Mote Magazine, Summer 2013

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I N S I D E M O T E M a g a z inE Special Events

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A Change at the Top

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Tarpon Rule: New Boca Office

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Status Symbols: Tarpon, Bonefish

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New: Conservation International

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Oil and Coral Don’t Mix

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Giving Girls the Keys to Science

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Comings & Goings: Mote Aquarium

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Issues and Impacts: Shark Bites

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MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRI N G 2013

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Special Events Mote 2013 Events Calendar Mote Magazine n A unique mission.

Mote Magazine (ISSN 1553-1104) is published by Mote Marine Laboratory, a nonprofit organization dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans.

By telling the stories of sea science, Mote hopes to enhance public understanding of marine research and conservation.

OCTOBER October 18. Night of Fish, Fun & Fright. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Safe trick-or-treat event in The Aquarium at Mote. $6 online in advance; Mote Members pay $8 at the door.

Non-members, $10 at the door. Kids 4 and younger get in free. mote.org/halloween.

president & CEO Michael P. Crosby, Ph.D.

October 26. Oceanic Evening, Mote’s annual black-tie fundraiser at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Call Stacy Alexander for info, 941-388-4441, ext. 509, or email stacyalexander@mote.org.

Editor Nadine Slimak

NOVEMBER

Creative Director Lawson Mitchell

November 15-16. Youth Ocean Conservation Summit and Film Screening. Middle and high school students will learn from marine scientists and conservationists about the current threats facing marine ecosystems during the Summit led by the “Stow It – Don’t Throw It” Monofilament Fishing Line Recycling Project on Nov. 16. The Summit includes a film screening on Nov. 15. Details will be posted online later this summer at mote.org/education.

Contributing Writers Rachel Easterbrook, Robert Hueter, Ph.D., Hayley Rutger, Nadine Slimak Contributing Photographers Dr. William Capman, Dave Clausen, Lawson Mitchell, Kassie O’Brien, Timothy O’Hara

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

For information on sponsorship, please contact Sarasota Magazine at 941-487-1109.

SUMMER 2013 • VOLUME 64 Info: 941-388-4441 • mote.oRG

Cover Photo

Taking The Plunge?

PUBLISHING PARTNER

Mote Aquarium Venue Rentals Call Paula Clark for details:

(941) 388-2252 A scallop’s brilliant blue eyes give this image a jewel-like quality. © Dr. William Capman.

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or e-mail pclark@mote.org.

In his three years at Mote, Dr. Crosby has helped develop the Lab’s current guiding document — the 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan [view it online at mote.org/ aboutus] — developed the Mote Marine Laboratory Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, which provides support and mentorship for recent Ph.D. graduates, and is working on several international initiatives expanding Mote’s marine science leadership worldwide.

Board Chairman Eugene Beckstein said moving forward with Mote’s 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan will be key to the Lab’s continued success. “One of the single most important challenges we face is to ensure the success of our 2020 plan,” he said. “We are off to a good start and the pace of the plan will increase dramatically through 2013 and into 2014. Let us move forward together and help Mote continue its advancement and achievement as a world-class marine research enterprise.”

New President Takes Helm

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r. Michael P. Crosby officially assumed the leadership of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in May, taking the role following the

retirement of Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, whose new position is President Emeritus.

As President and CEO, Dr. Crosby will oversee the Lab’s groundbreaking research programs that take place in Southwest Florida and around the world, along with the organization’s efforts to educate and inform the public and policy makers about the marine environment.

Scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory have been performing world-class marine

research studies since the Lab was created and operated in one room with one boat in 1955. Today, the Lab has an estimated economic impact of more than $70 million and includes a main Sarasota campus and six additional field stations in eastern Sarasota County, Charlotte Harbor and the Florida Keys. The Lab’s annual operating budget is nearly $20 million and there are 192 staff members, including 31 Ph.D.-level scientists who are leaders in their fields.

Dr. Crosby joined Mote in 2010 when he was appointed to lead the Lab’s scientific endeavors as Senior Vice President for Research following appointments as Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development at George Mason University and Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Hawai’i-Hilo.

Dr. Crosby said he was humbled and honored by being appointed to lead Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. “I’m sincerely grateful for the trust and support you all have provided,” he said. “Mote has grown a great deal since Genie Clark started her one-room lab. There is no doubt that Dr. Mahadevan deserves the lion’s share of credit for what Mote has become. Today, I am lucky to have both Genie and Kumar as my mentors and friends, along with this great Board.

