- Mote Marine Laboratory
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Mote Marine Laboratory
Official logoDate opened 1955 Location Sarasota, Florida Land area 10.5 acres (4.2 ha) Coordinates 27°19′58.5″N 82°34′37.7″W / 27.332917°N 82.577139°WCoordinates: 27°19′58.5″N 82°34′37.7″W / 27.332917°N 82.577139°W Number of species 100+ Memberships AZA[1] Website http://www.mote.org/ Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent not-for-profit marine research organization based on City Island in Sarasota, FL. The laboratory aims to advance the science of the sea, both through its marine and estuarine research labs and through the public Mote Aquarium and its affiliated educational programs.
Contents
History
Founded by Dr. Eugenie Clark in 1955 in Placida, Florida (and originally known as Cape Haze Marine Laboratory until its 1967 renaming in honor of William R. Mote, his wife Lenore and his sister, Betty Mote Rose, major benefactors of the Laboratory) Mote's early research was focused on sharks. Since 1960, Mote has been based in Sarasota, Florida, and since 1978 has been located on City Island.[2]
Mote Marine Laboratory celebrated its 55th Anniversary throughout 2010. The Lab was recognized for its 55 years of marine science with a resolution in the Florida House and Senate in March 2010. Founder Clark was also recognized in March 2010 with an induction to the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.[3]
As of winter 2009/2010, Mote employs over 200 staff members conducting research on sharks, red tide and other environmental toxins, marine mammals, sea turtles, coral reefs, fisheries, coastal ecology and aquaculture (sustainable fish farming). Since 1978 the Laboratory has expanded to include a 10.5-acre (4.2 ha) campus in Sarasota, with field stations and public exhibits in Key West, field stations in Summerland Key and Charlotte Harbor and Mote Aquaculture Research Park in eastern Sarasota County. Florida's extensive coastline and marine and estuarine environments have enabled Mote scientists to build a platform of marine research conducted in the near shore environment. Mote has about 1,400 volunteers who contribute more than 200,000 volunteer hours to the organization.[2]
Mote Aquarium
Mote Aquarium is the public outreach arm of Mote Marine Laboratory, displaying more than 100 marine species with a focus on local marine life. The Aquarium opened in 1980 on City Island in Sarasota Bay. Visitors can see sharks, manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, seahorses, rays, skates and invertebrates. Mote Aquarium also includes windows into Mote's working laboratories. The Aquarium hosts birthdays, weddings, corporate gatherings and other events, and can provide special group tours designed to show visitors how staff tend the animals and exhibits.
New exhibits at Mote Aquarium created in 2009 include the Seahorse Conservation Laboratory, which displays baby seahorses that Mote staff are raising for other aquariums throughout the United States, and Sea Turtles: Ancient Survivors - an exhibit with live sea turtles and displays highlighting the sea turtle conservation and research at Mote. The Aquarium now also has narrated shark feedings, in which large sharks are trained to go to specific targets for a food reward.
Education
Mote has an education division specializing in school and public programs from all ages, including internships, summer camps, school visits, field trips, on-demand learning experiences for all ages, annual Special Lecture Series and a distance-learning program called SeaTrek, which connects Mote educators to students via live videoconferencing.
Notes
- ^ "List of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. Association of Zoos and Aquariums. http://www.aza.org/current-accreditation-list/. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Mote Marine Laboratory". mote.org. Mote Marine Laboratory. http://www.mote.org/clientuploads/Documents/MoteMarineLaboratory.pdf. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ "55th Anniversary Events Calendar". mote.org. Mote Marine Laboratory. http://www.mote.org/55/. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
Gallery
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A manatee at the Mote Marine Laboratory
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"Edgar", a blind loggerhead sea turtle at the Mote Marine Laboratory (died January 2011)
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Coral on display
External links
- Media related to Mote Marine Laboratory at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
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Categories:- Aquaria in Florida
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