Mote Magazine, spring 2018 issue

S P R I N G

2 0 1 8

Aquarium rebirth to deliver science Citizen science with sharks, rays

MOT E M

A

G

A

SPRING 2018 INFO: 941-388-4441

Z

•

I

Mote Spring 2018 Events Calendar N

E

VOLUME 77

•

MOTE.ORG

Mote Magazine (ISSN 1553-1104) is published by Mote Marine Laboratory, a world-class nonprofit organization devoted to the ocean and its future.

Through marine science stories, Mote hopes to enhance ocean literacy among the public and encourage conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.

PRESIDENT & CEO Michael P. Crosby, Ph.D. ASSISTANT VP, COMMUNITY RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

Stacy Alexander EDITOR Hayley Rutger GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alexis Balinski CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Amanda Chandler, Shelby Isaacson, Hayley Rutger

Details at mote.org/events and RSVP required unless otherwise stated.

MARC H March 5, 12, 19 & 26 Mote’s Special Lecture Series featuring ocean experts. 6:30 p.m.

WAVE Center at Mote Aquarium, Sarasota. Big thanks to presenting sponsors Robert and Jill Williams and corporate sponsor PNC Wealth Management. mote.org/lecture March 6, 14, 21 & 28 Coffee with a Scientist.

Join Mote scientists for coffee, pastries and brief research presentation. Mote’s Boca Grande Outreach Office. mote.org/boca March 20 “A Plastic Ocean” documentary screening. 5:30 p.m. WAVE Center at Mote Aquarium, Sarasota.

March 23 Party on the Pass. 6:30 p.m.

Casual evening of good food, good fun and good will supporting Mote in Sarasota. mote.org/party March 26-30 Mote Spring Break Camp.

Half-day camps for grades 1-5 at Mote in Sarasota. mote.org/camp APRIL

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Blue Core A.C., Conor Goulding, Florida Institute of Oceanography, Olivia Raney, leekris/Adobe Stock, Dr. Simon Pierce, Luis Javier Sandoval

Mote Magazine is proud to recognize Sarasota Magazine as its publishing partner. For information on sponsorship, please contact Sarasota Magazine at 941-478-1109.

On the cover More kids like this summer camper will benefit from Mote Aquarium's rebirth.

Story: Page 3 Photo by: Olivia Raney

2

M O TE M A G A Z I N E | S P R IN G 2 0 1 8

April 7 32nd Annual Run for the Turtles.

6:30 a.m. 5K race and 1-mile funrun/walk. Siesta Key Public Beach, 928 Beach Road. mote.org/run April 14 Mote’s Ocean Fest in Key West.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Florida Keys EcoDiscovery Center and Truman Waterfront. moteoceanfest.org April 16 Science Café on Sea Debris.

Speakers from Mote and Keep Sarasota County Beautiful. Calusa Brewing, 5701 Derek Ave., Sarasota.

MAY May 1-2 24-hour Giving Challenge.

Noon to noon online fundraiser. Your support for Mote will go further through an important community matching opportunity. Visit thegivingpartner. guidestar.org and search “Mote.”

May 13 Mother’s Day special at Mote Aquarium, Sarasota. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

All mothers get in free with purchase of their accompanied child’s ticket on May 13. (Party must include one paid ticket per free ticket.)

May 31 International Ocean Film Festival.

6:15 p.m. (doors open at 5:30). WAVE Center at Mote Aquarium, Sarasota.

JUNE June 2 World Oceans Day Celebration.

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Ocean conservation games, crafts and more by Mote and other local organizations. Free with admission to Mote Aquarium, Sarasota. mote.org/worldoceansday June 4 – Aug. 10 Mote Summer Camp.

Week-long camps with half-day sessions for grade 1-8 at Mote in Sarasota (except July 4 week). Weeklong overnight camps for grade 6-12 in Florida Keys. mote.org/camp June 15 Last day of “Sea Debris: Awareness through Art” featuring “Washed Ashore” marine trash sculptures. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mote Aquarium, Sarasota.

June 17 Father’s Day special at Mote Aquarium, Sarasota. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

All fathers get in free with purchase of their accompanied child’s ticket on June 17. (Party must include one paid ticket per free ticket.)

June dates TBD Shark Days at Mote.

Fun and educational events highlighting real sharks, real science. Concludes with Fins & Fun Family Festival in Mote Aquarium, Sarasota. mote.org/sharkdays JULY July 6-8 Sarasota Lionfish Derby.

Divers help harvest invasive lionfish.

Based at Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota. mote.org/lionfish

Science is the attraction Mote Aquarium rebirth planned near I-75, helping City Island campus advance science, ‘blue economy’

BY SHELBY ISAACSON

A child’s eyes widen as she glimpses hundreds of fish for the first time at Mote Aquarium on City Island, Sarasota, Florida. Her curiosity sparks, and in one magical moment she discovers it.

It is something we all cherish so much that it’s weathered and worn. But it connects and supports us all, and in turn, needs our help. It is the ocean.

Oceans define life on our planet but face severe and growing challenges — pollution, habitat loss, overfishing, rising temperatures and acidification, intensified by incomplete public awareness. Science can enable solutions, and its power is amplified in the hands of an ocean-literate public.