“Most marine labs around the world are owned by government and universities, and few are independent like Mote — able to respond to emerging needs in the marine environment. Each of our scientists, educators and Aquarists are superstars in their own right. We must empower each of them to make the most of their skills and abilities. Mote is embedded in our community, and our staff and volunteers go above and beyond. Mote is indeed a rare gem. I’m confident that with the continued counsel and engagement of the Board and the continued support of the community, Mote’s best days are truly to come.”

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The Sato-Umi of Scallop Restoration International study brings Japanese concept to Sarasota

By Hayley Rutger

© Dave Claussen

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cientists from around the world, fisheries representatives and the local community gathered recently at Mote for a public forum focused on how communities around the world are making science-based conservation happen — and their discussion brought a new notion to town: “Sato-Umi.”

transfer taking place between residents, scientists and community leaders as part of a scallop restoration effort in Sarasota Bay, which includes Mote, Sarasota Bay Watch, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and many volunteer citizen scientists.

The forum was conducted as part of a global study of science

Drawing upon this example and others from Japan and Spain, forum leaders revealed how Sato-Umi concepts are being put into practice as new paradigms for environmental restoration and sustainable use of natural resources are being created in locales around the world, leading to tangible conservation benefits.

Forum panelists included Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President and CEO of Mote; Professor Tetsu Sato, RIHN; Dr. Tetsuo Yanagi of Kyushu University, Japan; Ippei Yanagida of NPO INO, Japan; Dr. Gonzalo Macho, Universida de Vigo, Spain and Ed Chiles, The Chiles Group, Anna Maria Island.

and society led by Japan’s Research Institute for Humanity and

Forum highlights included the ideas that:

Sato-Umi — a concept that originated in Japan and is gaining ground around the world — is the harmony between human communities and the productivity and biodiversity of marine ecosystems. The idea offers major benefits for Sarasota Bay, from restoring depleted scallop populations to enhancing historic fisheries of Cortez, forum leaders said.

Nature (RIHN) that examines how grassroots groups, researchers, policymakers and others can blend traditional and scientific knowledge and techniques to restore, conserve and sustainably use natural resources.

Sarasota Bay is among 11 case-study sites in the worldwide RIHN project. Locally, RIHN has been studying the knowledge-

n Human uses of natural resources can be damaging, but wise use of natural resources can help resources flourish.

For example, some fishing communities in Japan work to support the fish populations they depend on by maintaining and restoring habitats the fish depend on for survival — like coral reefs.

n Wise use of natural resources depends on many groups working together. For example, artisanal fishermen in northwestern Spain have benefited from working with technical assistants. These scientifically trained aides help monitor the status of local fisheries, learn from the local fishing community and help represent locals’ interests in fishery management discussions. n Many parts of the world could benefit from Sato-Umi practices — by developing ways to share and exchange scientific and traditional or local knowledge. n Sarasota Bay is a promising site for implementing concepts of Sato-Umi. Here, world-class scientists at Mote work closely with successful grassroots efforts and have strong connections with local fishing communities.

“Scientists have as much to learn from those who live and work in the natural environment as we have to offer them,” Dr. Crosby said. “Knowledge is not a one-way street from the scientists to the public — it’s about circulation and sharing of knowledge amongst all stakeholders. That is the core of Mote’s philosophy and of our participation in the international RIHN project.”

As an example, Mote is working with the community groups Sarasota Bay Watch, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and others to release scallop larvae into the Bay and monitor their success to inform continuing restoration efforts. Local high school students have joined these efforts by creating scallop-monitoring devices.

Forum panelist Ed Chiles, owner and CEO of the Chiles Group operating the Sandbar, BeachHouse and Mar Vista restaurants, and board member with Sarasota Bay Watch, also pointed out the importance of groups working together to add value to local sustainably produced products. For instance, he explained one idea to support the historic fishing community of Cortez and add value to a product they already produce — mullet roe.

Traditionally, the fishers have been paid $6 to $15 a pound to export the roe to other countries where it is turned into a high-value product called bottarga, which is mullet roe that is dried and pressed — which sells for $150-$180 per pound.

“By making bottarga here, we’re changing the model and shifting the paradigm,” he said. “We’re able to move to a value-added system instead of just a commodity-based system.”

