Mote Marine 2012 Special Lecture Series welcomes Chris Fischer, founder of OCEARCH, owner of the MV/Ocean, and featured in “Shark Men” and “Expedition Great White” on the National Geographic Channel. Fischer will talk Jan. 30 about his exploits working with great whites and Mote’s own Center for Shark Research. Lectures start at 7:30 p.m. (doors [...]

Longboat Key is one paw closer to allowing dogs on the beach. The Longboat Key Town Commission, after hearing from residents on the pros and cons of allowing dogs access to Longboat Key beaches, decided to form a committee where both sides can form an approach that takes in the many property and health concerns of those opposed and the desires of those in favor who want their pets to enjoy the shoreline

Much like a rock legend landing on our shores, local media paparazzi were on hand Monday, Oct. 17 to photograph the areas newest snowbirds: six black-footed penguins. The birds will star in Mote’s Penguin Island exhibit set to open Nov. 1. The new guests waddled out dressed in their finest black and whites for a media meet and greet this week

A baby loggerhead heads to the Gulf Wednesday night, Aug. 24, on Longboat Key. Many of these turtle nest excavations are open to the public. Certified Turtle Watchers of LBK keep records for Mote Marine on all nests, hatchings and excavation data. Visit www.mote.org for more info.

      A total of 60 volunteers, including members of the Sarasota Bay Estuary’s Bay Guardian volunteer program and Around the Bend Nature Tours, planted 2,065 native plants July 9 at North Lido Beach Park. It was one of the largest volunteer plantings ever held in the region. The American Littoral Society and Sarasota [...]

The dolphin and whale bone collection at Mote Marine Laboratory has recently been accredited by a nationwide mammal research society, which called the collection’s scientific value unsurpassed. The accreditation is the highest seal of approval that such collections can receive. The Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection, which holds 650 bone specimens from 17 species of [...]

  For three months this spring, a one year-old dolphin calf known as C797 swam throughout Sarasota Bay gathering fishing gear in its mouth and around its body. As the dolphin swam next to its mother, the lines grew tighter and tighter, cutting into the calf’s dorsal fin and mouth, slowly weakening the young animal [...]

The first sea turtle hatchlings of the year emerged this week from nests on Longboat and Siesta keys, according to scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory, who say the nests hatched right on time. Some of the hatchlings disoriented — lost their way to sea after becoming distracted by artificial light. To help hatchlings reach the [...]

Two longtime supporters of Mote Marine Laboratory have pledged $1 million to fund key initiatives over the next four years. They recently donated the first portion of their pledge, which will be used to support a Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program at Mote as well as red-tide related research and outreach efforts. This pledge will help Mote [...]

Curious about sea turtles and nesting on our beaches? Learn the tale behind the turtle tracks with Mote Marine Laboratory’s Turtle Walks — free educational strolls in collaboration with Hilton Longboat Key Beachfront Resort. A Mote-trained volunteer will lead groups to scout for signs of turtle nesting while discussing sea turtles and other local wildlife, [...]