KEEP READING

All renderings subject to change.



MOTE SCIENCE EDUCATION AQUARIUM VISION

VISION BEYOND 2020

BY THE NUMBERS

Left: Evening rendering of Mote Science Education Aquarium with ocean light show.

All renderings subject to change.

110,000 square feet

1 million

gallons exhibit water N E ARLY

700,000

visitors in opening year

3 million+

people within 60-minute drive

Double

participation in Mote education programs; reach more under-served audiences S UPPO RT

260+

direct and indirect jobs

$28 million

annual economic benefit to Florida

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium shared major news about its future on Feb. 8, 2018. Mote President & CEO Dr. Michael P. Crosby announced that Mote will build a spectacular new Aquarium on mainland Sarasota County.

The new Mote Science Education Aquarium will be designed and located strategically to enhance ocean literacy among a much greater cross-section of Florida residents and visitors. Mote leaders have had preliminary discussions with appropriate Sarasota County officials to understand potential opportunities for use of approximately 5 acres of county land within Nathan Benderson Park near I-75, and Mote plans to initiate a formal request for a lease to be approved. I-75’s intersection with University Parkway hosts an average 60,000 drivers on both sides daily — for an estimated 43 million drivers viewing Mote's facility yearly.

hands-on marine science and technology experiences.

The oceans are connected to everyone, every place in the world, and our goal is to ignite within each visitor a greater degree of curiosity to learn more about the oceans and their critical value in providing the oxygen we breathe, food, medicine, economic impact and overall quality of our lives.”

With 110,000 square feet of space and 1 million gallons of exhibit water, Mote Science Education Aquarium will: more than double the size of Mote Aquarium on City Island; expand the ability to feature marine animals and scientific displays from around the world; deepen visitors’ experiences through interactive teaching labs, onsite diving programs, scientific demonstrations and creatively interwoven, interactive technology; and above all, provide informal science education to a larger, more diverse audience. More than three million Florida residents will “At Mote Science be able to access Mote Science Education Aquarium, Education Aquarium by driving 60 science is the minutes or less, and the projected visitor number for opening year is attraction, as it is the nearly 700,000.

Powering this major advance is Mote’s new, $130-million capital construction fundraising effort, Oceans for All: Improving Access to Marine Science & Technology. Contingent on progheart of our mission.” ress toward this goal, Mote leaders aim to begin construction in 2019. The The new facility is expected to double fundraising effort started strong on Feb. 8 with the participation in Mote’s award-winning, informal science announcement that commitments for over 20 percent education programs. From pre-K children to retired adults, from family-focused education programs to of facility’s total cost have already been made.

National Science Foundation-supported research internships and teacher professional development “At Mote Science Education Aquarium, science is the attraction, as it is the heart of our mission,” Crosby workshops, Mote tailors marine science education for myriad audiences, true to Oceans for All. Mote’s educasaid. “This spectacular new facility and campus will embody our vision of Oceans for All, doubling the tion programs currently serve more than 30,000 number of visitors whose lives are enriched by marine people per year, and their expected growth will benescience each year, and providing no-cost opportunifit those underserved or underrepresented in marine ties for all schools to utilize specialized teaching labs science and technology. Mote will be poised to encourage more girls to excel in scientific fields, involve more to ensure that every child has the opportunity for

VISION BEYOND 2020

at-risk youths in ocean science and technology, and overall, involve more community members from various backgrounds in volunteer citizen-science projects.

“The rebirth of Mote Aquarium on the mainland will not only help us grow our informal science education and outreach programs and develop a more ocean-literate society; but equally important, it will lead to the next step in the evolution of our City Island campus into an enhanced International Marine Science, Technology and Innovation Park,” Crosby said. “This will provide Mote researchers, science and technology entrepreneurs, and their international partners, much-needed facilities for expanded intensive research and allow Mote’s best and brightest to excel in addressing the significant threats facing Earth’s oceans. Beyond 2020, I expect that Mote Marine Laboratory will become the catalyst for a new ‘Silicon Valley’ of marine science and technology in Southwest Florida, leading to more than just improved conservation and sustainable use of our oceans. The innovations and intellectual property generated by Mote and a growing marine science and technology sector will fuel an expansion of Florida’s blue economy, with impacts felt well beyond our state.”

Mote excels at transforming community support into true impact for the oceans and benefit for the people who depend on them. The Lab’s comprehensive campaign Oceans of Opportunity — completed in 2016 — led to construction of Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration in the Florida Keys, a critical scientific hub and resource for hundreds around the world who come to Mote seeking to understand and restore threatened coral reefs. Oceans of Opportunity set the stage for Mote’s proposed growth by investing in the next generation, supporting no-cost education programs for thousands more underserved students

than Mote could reach previously, and expanding Mote’s research enterprise. All funds from the Oceans of Opportunity campaign have been obligated for achieving the goals of Mote’s 2020 Vision & Strategic Plan, and none are available for the new Mote Science Education Aquarium.

