Mote Magazine Spring 2016 by Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

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Special Events Restoring Reefs with Actor Justin Long

Introducing Otters & Their Waters Sea Turtles’ Record-Setting Year Nosing their Way Home: Blacktip Sharks Issues & Impacts: Ocean Aquaculture “Oceans of Opportunity Campaign” Update Join Today

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Mote Magazine (ISSN 1553-1104) is published by Mote Marine Laboratory, a world-class nonprofit organization devoted to the ocean and its future. By telling the stories of sea science, Mote hopes to enhance public understanding of marine research and conservation. PRESIDENT & CEO

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

Stacy Alexander EDITOR

Nadine Slimak, Vetted Communications, LLC GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Alexis Balinski CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

MOTE 2016 EVENTS CALENDAR

MARCH March 7, 14, 21, 28 & April 4 n MOTE’S ANNUAL SPECIAL LECTURE SERIES. Sponsored by Bob and Jill Williams. Additional sponsorship provided by Mariash Lowther Wealth Management. WAVE Center. 5:30 p.m. cocktail hour (cash bar). March 18 n PARTY ON THE PASS. A casual evening of good food, good fun and goodwill supporting Mote’s dolphin and sea turtle hospitals. Mote Aquarium. 6:30 p.m.

APRIL April 2 n 30TH ANNUAL RUN FOR THE TURTLES. Sanctioned 5K and fun run/ walk in support of Mote’s sea turtle research. Siesta Key Public Beach. 6:30 a.m. Powered by Positive Tracks. Mote.org/run or register at active.com. April 2 n 7TH ANNUAL FLORIDA KEYS OCEAN FESTIVAL AND WATERFRONT CRAFT SHOW. Fun, music, food and shopping in support of Mote’s coral reef restoration programs. Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, Truman Waterfront, Key West. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 8-9 n WILLIAM R. MOTE MEMORIAL SNOOK SHINDIG. Honoring Capt. Scotty Moore. A catch, sample and release tournament targeting snook in Sarasota Bay. Mandatory Captain’s Meeting at 6 p.m. in the WAVE Center, Mote Aquarium. Learn more and register online at mote.org/snookshindig.

Kaitlyn Fusco, Kevan Main, Hayley Rutger

MAY

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

May 20 n MEMBER MOVIE NIGHT. Join us after hours for a special showing of Happy Feet. WAVE Center, Mote Aquarium. 6:30 p.m. RSVP at mote.org/movienight.

Alexis Balinski, Tim Calver, Marc Ellis/ H2Opictures, Ella Ferguson, Rebecca Hall, Stepan Jezek, Giles Lemarchand, Kassie O’Brien, Rachel S. O’Hara, Dmytro Sukharevskyy

Mote Magazine is proud to recognize Sarasota Magazine as its publishing partner.

SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 71 INFO: 941-388-4441 • M O T E . O R G COVER PHOTO

JUNE June 4 n WORLD OCEANS DAY FAMILY FESTIVAL. Games and crafts focused on green practices, marine science and conservation by Mote and other local organizations. Mote Aquarium. Free with regular admission. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 11 n MINI-WORLD OCEANS DAY CELEBRATION ON BOCA GRANDE. With Mote’s mobile aquarium. Location/time to be announced.

JULY July 8-10 n SARASOTA LIONFISH DERBY. Divers help harvest an invasive species that is quickly spreading throughout the Gulf. Based at Mote Marine Laboratory.

AUGUST Aug. 15-19 n SHARK DAYS AT MOTE. Mote celebrates its very own shark week with education and entertainment. Learn more at mote.org/sharkdays. Aug. 20 n FINS & FUN FAMILY FESTIVAL. Wrap up Shark Days at Mote with a celebration in the Aquarium Courtyard. Free with regular admission.

SEPTEMBER Sept. 1-30 n MOTE MEMBER APPRECIATION MONTH. Visit mote.org/membership. Sept. 10 n ELECTRIFY THE ISLAND. Visit mote.org/electrify.

OCTOBER

A North American river otter, Lutra canadensis. Photo by Stepan Jezek/Adobe Stock.

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Oct. 21 n NIGHT OF FISH, FUN & FRIGHT. Dress up and discover creatures from the deep in a safe and fun trick-or-treat zone at Mote Aquarium. Mote.org/halloween. Oct. 29 n OCEANIC EVENING. Mote’s annual black-tie gala celebration and fundraiser. The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. 6:30 p.m.

