....
A novel method for determining post-release mortality, behavior, and recovery period using acceleration data loggers
Recent declines in global fish stocks have raised questions regarding the sustainability of both extractive and catch-and-release fishing activities, and prompted efforts to quantify the total impact of fishing pressure. While at-vessel...
Bringing data to the surface: recovering data loggers for large sample sizes from marine vertebrates
Despite the utility of data loggers for studying the fine-scale behavior and energetics of marine organisms, most studies using these tools have had relatively low sample sizes due to various factors including the logistical difficulty...
A review of batoid philopatry, with implications for future research and population management
Animal movements, in particular residency or return migrations (collectively de - fined as ‘philopatry’), can shape population structure and have implications for management. This review examines the evidence for philopatry in...
Horizontal and vertical movements of longfin makos (Isurus paucus) tracked with satellite-linked tags in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean
The longfin mako (Isurus paucus) is a poorly studied oceanic shark taken in fisheries throughout its worldwide range in temperate and tropical waters. Satellite-linked tags were deployed to investigate the movements of 2 mature males, one...
STEM Teaching Labs
Mote SEA's state of the art STEM Teaching Labs Designed to spark curiosity and imagination, our three student-centered learning spaces bring decades of Mote research to life through exploration and discovery. Students won’t...
Mote SEA — Florida’s Gulf Coast Gallery
Return to Mote SEA galleries Explore our Gulf Coast waters and enjoy some of the biggest...
Mote SEA – Indo-Pacific Gallery
Return to Mote SEA galleries Mote scientists study the oceans around the world....
Mixed stock analysis of major markets and trade records reveals illegal trade of oceanic whitetip shark fins from the Atlantic ocean
Once abundant across all tropical and subtropical ocean basins, oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) have experienced major population declines, resulting in the species now being listed as “Critically Endangered”...
Gecko’s Restaurants Raise Over $11K for Mote in Longstanding Partnership Honoring Dr. Eugenie Clark
On August 6, Gecko’s Hospitality Group (GHG) presented a check for $11,070 to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in front of the Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA), which is set to open soon...
Shark PCR resources for law enforcement and border control personnel
What is the best PCR protocol for my agency to ID sharks and rays? Led by Mote’s Dr. Demian Chapman (also an adjunct at Florida International University) and FIU biologist...
Energetic benefit of prey choice for a shark-eating shark
Optimal foraging theory has been used to understand the foraging choices of animals but is rarely applied to large predatory fishes due to difficulties measuring their behavior in the wild. Great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran)...
Mote SEA Audio Tour
About the Tour As you journey through the each gallery, click on each track to uncover fascinating facts about the species and their habitats. Listen to the introductory track below for detailed instructions.