The facility’s construction, alone, will benefit Florida’s economy through approximately $280 million in direct and indirect expenditures and 3,123 total person-years’ employment. Beyond the one-time benefits of new construction, Mote Science Education Aquarium by itself — not including Mote’s research enterprise — will support over 260 direct and indirect jobs and provide nearly $28 million annually in economic benefits for the State of Florida.

Top left: Rendering of a teaching lab in Mote Science Education Aquarium.

Top right: Rendering of an exhibit in Mote Science Education Aquarium.

All renderings subject to change.

"Mote has significantly increased its research capabilities over the past few years," said Robert Essner, Chairman of Mote's Board of Trustees. "Our efforts to answer the questions that are vital to protecting our oceans and the creatures who live there are growing every year, as is our ability to communicate answers to the scientific community and to people everywhere. We are now taking the next and biggest step in becoming a truly world-class marine research laboratory. Relocating our Aquarium will give us the space needed to expand and upgrade our research labs. Our new Aquarium, when completed, will be a spectacular venue for our educational endeavors and will create an incredible regional visitor attraction."  Learn how you can help today: Contact Mote’s Development Office at 941-388-4441, ext. 309, or visit moteoceansforall.org

MOTE MA G AZI N E | SP RI N G 2 018

5

Documented 91,801 sea turtle crawls (tracks) indicating nesting successes or failures;

Protected an estimated 2,403,722 local hatchlings;

Counted a record 4,588 local nests in 2016 and a near-record 4,503 in 2017, mirroring positive trends statewide. Conservation counts!

•

•

•

Maintains 36 years of sea turtle data available to resource managers and policymakers;

Has five state nesting survey permits and one state research permit, and trains about 300 nest-monitoring volunteers yearly.

Distributes educational materials for more than 200 beachfront properties, and maintains specimens for outreach.

•

•

•

Today, STCRP:

Monitored and protected nesting sea turtles on Longboat Key through Venice, Florida, for 36 years;

•

Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program (STCRP) is here to help. They have:

Mote rescue and rehabilitation: Stranding Investigations Program (941-988-0212) for rescue/recovery; Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital; Hatchling Hospital

Sea turtle protection ordinance*: Sarasota County

Primary nest predators: raccoon and armadillo

Divided into 12 zones

Monitored by 54 volunteers, interns and staff

-

CASEY KEY

INCUBATION TIME

SAND COLOR

+

North Siesta

Using unique ID tags, Mote has identified 5,873 individual nesting females during 10,000+ encounters.

Venice

Slowest nest incubation (time to hatch) because white sand stays cool

Mote’s 5K Run for the Turtles on Siesta Beach has raised sea turtle conservation funding for 31 years!

SIESTA KEY

Nest numbers have grown 10-fold since 2009!

Mote coordinates with the City of Sarasota to adjust beach access hours during high volume summer events in peak nesting season.

Sea turtle protection ordinance*: Sarasota County

Primary nest predator: raccoon

Divided into seven zones

Monitored by 26 volunteers, interns and staff

Sea turtle protection ordinance*: Sarasota County

Primary nest predator: raccoon

Divided into four zones

LIDO KEY

Main Mote campus

CITY ISLAND

Longboat Key Turtle Watch (under Mote’s state permit) conducts educational, public turtle walks, nest openings and other outreach events.

Sea turtle protection ordinance*: Town of Longboat Key

Primary nest predator: raccoon

Divided into 10 zones

Monitored by 86 volunteers, interns and staff

LONGBOAT KEY

To survive and lay eggs, sea turtles must navigate an obstacle course.

Loggerhead, green and Kemp’s ridley turtles that nest on southwest Florida beaches face: habitat loss, boat- and fishing-gear injuries, red tide, pollution, nest predators, shoreline obstacles and artificial lights that disorient hatchlings (babies), leading them into harm’s way.

Monitored by 45 volunteers, interns and staff

A sea turtle biologist’s view of Longboat Key through Venice, Florida

Keys to conservation

Why is the left beach turtle-friendly, while the right one is not?

Count the differences and learn how to help during nesting season, May 1–Oct. 31!

Turtle-friendly beaches: You’re the key!

Volunteer Gene Stover organizes yearly community effort to paint 15,000 nest-marker stakes for STCRP use.

Fastest incubation (time to hatch), due to dark sand absorbing more heat

Sea turtle protection ordinances*: City of Venice, Sarasota County

Primary nest predator: coyote

Divided into seven zones

Monitored by 65 volunteers, interns and staff

Highest density of nests per mile in Mote’s entire monitoring area.

In 2016, one zone on Casey Key had over 700 nests per mile!

Fewest disoriented sea turtle hatchlings in Mote’s area; private beaches with few summer residents using artificial lights

Town of Longboat Key: Ordinance 2016-15, Chapter 100, Marine Turtle Protection Sarasota County: Code of Ordinances, Chapter 54, Article XXIII: Marine Turtle Protection City of Venice: Code of Ordinances, Chapter 106, Article II: Marine Turtle Protection

*Sea turtle protection ordinances

After leaving the beach, turtles can swim hundreds of miles. Males stay at sea for life and females migrate between foraging grounds and nesting beaches. Mote satellite tags can track their journey.