’s a d i r o l F g n i s d f l e i e R l Rebu a r o C d e n ar e Threate p p a s i d y e h t e Befor

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Support for Coral Research no Act Scientists at Mote are leading new research into the many threats facing our coral reefs today, including coral disease, coral bleaching, ocean acidification and climate change and what can be done to save reefs before they disappear forever. Mote research has led to new restoration methods growing and planting coral micro-fragments that help rebuild some coral species up to four times faster than in the wild. The research has shown a 95 percent survival rate after just one year. On a recent visit, film and television actor Justin Long had the opportunity to learn about Mote’s coral reef research and restoration programs. He found the work so inspiring that he wanted to share his interest with others by supporting Mote’s new CrowdRise online fundraising campaign.

“I believe the methods Mote is developing will help rebuild reefs in our lifetime, which is incredible to think about.” Donors who support “Restoring Coral Reefs in this Lifetime” will help Mote restore reefs — one acre of coral reef for $10,000, or just $10 per coral. In this Q&A with Mote Magazine’s Kaitlyn Fusco, Long talked about his newfound passion.

PHOTO BY: Rebecca Hall

A fragment at a time: Dr. David Vaughan, Director of Mote’s Tropical Research Laboratory, shows actor Justin Long how corals are grown in a nursery for later replanting in the wild.

When there is so much going on in the ocean, what is it about coral reefs that has you most interested?

: I didn’t know the magnitude of impact of coral reefs on our own survival. I knew they act as a buffer against storms, they provide oxygen and they provide beauty, but I didn’t know the real importance of them in the ecosystem and their relationship to our own survival. It may be a subconscious, selfish impulse for my own survival, but I’m curious about it. I had no idea about how our own carbon emissions had such an effect on coral reefs and vice versa. How we are both impacting one another so drastically. There is still a lot for me to learn, and I’m excited to be able to now satisfy my curiosity while learning at Mote.

MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2016

: Have you always been interested in marine

resource conservation and helping the marine environment?

: Ever since I was a kid, I was always fascinated by the world around me. When I was younger, the environment and nature in general just fascinated me. I wanted to be a marine biologist. I was enthralled with books about marine life and I got really into the Galapagos Islands, which is a very rich marine ecosystem. My life path took me in a different direction, but I never lost that sense of wonder for the world around me. Having come to Mote and being inspired by people like Dr. Emily Hall, who examines the impacts of ocean acidification on corals, and Dr. Michael Crosby, who is a wealth of knowledge, the impact that this marine institution has on the environment and the severity of the many detrimental threats faced by our oceans today is much clearer. And it’s that much more important to me to explore an organization like Mote now that I understand and am continuing to understand just what they do.

You just became a certified diver. Why now?

: I’m getting to the age where I really appreciate life and the time we have and what we do with that time really matters. I think what Mote is doing really matters, and it is something I want to be a part of. And it is just fun being able to dive and do something I’ve never done before.

: Why do you feel ocean acidification and

reef restoration are important areas of Mote’s research?

Ocean acidification is one of the greatest global threats to our coral reef ecosystems, which we depend on for food, art, economy, tourism and even quality of life, and are all impacted by ocean acidification. I’m also a big fan of breathing, as I think everyone should be. And coral reefs help provide the oxygen we breathe, so the corals in our ocean are everything. And that’s not something I say a lot. Like you know how the expression “blank is everything” has become overused by kids? Like “my puppy is everything.” Or “this cup of coffee is everything.” Well, no, not really. But these corals, they are everything. Saving them is everything. I don’t think there is anything more important, really. I believe the methods Mote is developing will help rebuild reefs in our lifetime, which is incredible to think about.

Now, we have a CrowdRise website dedicated to “Restoring Coral Reefs in this Lifetime.” Why do you believe in this project and why do you feel others should believe in it, too?

: I’ve seen it at its most tangible level, having watched Mote scientists, the PHOTO BY: Rebecca Hall research they do by replanting coral Up Close: Actor Justin Long gets an up-close look at and studying the effects of ocean coral reefs underwater and the methods Mote is using to acidification, that is happening now restore them. and studying ways to combat that and : What do you hope to do strengthen the coral integrity and rebuilding their habitat and the in the future now that you can dive? base of these coral reefs.