Chiles also said he was surprised by the similarities in the examples of Sato-Umi presented during the forum. “I’m struck by MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRI N G 2013

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By Timothy O’Hara

©Timothy O’Hara

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n a slick May day, a group of Mote scientists anchor off a small patch reef six miles from Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys. The sun is shining. The visibility is great. The ocean is calm. The conditions are near perfect for planting coral.

The plan is to plant, or more accurately place, 220 lab-raised mountain star and boulder coral “skins” on the patch reef during the next two days. The thinly sliced pepperoni-looking coral micro-fragments were cut from rescue corals removed prior to underwater construction projects and placed in an underwater coral repository behind the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center in Key West.

Dr. Chris Page splashes the surface of the aqua-blue waters and descends on what he hopes is fertile terrain for coral farming. Page, a staff scientist at Mote, is armed with a set of tools and a tray full of coral skins. He and members of his research team are optimistic, as Mote’s previous efforts planting staghorn corals on the same reef have been successful.

The reskinning science came about by accident. The Director of Mote’s Tropical Research Laboratory on Summerland Key, Dr. David Vaughan, was pulling one of the smaller boulder coral pieces off its stand in an aquarium when it broke off and fell to the bottom of the tank. He thought the coral would die, and left it there. But days later, he noticed the coral was growing

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horizontally across the bottom.

“Sometimes great advances in science are made through accidents,” Vaughan said.

At the same time, Page had been independently working with the same species of coral and noticed how quickly the fragments grew when cut into small sections. So they raised coral skins in small tanks for about 10 months and then requested permits to “release” into the wild.

To help facilitate growth, Mote places the skins on the skeletal remains of the corals’ ancestors — dead boulder and mountain star coral. The development of full-grown boulder and mountain star corals can take decades, as it takes years for the corals to obtain enough calcium

carbonate from the ocean for their skeletons grow to full size. Placing the corals on skeletons could allow coral to put its energy into spreading across the existing skeleton — shortening its growth time.

On the dive, Page wants to make sure conditions are optimal. He and fellow Mote scientist Erich Bartels scouted areas of the small patch reef before Page grabs his tools and splashes the surface. Before planting the 1-inch coral slices, they pour fresh seawater on the micro-fragments to acclimate them to their new surroundings. The skins are also strategically placed in a circle and evenly spaced in hopes they will grow together and form bigger colonies.

“We’re taking advantage of having each of the coral skins grow on their own and not be dependent on each other,” Page said. “At this stage, they are growing as fast they can in a very short period of time.”

FREE

Set of Mote Tervis tumblers with purchase of a new “Protect Our Reefs” plate.

Visit reefplate.com for details.

Nothing is overlooked in an effort to ensure success, as Page is working in uncharted waters. The plantings are the first time these species — great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa), mountain star coral (Montastraea faveolata) and brain coral (Diploria strigosa) — have been raised in a lab and planted on the reef.

The team quickly goes to work and the once aqua-blue water turns milky-white as sand and sediment are stirred up from the wire brushes they use to clean the surface of old stones and skeletal remains of long-dead corals. The divers’ black wetsuits become stained white from the Epoxy used to glue the skins to the surface.

Mote has another 2,000 fragments at its Summerland Key lab that could join the others — but only after Page reviews the results. The skins are joining 230 thriving staghorn corals Mote has already placed on the same patch reef over the past two years.

“We need to be promoting this type of restoration work,” said Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent Sean Morton. “People need to see it so they can support it… This coral restoration can be done on broad scale, and it is also giving scientists a better understanding of threats facing coral reefs.”

Reefplate.com Get the plate that supports them all.

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MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRI N G 2013

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By Hayley Rutger

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our Florida anglers were recognized this year for their tarpon DNA-collecting prowess during the annual Florida Guides Association meeting in Tampa.

The four collected tarpon DNA samples as part of the ongoing Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study, a partnership between Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Mote Marine Laboratory, in conjunction with anglers statewide. The Study uses DNA fingerprinting techniques as a way to track individual tarpon through capture events so that fishery managers can assess and better understand tarpon stocks and movement patterns.

Through the program, which has been in place since 2005, volunteer tarpon anglers have submitted more than 16,500 of the nearly 18,000 samples inventoried in the study’s database. In 2012, anglers submitted 4,726 samples — exceeding the project’s annual goal of 4,000. The figures indicate that about one of every 100 tarpon genetically sampled is a recapture.