AT SEA

VENICE

Download this magazine file and view in a PDF reader (such as Adobe Acrobat) to rotate this spread.

Answers: Left beach: Artificial lights are turned off or shielded to avoid disorienting sea turtles. Hatchlings are crawling toward the brightest horizon, the sky above the sea. Red path lights are designed to be less visible to sea turtles. Consult the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission for turtle-friendly lights. No beach furniture, trash or other obstacles impede sea turtles. Right beach: Problems include: bright window lights, unshielded streetlight, path lights that aren’t turtle-friendly, flashlight, lit tree reflecting light all around. Thus, hatchlings are disoriented — heading away from sea into potential danger. Beachgoers can disrupt sea turtle behavior. Beach furniture and other human-made obstacles can impede turtles — for instance, trapping hatchlings or causing failed nesting attempts called “false crawls.”

VIEWING TIP:

CONNECT THE DOTS IN SHARK, RAY STUDIES

BY HAYLEY RUTGER

Above: Spotted eagle rays are often photographed by tourists, and scientists can use those images for research.

M

any recreational divers and snorkelers dream of spotting a big, beautiful animal underwater, scrambling for their cameras and nailing the perfect shot.

human is tall — are ecotourism icons but are fished for consumption in several places. Their mollusk prey are vulnerable to habitat loss.

Now, their excitement is fueling efforts to understand and protect two of Earth’s most photogenic fishes, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari). New studies of both species reveal how eco-tourists with cameras are becoming citizen scientists, turning photos into data goldmines.

Whale sharks are considered endangered and spotted eagle rays near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; both have declined over the past decade in several areas. Their recovery depends on knowledge — which habitats they need, why, and where and when they travel. However, scientists can’t follow large numbers of them everywhere, all the time.

Whale sharks — gentle, polka-dotted plankton-eaters that can attain the size of a bus — are the darlings of ecotourism dive operations in multiple nations but face many threats: unintentional bycatch by fishing vessels, targeted fishing in some places, pollution, ship strikes and habitat loss. Spotted eagle rays — whose leopard-patterned wings can stretch wider than a

Enter the citizen scientists.

“There’s a wide network of interested divers and snorkelers who want to contribute to conservation, and collectively they spend way more hours in the

BE A CITIZEN SCIENTIST

SPOTTED EAGLE RAYS Submit your photos of spotted eagle rays (especially pictures showing the pelvic fins on the ray’s backside) and describe the timing, location and depth of your sighting as specifically as possible: Florida: Mote Marine Laboratory online at: mote.org/spottedeagleray

}

8

M O TE M A G A Z I NE | S P R IN G 2 0 1 8

Mexico: Blue Core A.C. } email (eagleray.mexico@gmail.com) or connect via Facebook and Instagram

PHOTO BY: LUIS JAVIER SANDOVAL

ECO-TOURISTS

CITIZEN SCIENCE

water than scientists could do on their own,” said Kim BassosHull, Senior Biologist with Mote’s Sharks & Rays Conservation Research Program. “This is where citizen science starts — with people who care enough about conservation that they’re willing to make real contributions to research.”

Citizen scientists — members of the public who collect data or otherwise contribute to projects led by professional researchers — have mattered for more than a century. For example, the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 with 27 people tallying bird species observed. Today it draws tens of thousands of volunteers.

Underwater ̏birding˝ with eagle rays?

“We knew that spotted eagle rays could be identified by taking photos of their unique spot patterns, thanks to research initiated in Bimini, Bahamas in the 1990s; we also knew divers were seeing the rays around popular sites like coral reefs and shipwrecks,” Bassos-Hull said. “If we could have divers send us their photos with the location and time, we could use special software to identify each ray — that’s really important data.”

During 2010 in the Florida Keys, Bassos-Hull and colleagues started one of the world’s first efforts to engage divers in spotted eagle ray photo-ID research, thanks to a grant from the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI). By placing information cards at dive shops, the team received several hundred reports through Mote’s website. Meanwhile, Bassos-Hull and colleagues photographed, tagged and collected various data from spotted eagle rays off Sarasota, Florida.

“During Mote’s initial tagging research in 2009 and 2010, we learned that spotted eagle rays are not in Sarasota waters during winter months and are likely migrating elsewhere,” Bassos-Hull said. “Upon further investigation, we found that researchers in Mexico and Cuba were documenting large numbers of these rays being taken in fisheries, especially in winter months. Was it possible that spotted eagle rays, though protected by law in Florida waters, were crossing borders into international fisheries?”

“Divers love the eagle rays and want to keep them around,” said Blue Core Field Technician and Environmental Education Coordinator Ximena Arvizu-Torres. “We want policymakers and fishers to come up with regulations to protect the rays. If they are highly migratory, which we suspect they are, it doesn’t make sense to have them protected in Florida and not Mexico. We need consistent levels of management for fisheries and tourism.”

Blue Core staff found study participants easily.

“The dive shops, divers and underwater photographers were very excited,” Arvizu-Torres said. “Some people love the project so much that they decided to send us photos every year. We email them if their ray has been seen again. If someone sends us five photos or so, we let them name the ray. For instance, ‘Cheerio’ is a ray with very circular spots named by a Canadian lady who snorkels on the same sites every year.”