: I want to learn how Mote grows coral reef fragments in the coral nurseries in the Keys and help them plant these corals like you would a plant. It is like harvesting plants and putting them in a field and trying to grow an entire field of them.

This fundraising campaign puts it into perspective. For just $10, we can make a difference. We need coral reefs to breathe, and they need us now because they aren’t able to start their own fundraising campaign. So it really is up to us.

That is the restoration side, but there is also the research side that I find so fascinating, and working with the ocean acidification lab and just seeing how a tiny amount of ocean acidification — a major threat to coral reefs driven by increases in manmade carbon dioxide — can change the health of corals.

to donate, go to mote.org/coralcrowdrise

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Otter Awesomeness BY HAYLEY RUTGER

on’t let their cute faces fool you. Huck, Pippi and Jane are otters on a serious mission as educational ambassadors for watershed environments that matter to countless animals, plants and people. These three North American river otters made their debut this year in Mote Aquarium’s newest exhibit: Otters & Their Waters, which provides an otter’s-eye view of watershed environments. Otters are excellent watershed ambassadors, as they fish, roam, keep dens and protect their young in watershed habitats. These charismatic animals are helping Mote highlight important topics like healthy wetlands, the food web that interconnects many species and the ways people can take care of watersheds. Taking care of watersheds dovetails with taking care of the oceans — the heart of Mote’s mission as an independent, nonprofit marine science institution dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans. “One thing’s for sure — these animals are a joy to work with and to watch,” said Evan Barniskis, Assistant Vice President for Mote Aquarium. “It’s only natural that our visitors are excited about them, and in turn, interested in their lives and their habitats in the wild. We couldn’t ask for better watershed ambassadors.” To Visit Otters & Their Waters is open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. every day at Mote Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Fla. The exhibit is located in Mote’s Ann and Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Research and Rehabilitation Center. Visiting is free with regular admission. Thank You Otters & Their Waters is paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues and made possible thanks to exhibit sponsors Alfred Goldstein & Jean Weidner Goldstein, Jane Graham Hyslop, James & Pati Ericson, Howard & Nancy Cobin, New Amsterdam Charitable Foundation, Wohlers Family Foundation, PNC Wealth Management, BMO Harris Bank, PGT Industries and Herald-Tribune Media Group.

Meet the otters: All three otters arrived behind the scenes at Mote in late December 2015. Huck and Pippi’s names were chosen through a public poll: approximately 300 users selected names from a list of orphaned literary characters — a nod to the fact that these otters were orphaned at a young age and raised by wildlife rehabilitators. Huck, a male otter, was found in September 2015 by a veterinarian in Melbourne, Fla. He was 5 months old and appeared to have issues using his hind legs. He was already peoplefriendly, suggesting he might have been hand-raised. Within days, his leg issues resolved but he was too tame to be returned to the wild. Jane, a female, was rescued in spring 2015 and came to Mote from an animal rehabilitation facility in Conway, S.C. At the time of rescue, she was about 4-6 weeks old and weighed about 2.3 pounds. She weighed 10 pounds on arrival at Mote. Pippi, a female, was rescued in spring 2015 and brought to the same facility as Jane. When rescued, she was believed to be a week to 10 days younger than Jane and weighed 2.1 pounds. Pippi is more shy and calm than Jane, with darker coloring around her face. Huck, Jane and Pippi are all too tame to be good candidates for release; they are receiving excellent care and helping educate visitors at Mote.

To sponsor or donate to Otters & Their Waters, contact Erin Knievel at 941-388-4441, ext. 415 or eknievel@mote.org.

Mote.org/otters MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2016

Year of the Turtle BY KAITLYN FUSCO

ea turtles have endured many ups and downs in their struggle to survive, but one thing is sure: 2015 was a very good year.