Some goals of the program include: n Estimating recapture rates of tarpon caught in Florida waters n Evaluating seasonal and regional movement patterns, especially as they relate to spawning season and use of off-season habitats n Determining site fidelity — that is, do the same fish return to the same location year after year? n Providing evidence of long-term survival n Determining whether juvenile tarpon in Florida nurseries eventually make their way into the adult fishery n Estimating population size Recipients of The 2012 Florida Guides Association/FWC “Spirit of Tarpon DNA Sampling Challenge” awards were: n Grand Champion — John Mallory, of Merritt Island (975 DNA samples) n Gulf Coast Champion — Capt. Robert McCue, of Ellenton (216 samples) n Florida Keys Champion — Capt. Paul D’Antoni, of Key West (118 samples) n Atlantic Coast Champion — Capt. Carl Ball, of Fort Lauderdale (94 samples)

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The winners received framed certificates signed by Capt. Pat Kelly, president of the Florida Guides Association, and Kenneth W. Wright, FWC Chairman, along with a tackle bag of goodies donated by O’Keefs Reef, Castalia Outdoor Products, DOA Lures, StickIt Anchor Pins, High Roller Lures, Guideline EyeGear and TackleWebs.

Interestingly, one recreational angler also turned the awards around. Martin Gutfreund, of Bradenton, came up with the idea of giving a trophy thanking the Genetic Recapture Study staff and volunteers for their efforts to help protect and conserve tarpon. His handwritten note that accompanied the trophy he mailed to FWC’s St. Petersburg office stated: “Tarpon Genetics Team: You all came in first place in 2012 for the great work you did on the tarpon project.”

“I think the work the team is doing is just spectacular and, for tarpon fishermen, this is something to really get behind,” Gutfreund said.

MOTE MILESTONES

Mote President and CEO, Dr. Michael P. Crosby; Dr. David Vaughan, Director of Mote’s Tropical Research Laboratory; Scott Saunders, President of Fury Water Adventures; and Jason Wolf, Mote Florida Keys Development Officer for the Protect Our Reefs Program.

MOTE IS CULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium was declared Cultural Organization of the Year in May by The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce during the 23rd annual Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Small Business Awards, which drew 500 business and community leaders to celebrate small business and honor winners in seven categories.

Mote contributes to local economies through its active participation in local economic development and tourism organizations; through its public Aquarium, a major draw for visitors; through increasing educational opportunities in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math); through developing and patenting new technologies and through its eco-friendly seafood programs, best known for producing Mote Farm-Raised Caviar.

FURY WATER ADVENTURES SUPPORTS REEF RESTORATION Fury Water Adventures based in Key West is donating a portion of proceeds from

each ticket sold for their snorkeling trips in the Keys to Mote’s Coral Reef Restoration Program, which develops systems and techniques to grow coral and other reef species that play a vital role in coral health, for replanting depleted reef systems for ecosystem restoration and for scientific study. Funds from the Fury will help Mote plant thousands of tiny coral fragments to help restore damaged and degraded reef habitats.

“We are proud to support Mote’s Coral Reef Restoration Program,” said Scott Saunders, President of Fury Water Adventures. “It’s amazing to see the direct positive impact this program has made and is continuing to make on regenerating our precious reef system.”

Fury is making this contribution as part of their ongoing commitment to support organizations that protect, preserve and restore the Florida Keys’ marine ecosystem, Saunders said. In addition to the funding initiative, Fury has donated repeatedly to reef conservation and restoration efforts by Mote and other organizations that work to help reefs recover and thrive.

MOTE FARM-RAISED CAVIAR FEATURED IN BEARD HOUSE DINNER Executive Chef Dwayne Edwards of The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, took the regionallyinspired cuisine of Southwest Florida to the James Beard House in New York City this spring with a sumptuous Coastal Cuisine dinner featuring Mote’s FarmRaised Caviar.

Chef Edwards and his team dazzled diners with a six-course culinary journey that began with several passed hors d’oeuvres, including one with Mote Farm-Raised Caviar served on a Johnny cake ‘blini’ with citrus crème fraiche.

Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, nurturing and preserving America’s diverse culinary heritage and future. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine.