In November 2017, Mexican and U.S. project contributors published their initial results: the first-ever photo-ID catalog of spotted eagle rays in the Mexican Caribbean.

The catalog was shared through a study in Environmental Biology of Fishes, authored by Blue Core A.C., Mote Marine Laboratory, Chicago Zoological Society, University of Florida and ECOSUR scientists. It described 1,096 photos identifying 282 individual rays wintering off Mexico during 2003-2016. Of those, 14.9 percent were seen twice, several were observed three to eight times per season, and two were seen across consecutive winters.

Though data were limited by the timing and location of recreational activities, the citizen-scientists vastly expanded the study’s reach, providing 60 percent of its photos.

The study begins to uncover where certain rays go and return — for instance, some visited the shipwreck “C-58” throughout a season and across years — and it adds new pieces to a Below: Spotted eagle rays in the Blue Core A.C. photoidentification database (photographer names on images).

In Mexico and Cuba, no management plans restrict spotted eagle ray-focused fishing and tourism. To help sustain both activities and avoid depleting the rays, managers need solid scientific data.

To meet that need, Mexican scientists from Blue Core A.C. visited Bassos-Hull to hone their eagle ray research skills. In 2015, Blue Core Lead Researcher Dr. Florencia Cerutti-Pereyra and colleagues launched a Citizen Science Outreach Program around the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, asking more than 40 recreational dive and tour operators to provide spotted eagle ray photos from their world-renowned dive destinations.

Their project was supported by Aquaworld-Cancun, Solo Buceo and SCUBA Cancun.

MOTE MAG AZI N E | SP RI N G 2 018

9

CITIZEN SCIENCE PHOTOS BY: DR. SIMON PIERCE

Above: Photos from the citizen-science project Wildbook for Whale Sharks.

region-wide puzzle. “Next we want to develop a Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico catalogue, especially to look for movement across and between Florida, Mexico and Cuba,” Bassos-Hull said. “With that, we should better understand how managers can protect the species based on their geographic needs.”

Whale shark enthusiasm means big data While citizen science was budding for spotted eagle rays, it was blooming for whale sharks, Earth’s largest fish.

In January 2018, a study published in the journal BioScience revealed the results of the 22-year, worldwide, citizen-science program Wildbook for Whale Sharks.

Through Wildbook, citizen scientists submit whale shark photos for researchers to identify using special software. As one of the largest efforts of its kind, Wildbook includes 42,988 reported whale shark sightings with 8,813 individual animals identified — the incredible results of 5,500 citizen scientists and 145 researchers and volunteers working together.

November’s study — led by ECOCEAN Inc. with co-authors from Mote and other institutions in more than a dozen countries — shares findings from this effort across 54 countries. Notably, citizen scientists helped researchers expand their global list of whale shark hotspots from 13 to 20.

“One of the most valuable results is a world map of whale shark hotspots, indicating where the sharks are found and which places are connected by their movements in between,” said Dr. Bob Hueter, study co-author and Director of Mote’s Center for Shark Research. “This provides helpful clues to scientists planning

BE A CITIZEN SCIENTIST

10

MO TE M A G A Z I N E | S P R IN G 2 0 1 8

more targeted studies of whale shark population structure and potential long-distance migration.”

“This effort is increasing our knowledge of whale shark abundance and geographic range, trends in site fidelity and frequency,” said ECOCEAN Inc. Director and study leader Dr. Brad Norman. “That information is vital for prioritizing conservation areas for the species.”

Key study results include: • Some of the most populous whale shark hotspots include Ningaloo Reef in Australia, the Gulf and Caribbean coast of the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico, Mozambique and the Philippines.

• 66 percent of documented sharks are male, at those coastal places where the sharks are observable.

• For the most part, whale sharks aggregate around the same hotspots from year to year.

• Few individual whale sharks have been observed by the citizen scientists to move between countries. However, some do and can travel hundreds to thousands of miles, according to satellite-tagging studies by scientists.

“One of the most active whale shark hotspots is located off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where we and our Mexican colleagues began tagging and tracking whale sharks in 2003, publishing the first scientific journal articles on this unique, huge aggregation,” Hueter said. “Since then, our knowledge has grown tremendously with help from divers contributing to Wildbook for Whale Sharks.

Wildbook photos and data have revealed more individual sharks at this Mexican hotspot than at any other known whale shark hotspot in the world. In essence, citizen scientists have helped confirm that this is truly a special place.” 

WHALE SHARKS Submit your photos of whale sharks (especially pictures of the spots behind the gills on the left side of the head), and provide the timing, location and other details as specifically as possible by filling out the form at Wildbook for Whale Sharks } online at: whaleshark.org

PHOTO BY: CONOR GOULDING

LIFELONG LEARNING

Left: A Mote educator works with an adult student in one of the Lab's new lifelong learning programs.

Connecting mature minds with marine matters

BY SHELBY ISAACSON

Adults don’t have to stay in school; as we mature, learning about science and nature is not required, nor are final exams. How many of us have the innate drive to keep learning because we’re curious and we care?

As it turns out, many do.