Sea turtles broke their 34-year record for the number of nests laid on beaches from Longboat Key through Venice, the area monitored by Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program, which coordinates sea turtle conservation along 35 miles of Sarasota County beaches. The information gained by Mote’s research team helps resource managers protect populations of threatened and endangered sea turtle species. Such long-term data is critically important for understanding nesting trends — which is of particular importance because sea turtles are long-lived species that don’t start reproducing until they’re around 30 years old. Nesting season takes place each year from May through October; in 2015, Mote confirmed 2,475 sea turtle nests — six more nests than the last record year in 2012. “This was an incredibly successful year for sea turtle nesting numbers, which is great to see, as these animals are endangered,” said Kristen Mazzarella, senior biologist with Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program. “It’s exciting to consider how our local research, conservation and

education efforts here at Mote may be helping with this positive change.” Mote’s counts echo the strong numbers elsewhere in Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Index Nesting Beach Survey program documented 28,000 nests on 26 index beaches around the state in 2015, surpassing the past high count in 2013. The index beach surveys, which began in 1989, currently span nearly 200 miles and use strict counting protocols to help identify trends. Loggerhead sea turtles laid 52,647 nests on index beaches during 2015 — fewer than the near-record count of 58,172 in 2012, but more than each of the two years in between. With Mote’s nest counts at their highest point in the 34-year history of Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol, there is more work to do than ever — funding for supplies and operating costs are in high demand following this busy season. Projections are for this trend to continue. Mote, a nonprofit, depends on support from the community to fund efforts to save sea turtles. “As we see nest numbers increasing, it is more important than ever to support conservation and do all we can to support these increases into the future,” Mazzarella said.

Support sea turtles by making a donation at mote.org/donate. Click “Donations” and choose to donate to Mote’s operating fund. During the checkout, enter “Sea Turtle Conservation and Research” in the box marked “donor notes.”

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By the Numbers 2015 Sea Turtle Nest Totals Longboat Key: 698 Lido Key: 97 Siesta Key: 408 Casey Key: 1,016 Venice Beach: 256

Notable 36 green sea turtle nests were laid on beaches monitored by Mote — breaking the 2013 record of 30 nests. Casey Key hosted one nest believed to be laid by a hawksbill-loggerhead sea turtle hybrid — though Mote is still waiting for genetic samples to confirm this. Hybrids from loggerheads mating with hawksbills are uncommon, but not unprecedented, and have been seen elsewhere in the world. Mote documented its first hawksbillloggerhead hybrid in 2014, though there may have been others that slipped under the radar, as hawksbill tracks on the beach can resemble those made by loggerheads.

30th annual

Run for the Turtles

New: Visitbeaches.org Mote recently unveiled visitbeaches.org — a new-andimproved beach monitoring website designed to help Florida’s Gulf Coast residents and visitors have a safe and fun day at the seashore. Visitbeaches.org (formerly mote.org/beaches) is the new home of Mote’s Beach Conditions Reporting System (BCRS), a service that started in 2006 and provides twice-daily, online updates about conditions at 27 of Florida’s Gulf Coast beaches. The site is updated by trained volunteers, such as lifeguards and park rangers, using smartphones and was originally launched to help beachgoers avoid the effects of naturally occurring Florida red tide. Over the years, it has added many other kinds of beach information, such as wind direction, surf height and rip current monitoring. The new mobile-friendly site debuted in late 2015 — a year of record-breaking Florida tourism — and it has a fresh look and many new types of information about weather conditions, water and air temperature, crowds, jellyfish, beach debris and more. The site also retains its original information about respiratory irritation among beachgoers and sightings of dead fish — indications of the presence of Florida’s red tide. Funding is provided by local organizations that understand the need for environmental-monitoring and outreach services for residents and tourists: Visit Sarasota County and the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau. Mote is seeking additional sponsorships from tourism agencies, municipalities and beach-related businesses. Contact Dr. Tracy Fanara, manager of Mote’s Environmental Health Program at tfanara@mote.org or 941.302.2046. Sponsored beach listings feature promotional photos of beaches and lists of amenities on the BCRS website.

Mote will host its 30th annual Run for the Turtles beginning with registration at 6:30 a.m. April 2 at Siesta Key Public Beach. This sanctioned 5K and 1-mile fundraising run supports Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program. Register online at mote.org/run or active.com. There, you can also learn about a special youth fundraising opportunity in partnership with Positive Tracks.

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PHOTO BY: Kassie O’Brien

For Sharks, the Nose Knows Where Home Is

BY KAITLYN FUSCO

E.T.

may have needed a phone to find home, but blacktip sharks have more sense than that: olfactory sense, that is.