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By Hayley Rutger

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o blacktip sharks follow their noses to find home? Mote researchers are finding out using cutting-edge science… and sharky nose plugs.

Many species of sharks return repeatedly to nurseries where they were born, where the now-adult females give birth and babies

called pups start their lives. In Terra Ceia Bay, Fla., adult female blacktip sharks return every other spring and pups born May through July helter in the Bay’s shallow habitats before leaving as the water temperatures in the bay dip — usually around October.

But how do sharks know how to navigate to and from their natal homes? Mote research has shown that the blacktips of Terra Ceia Bay can figure it out when they’re less than two weeks old.

In 2012, Mote scientists transported newborn pups to unfamiliar

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waters about five miles outside the Bay and found that most of the pups returned within 48 hours.

“We know these sharks sense the way back to the nursery at a very young age, and now we want to know how they do it,” said Dr. Jayne Gardiner, Mote Postdoctoral Fellow. “This question has not been answered for any shark species.”

Gardiner has advanced the study of shark senses in the lab by using temporary sensory blockers like nose plugs and eye coverings to learn how each sense helps sharks feed. Feeding strategies vary among different species and include combinations of smell, touch, vision and a sixth sense that detects the weak electric fields that surround living prey. Smell helps sharks swim toward prey before they can see it.

When finding home, sharks could use multiple sensory cues depending on where they are in their journey. For long ranges, they may be relying on the Earth’s magnetic field and then using

their other senses as they move toward their destination —

register the sharks’ movements on underwater sound receivers

including feeling the direction of water flow or seeing familiar

placed near the entrances to the Bay.

landmarks if the water is clear enough. Gardiner hypothesizes that smell is especially important for sharks closing in on their nurseries.

Other fish studies have uncovered some nosy navigators: Salmon can follow scents to revisit a particular branch of a

As Mote Magazine went to press, Gardiner’s receivers were listening for the sharks to return home. Her results could shed new light on the life cycle of blacktips — part of Florida’s economically important commercial and sport fisheries.

stream where they were born and certain reef fish spend their

“We need to know what cues allow blacktips and other sharks to

early days as drifting larvae and then follow scents back to their

find their nurseries in order to keep those cues intact,” Gardiner

birth reef.

said. “In areas with dredging or coastal development, we would

To test for similar processes in sharks, Gardiner and her

want to know if those activities impact the smells or other

colleagues caught 15 blacktip pups born in May 2013 in Terra

characteristics that help sharks return home. This is useful

Ceia and transported them to unfamiliar waters, similar to the 2012 study. But this time, they fitted some pups with temporary nose plugs designed to outlast the sharks’ expected return time.

information for resource managers who want to ensure the next generation of sharks will be successful.”

They tagged all the pups with acoustic “pingers” that would MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRI N G 2013

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seal of approval

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he Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory recently received its third accreditation in a row after being evaluated by an independent commission of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Association of Zoos and Aquariums,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. “The Southwest Florida community should take great pride in knowing that The Aquarium at Mote is a proven leader in the care and conservation of wildlife, and in inspiring people to take action to protect the natural world.”

To be accredited, The Aquarium at Mote underwent a thorough review to ensure it has and will continue to meet ever-rising standards, which include standards for animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and safety. The AZA requires zoos and aquariums to successfully complete this rigorous accreditation process every five years in order to be members of the Association.

The Aquarium at Mote has successfully received accreditation each time it has been reviewed since its original accreditation in 2003. The process includes a detailed application and a meticulous on-site inspection by a team of trained zoo and aquarium professionals who observe all aspects of the institution’s operation.

“Only zoos and aquariums that meet the highest standards are accredited by the

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“We are proud to receive AZA Accreditation — this is the highest seal of approval we could earn for our

outstanding animal care, conservation and public outreach,” said Dan Bebak, Vice President for The Aquarium at Mote.

Zoos and aquariums make a real difference in public attitudes toward conservation, according to the AZA. These institutions lead guests to reconsider their role in environmental problems and conservation action — and to see themselves as part of the solution. In short, zoos and aquariums also help strengthen connections between visitors and nature.

To Help 1.

To report a stranded dolphin, whale, manatee or sea turtle within coastal Southwest Florida waters, please call Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program’s 24-hour pager: (941) 988-0212.

2.

Make an online donation to support Mote’s rescue and rehabilitation programs at mote.org/donate.

