What’s it like to rescue penguins, photograph whales for National Geographic and write the book on sharks? Find out from world-renowned speakers in this year’s Special Lecture Series starting Jan. 30 at Mote Marine Laboratory.

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 [...]

      The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded Mote Marine Laboratory a $192,000 grant to study how sharks fare after anglers release them — knowledge that will help resource managers maintain healthy shark fisheries. Mote scientists will record fine-scale movements of released sharks in unprecedented detail using accelerometers, or tags with [...]

Mote Marine presents its Special Lecture series at 7:30 p.m., Mondays through March 14, at the Immersion Cinema, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota. Ticket prices are $12 for Mote Members and $24 for non-members. Students and teachers can purchase tickets at the member rate with a discount code by contacting [...]

Brett Pierce of Bentonville, Ark., didn’t expect to catch a huge 15-pound gag grouper on his bottom-fishing trip only two miles from the beach with Capt. Wayne Gethner. In addition to our summer mackerels, blackfin tuna and shark, this year a full crop of mature gag grouper and red grouper have moved in from the [...]

The month-long travels of a young female whale shark satellite-tagged in March by the Fish Husbandry Team at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, have been mapped by Mote Marine Laboratory scientists. The shark’s tracking device detached 33 days after the successful tagging and release near the resort.

If your child or grandchild earned high marks in science, their report card is their ticket to Mote Aquarium in June and July. Children can learn how sharks are smarter than they appear. Children in grades K-12 who show proof of an “A” in science get in free with a parent’s paid ticket (one child per adult ticket) from June 1 through July 31.

Friday brought two whale sharks just offshore of Sarasota, each was more than 20 feet long. The visit offered a rare opportunity for Mote Marine Laboratory scientists to outfit the sharks with satellite tags.

The Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge wrapped up Sunday at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium with the presentation of a $10,000 grand prize check to team Pole Dancer.

Sport fishing, science, business and humane interests are coming together for the first time in support of a new kind of catch-and-release fishing tournament for sharks that demonstrates that a fishing competition really can support shark protection while providing the excitement that spectators and anglers have come to expect.