Blacktips are a large coastal species important to recreational and commercial shark fisheries in Florida. Studying their life histories — where they mate, where they’re born, where they go to give birth and their migration patterns — can help resource managers protect populations of this economically important species. Previous Mote research has shown that some species return to the place they were born to give birth. In Terra Ceia Bay, Fla., for example, adult female blacktip sharks are known to return every other spring to bear one to 10 pups. The pups, born May through July, shelter in the Bay’s shallow habitats before leaving as the water temperatures dip — usually around October. The pups return to the same spot in the spring as the waters warm again. But what keeps these animals coming back home and how do they know where to go? This is exactly what Mote researchers Dr. Robert Hueter and Dr. Nicholas Whitney, and New College

Assistant Biology Professor Dr. Jayne Gardiner, who was a Mote Post-Doctoral Fellow at the time the research was conducted, sought to find out. Their results were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Integrative and Comparative Biology. “First, we identified a popular blacktip nursery in Terra Ceia Bay, and then we needed to determine the ability of blacktip sharks to return to their home after being experimentally displaced and to examine the role of olfactory cues — or smells — in this process,” said Gardiner. “I believed sharks used their sense of smell to navigate; smell is important for homing in some other fish, like salmon.” Mote research has shown that the blacktips of Terra Ceia Bay can find home again when they’re less than two weeks old. In 2010, Mote scientists transported newborn pups to unfamiliar waters about five miles outside the Bay and found that most of the pups returned within 48 hours. To determine if the sense of smell helps lead these sharks home, Gardiner and her team captured 40 recently born blacktip sharks from within their home area and fitted them

Nose Plug: Dr. Jayne Gardiner inserts a cotton plug into the nares — nasal cavity — of a blacktip shark. MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2016

PHOTO BY: Kassie O’Brien

Released: A new study by researchers at Mote and New College is shedding light on the types of sensory cues — in this case smell — that sharks use to navigate to their home waters where they shelter when they’re young or give birth when they’re adults.

with acoustic tags that would register the sharks’ movements on underwater sound receivers. Eleven acoustic receivers were placed placed near the entrances to Terra Ceia Bay and Tampa Bay to track and monitor the tagged sharks. The receivers recorded date, time and the identity of tagged sharks when they swam within range. “We used these receiver stations to determine when and how translocated animals returned to Terra Ceia Bay and to determine whether they returned to the home range area they originally had been removed from,” Gardiner said. Once tagged, five animals were relocated from their birthplace to unfamiliar waters in summer 2012; five were moved in summer of 2013 and 10 in the summer of 2014. The animals all returned to their home range — the average time was within 34 hours — and remained there.

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To determine how the sharks’ sense of smell was contributing to their homing behavior, the scientists blocked the noses of another 20 blacktip sharks by inserting cotton soaked in petroleum jelly into the nasal openings, or nares, of the animals and moved them to sites approximately five miles away from their home area. Some of the nose-plugged animals found their way home, but they took longer than the other sharks and they didn’t remain there, which is highly unusual for this species. “These results suggest that the sense of smell is especially important for recognizing their home, but it may not be the only sense that guides them, and we have to continue our research to determine what other senses might be leading them home,” Gardiner said. “Through this study, we were able to shed some light on the life cycles of blacktip sharks, which will help to keep this population of sharks healthy for future generations to enjoy.”

Moving U.S. Marine Aquaculture Forward: The Gulf Aquaculture Plan BY KEVAN MAIN

The worldwide demand for seafood continues to grow, yet U.S. marine aquaculture — fish farming — produces far less seafood than aquaculture in Asia, Europe, Canada, Central and South America. More than 91 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. In 2011, the U.S. seafood trade deficit was $11.2 billion — second only to the trade deficit for oil. Now, a new federal plan is poised to help the U.S. decrease that deficit through the publication of a groundbreaking rule implementing the Fishery Management Plan for Aquaculture in Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Aquaculture in action: Royal Bream raised in a floating net. Photo by Giles Lemarchand, courtesy of NOAA. MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2016

PHOTO BY: Kelly Martin, courtesy of NOAA

On the farm: Divers work around an open-ocean aquaculture cage at the Cape Eleuthera Institiute.