“We have seen a continued increase in demand for adult-centric marine education over the past decade,” said Kasey GaylordOpalewski, Senior Coordinator of Digital Programs at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. “We find that there is a genuine interest from participants. The conversations that are sparked during our sessions continue to show us that our community has an intense desire to understand the unique ecosystems we live in and the species that inhabit them.”

Mote educators are reaching a growing number of lifelong learners with new technology and face-to-face programs that instill ocean literacy. From Mote’s newest class, Endless Oceans: Lifelong Learning at Mote, to its SeaTrek.TV virtual field trips and the annual Florida Master Naturalist programs, the Lab’s adult education is enjoying a major growth spurt.

That doesn’t surprise Mote educators. More than a third of Sarasota County’s population is 65 or older, and residents value education — a third of those 25 or older hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data.

By continuing to learn, local adults are building connections with the ocean and each other.

Mote’s Endless Oceans classes — with topics ranging from coastal habitats and coral reefs to ocean acidification — are intentionally small and start with an optional, 30-minute, coffeeconnection group.

“Many of the students have not been in a classroom setting for some time,” said Kayla Keyes, Marine Science Educator III at Mote and graduate student at Miami University-Oxford. “By offering a pre-class coffee connection, students get to know a bit more about their classmates, discuss class materials and have a chance to interact with individuals outside their typical social circle.”

Endless Oceans participants can sign up for a full 10 weeks of programs or just choose their favorites — perfect for both dabblers and diehards.

MOTE MAG AZI N E | SP RI N G 20 18

11

LIFELONG LEARNING

"Enrolling in this class has been a fun and enlightening experi­ ence," said Leonard Tavormina, Sarasota participant in Endless Oceans. "The curriculum is very a comprehensive introduction to sea life and the instruction and discussion is always spirited and lively."

Class starts long before participants arrive. “I provide pre-class materials relating to the topic — typically a few articles and a video like a TED Talk,” Keyes said. “This gives everyone background information and time to think about the topic we will be discussing that day.”

Classes cater to all learning styles, with interactive lessons, hands-on activities, group work and discussions inviting every student to engage from beginning to end. Each class also features a guest expert from Mote who specializes in that day's topic, allowing students to discover how their new knowledge applies to daily life. Each class ends on a high note with a thirty minute optional “Active Learning” activity related to the day’s lesson, such as field sampling, dissections and other marine explorations.

Endless Oceans nearly sold out during its debut run in early 2018, and it will be offered again this summer.

Adults who can’t attend Endless Oceans can still connect. SeaTrek.

TV, Mote’s distance-learning program offers “virtual field trips” for adults: two-way video lessons and discussions with Mote scientists and educators. In fact, SeaTrek.TV’s “Sharks Alive” program

was recently awarded the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration’s Seal of Alignment for Lifelong Learning. The program scored 35 of 35 points through a rigorous evaluation of its live connection with seniors at Sarasota Friendship Center.

“Our vision at Friendship Centers is to deliver comprehensive services and programming that enrich the lives of older adults,” said Robert Rogers, Director of Community Outreach for the Friendship Center in Sarasota County. “The population we serve is eager for educational opportunities and we found that our experience with Mote’s SeaTrek.TV was extremely popular. They loved being introduced to new technology and gaining more insight into the important environmental work being done at Mote Marine Laboratory and the positive impact it has both locally and globally.”

Those seeking to dive deeper — considering a potential career change or volunteer opportunity — may find the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) ideal. Mote offers the Coastal Systems Module and Freshwater Systems Module of FMNP, which prepares participants to share their knowledge with others.

FMNP is an adult education UF/IFAS Extension program developed by the University of Florida and provided by many extension offices and participating organizations (like Mote) throughout the state of Florida.  Learn more about Mote's adult education programs: Visit mote.org/education and click "College & Adult."

Below: Mote Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Ryan Schloesser shares his fisheries expertise with lifelong learning program participants.

PHOTO BY: CONOR GOULDING

12

M O TE M A G A Z I NE | S P R IN G 2 0 1 8

MOTE MILESTONES

Life well lived: Science & conservation pioneer John Reynolds

BY SHELBY ISAACSON As 2017 faded and 2018 began, the Mote family and others worldwide reflected on the amazing life of Mote Senior Scientist Dr. John Elliott Reynolds III, who passed away in December after decades of dedication to manatees and other marine species.

“So many lives were deeply touched by John in his capacity as a professor, researcher and presidential appointee for leadership in marine mammal conservation,” said longtime research partner and friend Mote Senior Scientist Dr. Dana Wetzel. “His loss will be felt deeply, for a long time, by many across the world.”

In 2013, Dr. Reynolds built and strengthened scientific and conservation partnerships with the creation of an International Consortium for Marine Conservation.

Recently, he worked with the United Nations Environment Programme to develop and implement a Caribbean-wide Marine Mammal Action Plan. From 1991 to mid-2010, he was appointed by three U.S. Presidents to lead the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, the federal agency with oversight for all U.S. research and management of marine mammals. In 2010, the agency’s accomplishments were recognized with a distinguished service award from the Society for Conservation Biology.