Sometimes It Takes a Team Effort

… to Unravel Entangled Wildlife

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By Rachel Easterbrook

nyone enjoying a day at the beach this Memorial Day may have seen a Sheriff’s Office helicopter circling above the waters off south Sarasota County’s Turtle Beach. The helicopter was part of a coordinated effort to rescue an entangled loggerhead sea turtle.

Nicknamed “Murph,” the turtle was rescued

on May 27, by Mote staff, law enforcement officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and deputies from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The rescue was the culmination of several days’ efforts to locate, reach and safely detach the turtle from line tethering it to the sea floor.

Members of Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program — which provides 24-hour response to sick, injured and deceased marine mammals and sea turtles in Southwest Florida — first received a call about a turtle off Turtle Beach on May 21. The caller said the turtle was cut free by the fishermen who spotted it.

But a follow-up call a day later reported a turtle caught on line in a similar location. The call sent Stranding Investigations Program Manager Gretchen Lovewell, staff biologist Rebeccah Hazelkorn and FWC officers out to take a look. While the group found the turtle, rough waters made it impossible for them to safely reach and rescue it. After determining that the line tethering the turtle to the bottom allowed enough slack for the animal to safely

come up for air and break the surface without struggling, the team was forced to wait to rescue the animal until conditions were safer.

On Memorial Day, the Sheriff’s Office helicopter spotted the turtle and Hazelkorn and Lovewell, with FWC officers on their boat, were able to reach the turtle and carefully cut the line that had been restricting its movement. “Once we cut the line, we quickly realized he had to come back to the hospital with us,” Hazelkorn said. “It would not have been possible to disentangle him on site. He had been stuck at least a week and his entanglement was very, very severe.”

At Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital, caregivers found the turtle had four types of line, including fishing line and line from a crab trap, tangled around his neck and flippers. The team also removed two large shark hooks caught on his shell. The 265-pound adult male is now receiving fluids, antibiotics and daily wound care — and the outlook is optimistic for full recovery.

Murph was named in honor of Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. Every Memorial Day, Crossfit gyms across the country perform the “Murph” workout, one of Lt. Murphy’s favorites, said Hazelkorn, who had done the workout the morning of the turtle’s rescue and thought the nickname was fitting for the brave turtle. “This turtle is a fighter,” Hazelkorn said. “This was the worst line entanglement we’ve MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRI N G 2013

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Issues and Impacts:

The Deepwater Horizon: Three Years Later

By Dr. Robert E. Hueter

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he Deepwater Horizon blowout of 2010 released about 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico — 20 times the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989. And yet, the surface area of the spill was only three times that of the Exxon Valdez, meaning a huge amount of oil went into the water column, bottom habitats, onshore environments and deep ocean of the Gulf. In addition, nearly 2 million gallons of dispersant were used, far more than ever applied before.

When the blowout occurred, the science behind the impacts of oil and dispersant on the Gulf environment were in an embryonic state. We simply weren’t prepared to address what the blowout would do to the Gulf of Mexico. I was stunned to discover only one scientific paper existed in the entire world on the effects of oil contaminants — known as PAHs, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — on sharks. And that paper was from the Persian Gulf, not the Gulf of Mexico.

In response, Mote and others began assessing the damage. It was soon clear that we had absorbed a significant blow and we needed to understand how bad the wounds were. Three years later, we’re still studying the impacts. It’s important to note that it

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took four years for some effects of the Valdez disaster to show up and more than a decade to begin understanding the full range of that spill’s environmental effects. There is no doubt it will take decades to comprehend the trauma our Gulf has suffered.

Counting dead fish on the surface after an oil spill is a relatively straightforward thing. Accounting for the longer term, sublethal effects — that is, changes that don’t result in immediate death but still affect an animal’s physiology — is much, much harder.

In a study I conducted with co-investigators Dr. Jim Gelsleichter of the University of North Florida and Drs. Dana Wetzel and Cathy Walsh at Mote, we looked at the sublethal effects of oil contaminants on 27 species of open-ocean Gulf fishes — mainly sharks, billfish, and tunas. These are the highly migratory fishes living offshore in the blue water. For two years we collected nearly 2,800 samples from this group, some taken near the blowout and others distant from it, and assessed the damage.

What we found was that the large, mobile fishes of the open Gulf, such as oceanic sharks, swordfish, yellowfin tuna and the like, did not appear to show major symptoms of oil exposure.