he Gulf Aquaculture Plan should help increase the amount of farm-raised sustainable, domestic seafood in the Gulf of Mexico and is a major step forward because it allows for large-scale fish farming in offshore, federal waters of the Gulf — beyond state waters where U.S. aquaculture has historically remained — while requiring the new offshore operations to obtain federal permits. The permitting process includes “comprehensive safeguards to ensure healthy oceans and coasts and considers other uses of ocean space, such as fishing,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Gulf Aquaculture Plan is the first of its kind in the U.S., and it could set an example for successfully expanding sustainable aquaculture in other areas of our federal waters. Mote scientists are paying close attention to this unfolding story. The new federal rule opens doors for increasing seafood production using the kinds of sustainable and economically sound aquaculture practices that Mote researchers have been studying and developing independently for years. Farming fish in the ocean is not new, but doing so sustainably is critical for future growth. Coastal farming of salmon in the fjords of Norway began in the late 1960s and has expanded throughout Norway, Chile and North America (Canada, Maine and Washington). However, concerns

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about impacts of salmon farming on wild salmon stocks and the environment have limited the growth of coastal fish farming in the U.S. In the 1990s, novel designs for large cages were developed, allowing cages to be fully submerged in waters deeper than 100 feet and located in high-energy, open ocean sites that help minimize environmental impacts. The development of offshore aquaculture in the U.S. has been under way for more than 10 years. Careful planning and numerous opportunities for public input have led to a process to facilitate the growth of an environmentally sound and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in the Gulf of Mexico. The new federal permit requires the culture of marine fish native to the Gulf, ongoing monitoring and reporting of water quality conditions and monitoring potential impacts of offshore cage farming on protected species. The new federal plan will allow up to 20 offshore aquaculture operations to be established in the Gulf’s federal waters over 10 years. These offshore cage farms can raise numerous coastal, reef and pelagic (open-water) marine fishes. These farms will provide new jobs in offshore and land-based support operations, including hatcheries, feed production, processing and seafood marketing. These new jobs will support coastal communities and provide international trade opportunities. Land-based hatcheries will need to be developed to produce the juveniles to stock the cage

Fish-farming science: Mote Marine Lab scientists work on one of their latest fish-farming research projects at Mote Aquaculture Park in Sarasota County. Mote develops sustainable systems to farm-raise fish that are suitable for restocking wild populations and have great potential for use in Gulf-based offshore farming systems.

systems. The technology exists to produce some of these fishes, including red drum (also known as redfish), cobia, mahi-mahi and certain snapper species. However, research must be conducted to develop and improve hatchery technologies for grouper, red snapper and amberjack. Over the past 15 years, Mote’s aquaculture scientists have been conducting research to develop innovative and sustainable technologies for raising red drum, Florida pompano, greater amberjack, common snook and red snapper to support enhancement of wild stocks and to produce juvenile fish for both land-based recirculating and offshore cage farms. Our 200-acre Mote Aquaculture Park is a recirculating facility that recycles 100 percent of saltwater used to raise fish, while using fish waste as fertilizer for salt-loving plants.

Offshore farms have the potential to generate significant quantities of marine fish to meet the growing demand for highquality domestically farmed seafood. To help this happen, much more work is needed to develop hatchery production technologies for Gulf marine fishes. At Mote, we are excited to advance the science and technology that will help environmentally sustainable aquaculture feed our growing population. — Dr. Kevan Main is Past President of the World Aquaculture Society and Manager of Mote’s Marine & Freshwater Aquaculture Program.

The opportunity is finally available to develop offshore cage farms in the Gulf of Mexico, meaning that our research has a greater role to play than ever. Mote’s aquaculture research is carried out with partners at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of South Florida, University of Florida and Stirling University in Scotland. We have focused on developing methods to mature, spawn and rear larvae and fingerling marine fish in recirculating aquaculture systems — a critical requirement to produce fish sustainably for offshore farming.