Reynolds joined Mote part-time in 2000 and “It would be hard as a full-time Senior Scientist in 2001. He Before coming to Mote, Reynolds served to imagine a more as Professor of Marine Sciences and helped the Lab become a beacon of conserBiology and Chairman of the Natural vation-focused science, particularly by competent, caring leading Mote’s Manatee Research Program Sciences Collegium at Eckerd College, and and accomplished — a cornerstone of scientific understanding was integral in establishing its renowned person and scientist marine science major. and protection of these unique mammals in Florida and the Caribbean. Mote is one than John.” of the three primary groups maintaining a “I am one of the countless many whom statewide catalog of Florida manatees – including more John impacted over his career,” said Dr. Ray Ball, DVM, Vice than 4,200 fully documented, recognizable animals.

President of Medical Sciences and Senior Veterinarian of Reynolds and his team have done more aerial surveys for Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. “John has been a champion for manatees than any other group of scientists in the world. manatee conservation, and as such, a model for conserHe played a crucial role in advising plans for manatees’ vation of all species everywhere. Professionally, he was an reintroduction to Guadeloupe and worked closely with admired leader who easily won the respect of all he met.

Mote’s Environmental Laboratory for Forensics to study Personally, John was the epitome of a ‘gentleman scholar’ manatees, dugongs, bowhead and beluga whales, polar with his humor and gentle nature wound together with bears, sturgeon and more, often working with and seekhis vast knowledge and experience. The conservation ing to benefit subsistence communities that rely upon world, and indeed the world in general, is a lesser place marine resources. without him.”

“John had a passionate belief that a scientist’s work is not truly effective unless it can be translated to sound conservation and management strategies, balanced with the needs of local communities,” said Mote President & CEO Dr. Michael P. Crosby. “His life of professional focus on science-based solutions for addressing marine conservation challenges at local, regional, national and global scales has produced immense waves of impact within the international scientific community.”

“It would be hard to imagine a more competent, caring and accomplished person and scientist than John,” said Patrick M. Rose, Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club. “John’s contributions to Marine Mammal Protections are unparalleled in my opinion and he will be sorely missed.

I do take some comfort, however, in knowing just how many people and programs are set to carry forward because of his groundbreaking initiatives, dedication and superb, selfless mentoring.” 

MOTE MA G AZI N E | SP RI N G 20 18

13

MOTE MILESTONES

Mote LEEDs green building effort in Monroe County

BY HAYLEY RUTGER

Warm welcome for coldstunned turtles

BY HAYLEY RUTGER Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital admitted nine endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and one threatened green sea turtle on Dec. 8, 2017 — helping with a team effort to rehabilitate 46 cold-stunned turtles initially brought to the New England Aquarium in Quincy, Massachusetts.

At press time, mid-January 2018, all 10 turtles were doing great, gaining weight and recovering from health effects of cold exposure in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Most had completed their antibiotic treatments and could be released by early March off Florida’s east coast, after the worst of winter’s cold.

The smallest cold-stunned turtle, Kemp’s ridley “Plum,” arrived Dec. 8 weighing 2.9 pounds. By Jan. 17 Plum had grown to 3.3 pounds — still less than any of the others weighed upon arrival. “Plum is the smallest but has a voracious appetite,” Byrd said. 

14

MO TE M A G A Z I N E | S P R IN G 2 0 1 8

Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration (IC2R3), which opened in May 2017, is advancing Mote’s critical mission: marine research supporting conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

IC2R3, the newest facility among Mote’s five Florida campuses, works to address the grand challenges facing Earth’s “underwater rainforests”: coral reefs.

Dovetailing with that mission, LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is the world’s most widespread rating system for green buildings, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

At IC2R3, Mote scientists raise and study more than 20 species of hard corals and maintain a broodstock reserve facility to produce thousands of coral fragments for reef restoration and for studies of coral resilience amid the warmer, more acidic oceans expected in Earth’s future. IC2R3 also serves hundreds of other scientists from more than 60 different institutions worldwide who are working to restore and protect reefs. 

Mote fisheries scientist joins first voyage on cutting-edge vessel

BY HAYLEY RUTGER The Florida Institute of Oceanography’s new research vessel, W.T. Hogarth, undertook its maiden research voyage Nov. 30, 2017, with Mote Marine Laboratory Staff Scientist Dr. James Locascio aboard as chief scientist for a major fisheries study.

During its maiden voyage, the Hogarth traveled to the Florida Middle Grounds reef area in the Gulf of Mexico to recover several underwater acoustic recorders Locascio uses to capture fish sounds associated with spawning. This is part of the multifaceted, multi-institution project Spawning Habitat and Early-Life Linkages to Fisheries (SHELF), which aims to understand how reproduction varies in West Florida Continental Shelf fisheries — for example, how many eggs are produced, when and where — and to develop more practical methods to assess fish stocks, independently from commercial fisheries’ data collection.

The study is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Ernst Peebles from University of South Florida (USF) College of Marine Science and supported by the Florida Center for Excellence using RESTORE Act funding associated with the BP oil spill settlement.

In addition to their general objectives, the investigators plan to use the information collected for before-and-after comparisons of fish stocks, should a future oil spill occur. Project partners include USF, Mote, University of Florida, Florida International University and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. 