There were some exceptions: silky sharks, for example, showed higher levels of PAH effects. But in general, the news sounded

If these important fishes were displaced from their normal habitats by the oil, even for only a few months, how might this have affected critical aspects of their life cycle?

good. On the other hand, work by others showed more serious oil effects in coastal fishes of the northeastern Gulf and bottomdwelling deep-sea animals, which cannot or do not move as much. The difference could be explained by the ability of open ocean sharks, tunas and billfish to move rapidly away from the spreading oil and avoid exposure. In fact, our catch rates of most of these fishes, especially the sharks, were extremely low after the blowout, perhaps due to their avoidance of the area. But this is just one of several hypotheses we’re pursuing.

species, and affects their ability to settle and form new colonies.

Oil mixed with dispersant is even worse in its negative effects. If Gulf currents had taken the oil and dispersant to the Florida Keys instead of keeping it in the northern Gulf, the effects on our coral reefs in the Keys could have been catastrophic. There is little doubt, however, that the deep-dwelling corals living near the well were devastated by the spill.

So did these animals “dodge a bullet?” Perhaps, but there’s a deeper question: If these fishes were displaced from their normal habitats, even for only a few months, how might this have affected critical aspects of their life cycle, such as feeding and reproduction? Will there be profound sublethal impacts of the spill on population and ecological levels so broad that it will take decades to be revealed?

All of this adds up to one simple message: We need to devote more time and resources to studying the impacts of oil and dispersant on our precious marine environment in the Gulf of Mexico. Careful, comprehensive scientific research that includes sample collection at sea, baseline surveys and continual monitoring, and laboratory experimentation is needed. Three years is not enough to know how deep the wounds are from the DWH blowout and all that must be done to heal, restore and protect our Gulf for future generations.

Another study by Mote researchers Drs. Kim Ritchie and Dana Wetzel examined the effects of oil and dispersant exposure on the delicate larvae of reef corals. Working in Mote’s Tropical Research Laboratory in the Florida Keys, these researchers found that oil kills the larvae — the next generation of coral — of two reef

— Dr. Robert E. Hueter is Director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory. This story was adapted from remarks he made during an event commemorating the third anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

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Jean Purcell Hendry was a businesswoman, philanthropist and volunteer with a long-term commitment to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. When she passed away at age 89 in April, she left a legacy to Mote that will last for decades.

“I met Jean and her husband Russell in the late 1980s,” said Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, Mote President Emeritus. “Over the years, we developed a great friendship through our mutual love of the ocean. She was smart, feisty and fun to be around and we will miss her immensely. Her contributions to the Lab will help support our programs for years to come.”

Mrs. Hendry first became involved with Mote as a volunteer and later she offered her expertise to support the fledgling aquarium in its efforts to build a unique gift shop that would help raise funds to support research operations at the Lab. Her business acumen — she and her husband Russell Wall Hendry were owner/operators of the successful Hendry Furniture Co. in Sarasota — made the venture a successful one.

Mrs. Hendry was also an honorary trustee who gave her home to Mote through a charitable life estate and was one of the first Mote donors to do so. Her plan allowed her to

l e g a c y stay in her home while supporting an organization she loved and benefit from significant financial advantages. “She never talked about supporting any organization other than Mote,” said L. Howard Payne, of The Payne Law Group. Payne, a long-time Sarasota estate planner, worked with Mrs. Hendry on her plans. “She really wanted to help Mote because she appreciated how much the organization did for her and did to educate the community.”

In 2006, the Jean Purcell Hendry Conference Hall in Mote’s Ann and Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Research and Rehabilitation Center was named in her honor.

Today, Jean Hendry’s legacy also lives on by continuing to support a new generation of scientists, international marine research programs and by supporting cancer research and studies that help Mote restore coral reefs and feed the world.

“These studies are all programs that Mote is able to lead the way on, thanks to the support of Mrs. Hendry and donors like her,” Mahadevan said. “Her contributions to Mote over the years have provided key funds to help our sicentists move forward with research that truly makes a difference in the world.”

There are many ways you can add your solid financial backing to support Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. For a start, talk to Tom Waters, Chief Advancement Officer, at 941-388-4441, ext. 352, or e-mail plannedgiving@mote.org.

M16 MOTE MAGAZINE | S P RIN G 2013