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C A M PA I G N U P D AT E

Making Waves for Our Oceans I

n January 2015, Mote kicked off its 60th Anniversary Celebration with a bold, new initiative: a $50 million fundraising campaign designed to expand the Lab’s impact in marine science and education locally and globally. When realized, the Oceans of Opportunity Campaign, which was guided by the organization’s 2020 Vision & Strategic Plan, will help advance Mote’s marine research enterprise, recruit and nurture more top scientists and educators — particularly fostering next-generation Ph.D. researchers — and expand its local and global science to support conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. “I look back at 2015 and I am overwhelmed with gratitude,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, Mote President & CEO. “The community united together to raise $45.5 million to help Mote achieve world-class science that will leave a lasting impression on our marine resources. Although we have received incredible support thus far, we are looking forward to reaching our $50 million goal, which will allow us to realistically reach goals outlined in our 2020 Vision & Strategic Plan.” In addition to supporting and expanding Mote’s annual research and education operations, the Campaign will also spur longterm growth in the endowment, protect and restore fisheries in Sarasota Bay and finance the construction of a major new Keys facility with 26,000 square feet of research and scienceeducation infrastructure.

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Leadership Givers The Mote Leadership Circle, a special group of community members who understand the urgent threats facing our oceans, are each providing critical financial support of $1 million or more to the Oceans of Opportunity Campaign. We offer a special thank you to members of the Mote Leadership Circle: Carol and Barney Barnett · Rick and Nancy Moskovitz · Elizabeth Moore · James D. and Pati Ericson · Robert and Anne Essner · Maurice and Carolyn Cunniffe · Four anonymous donors

Join With Us Today All gifts, no matter the amount, will make a difference for our oceans and the people who depend on them. Please join us in supporting Mote’s mission by making a donation now. Visit moteoceans.org or contact Erin Knievel, Chief Development Officer, at 941.388.4441, ext. 415, or eknievel@mote.org.

MOTE MILESTONE

MEET MOTE’S NEW CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER PHOTO BY: Rachel S. O’Hara/Sarasota Herald Tribune

Restoring snook: Mote researchers move snook to the bay in order to study how well nursery-grown snook survive in the wild.

Helping Fisheries in Sarasota Bay Sarasota philanthropists Carol and Barney Barnett donated $3 million as a part of the Campaign to help Mote implement its Fisheries Conservation and Enhancement Initiative to protect and restore fisheries in Sarasota Bay, with an expectation that others in our community will step up to provide support for this initiative as well.

After a national search, Mote is pleased to announce the appointment of Erin Knievel as the organization’s new Chief Development Officer. Knievel joined Mote in 2013 as Annual and Major Gifts Officer and in August 2015 became Campaign Director, where she helped raise $12.5 million toward the $50 million Oceans of Opportunity Campaign. Knievel will work closely with Mote President & CEO, Dr. Michael P. Crosby, to achieve the $50 million goal and successfully close the Campaign this year. She will also design and manage a new comprehensive development program for Mote that will ensure timely cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies across all donor groups.

A new home for coral restoration: This rendering shows the new research and education facility Mote is planning on Summerland Key. The building will be Mote’s new hub for coral research and restoration.

Construction Phase of Exciting Expansion in the Florida Keys Begins Approximately $5.2 million is needed for construction of a new, state-of-the-art research and education facility based in the Florida Keys. Commitments of more than $3.5 million to date have brought the project tantalizingly close to its goal. Philanthropic donations for the new state-of-the-art LEED-certified research and education facility surpassed the $3.5 million mark in 2015 with help from three generous donations: $2 million from the Rick and Nancy Moskovitz Foundation, $1 million from Elizabeth Moore and $325,000 from the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation. These gifts have generated exciting momentum to start the construction process for the new building at Mote’s existing property on Summerland Key, Fla.

“This position comes with great responsibility, and we saw it necessary to take the time to evaluate all candidates in a very thorough national recruitment process,” Crosby said. “Erin Knievel is the strongest candidate and will be superb in this vital role for helping Mote achieve our goals set forth in our 2020 Vision & Strategic Plan. She is the perfect person for this job and will be instrumental in helping transition Mote’s philanthropic energy from a campaign focus to the strategic long-term growth of its mission-critical fundraising effort. Erin is also a wonderful example of achieving Mote’s strategic priority to recruit and nurture the next generation of leaders in support of marine research and education.” Knievel said she was looking forward to helping further Mote’s mission. “I feel humbled that this organization entrusts me with the critical role of growing its philanthropic endeavors to new heights and I’m honored to be able to support such an amazing organization that really makes a difference in the world for the environment and society.”

MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2016

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School all year long? Not a bad thing in our book.

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