PHOTO BY: FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY

Kemp’s ridley turtle “Doodle” bounced back from a potentially serious problem.

“On arrival, both of Doodle’s eyes were impaired, and we know these turtles are prone to frostbite, so we weren’t sure if Doodle would be able to see,” said Lynne Byrd, Rehabilitation & Medical Care Coordinator at Mote. “We treated Doodle’s eyes with antibiotic eye drops, and after treatment we stained the turtle’s eyes to look for ulceration but found none. The animal’s eyesight has seemed to recover from the trauma. Now Doodle is able to track food by sight and appears to be doing great.”

In November 2017, Mote’s coral reef research facility in the Florida Keys became the first U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Commercial certified building in Monroe County, Florida, honoring its outstanding, eco-friendly design and construction.

The 78-foot R/V W.T. Hogarth was christened in May 2017 by the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) to enhance world-class research by multiple institutions. Mote — an independent, nonprofit marine laboratory that works throughout the world — benefits from membership in FIO, which enables, facilitates and coordinates research and education focused on Florida’s marine and coastal environments.

MOTE MILESTONES

Mote-Boca anniversary is Grande!

BY SHELBY ISAACSON More than 70 people, including former First Lady Laura Bush, Mote Marine Laboratory scientists and other ocean enthusiasts, gathered on Jan. 9 under a star-filled sky to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Mote’s Boca Grande Outreach office — a regional hub of marine science outreach and education.

The family-friendly event — free to the public thanks to generous event sponsor Northern Trust — included interactive science and education booths for kids and allowed adults to chat with local scientists whose knowledge is shared through the Mote office at 480 Railroad Ave., Boca Grande.

Mote’s Boca Grande Outreach Office was designed to be a focal point and resource where residents and visitors can learn more about Mote’s research efforts, particularly with locally significant topics such as fisheries and red tide.

In early 2017, an anonymous challenge donation of $100,000 was made to help Mote expand its red tide-related research and outreach efforts in Boca Grande. By January’s event, residents had matched $81,000. Mote applauded this generosity and announced the challenge would extend through the end of March.  Learn more: Visit mote.org/bocagrandematch

LEGACY SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT

Larry and Sara Myers From Turtle Patrol volunteers to ocean stewards

BY AMANDA CHANDLER Larry and Sara Myers appreciated nature and its preservation long before they moved to the sunny shores of Sarasota eight years ago. Sara grew up near Lake Michigan visiting Miller Beach, Shedd Aquarium and Indiana Dunes State Park. “Childhood summer vacations and weekend trips were to the water – magical, wonderful water,” Sara said. The family was drawn to the lakes and all they had to offer. In spring 2010, the Myers rented a beach house for a year on Casey Key, where they noticed sea turtle monitoring volunteers on the beach. Curious, they asked friends, who said those were members of Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol.

Seeking to learn more, the couple visited Mote, became members and asked questions. When Sara learned about Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program, she knew she wanted to be a part of Mote. She joined the Program’s Sea Turtle Patrol, and she has been volunteering in this capacity for the last six years, helping advance Mote’s 36-year effort to monitor and protect sea turtle nests — and the next generation of babies, or hatchlings — on Longboat Key through Venice.

The Myers’ passion for Mote’s mission and its people has inspired them to extend their legacy of conservation and volunteerism through their participation in Mote’s Legacy Society. They hope their example will inspire others to become Legacy Society members to ensure the future of Mote and the vitality of Earth’s life-giving oceans.

“To attract and retain the best scientists, educators and Aquarium biologists, the community must step up and provide the support Mote needs for the future,” Sara Myers said.

“The Legacy Society paves the road for the future to keep the vision of a strong, active, independent research Laboratory and Aquarium alive and well for the benefit of all people of the world, not just our own children and grandchildren. We enjoy knowing that there is a Legacy Society that we trust and that will make significant impact for the future.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT: } Mote's Legacy Society (941) 388-4441 ext. 352 } Mote's Sea Turtle Research & Conservation Program mote.org/seaturtles

MOTE MAG AZI N E | SP RI N G 20 18

15

NON Profit org.

U.S. Postage PAID Lebanon Junction, KY Permit #698

1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236-1004 (941) 388-4441 www.mote.org

You re Invited!

Underwater and outdoor enthusiasts, eco­travelers and families are encouraged to join us for a day of fun, crafts, games, music, food and shopping as we showcase our treasured marine environment while raising money for coral reef research and restoration.

Learn more at moteoceanfest.org.

Saturday, April 14, 2018 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

35 E Quay Rd. | Key West, FL 33040 Children’s Fishing Clinics • Silent Auction Live Music • Environmental Exhibits Nautical Craft Market • Food & Beverage

moteoceanfest.org

Purchase a Protect Our Reefs license plate today and support Florida’s underwater treasure. Each plate sold in the state of Florida provides a $25 donation and also helps support Mote’s coral reef restoration and research programs. Learn more at motereefplate.org.

PHOTO BY: LEEKRIS/ADOBE STOCK

NOAA’s Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center and Truman Waterfront