mote magazine, spring 2014

MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2013 M1

S U M M E R 2 0 1 3

M I L E S T O N E S

I N S I D E M O T E M A G A Z I N E

Calendar 2

Leatherback Eating Habits 3

Hybrid Dolphin Species 5

When Animals Strand 6

Shark Sensations 8

Tea for the Sea 10

Make Waves: Join Our Annual Fund 11

Breakfast of Champions 12

Issues & Impacts 14

Connecting to the Sea 16

S P R I N G | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4

I N S I D E M O T E M A G A Z I N E

Calendar 2

Leatherback Eating Habits 3

Hybrid Dolphin Species 5

When Animals Strand 6

Shark Sensations 8

Tea for the Sea 10

Make Waves: Join Our Annual Fund 11

Breakfast of Champions 12

Issues & Impacts 14

Connecting to the Sea 16

S P R I N G | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4

Mote_1406_16pages_layout.indd 1 5/5/14 3:43 PM

2 MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

COVER PHOTO

PRESIDENT & CEOMichael P. Crosby, Ph.D.

EDITORNadine Slimak

WRITERSHayley Rutger, Nadine Slimak

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSMadelaine Verbeek, Hayley Rutger,

Nadine Slimak

PUBLISHING PARTNERMote Magazine is proud to recognize Sarasota Magazine as its publishing partner. For information on sponsorship, please contact Sarasota Magazine at 941-487-1109.

SUMMER 2014 • VOLUME INFO: 941-388-4441 • MOTE.ORG

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.

Mote AquariumVenue Rentals

Call Paula Clark for details:

(941) 388-2252 or e-mail

[email protected].

SPECIAL EVENTSMote 2014 Events Calendar

JUNEJune 7: World Oceans Day Family Festival in The Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Celebrate our world ocean with a day of games and crafts focused on green practices, marine science and conservation by Mote and other local organizations. FREE with admission.

SEPTEMBERSept. 14: Survivors: Beautiful and Extreme Adaptations special exhibit CLOSES.

OCTOBEROct. 17: Fish, Fun & Fright. 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in The Aquarium at Mote. Join us for a family-friendly evening of sailing the spooky seas and discovering creatures from

Oct. 25: Oceanic Evening. 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive. Join us to celebrate our oceans during our major annual fundraising event. Black-tie optional. Ticket price to be announced.. Tables/sponsorships available, call Stacy Alexander at 941.388.4441, ext. 509.

MoteMag.8-page.SpringSummer-2014.4press.indd 2 4/28/14 8:51 PM

the deep in a safe and fun trick-or-treating zone. (Ticket cost to be announced.)

MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014 3

AMID CLINKING TEACUPS, FINGER SANDWICHES and hats of all colors, the word was spreading: “Mote Marine Laboratory rocks!” said Dr. Sylvia Earle, world-famous oceanographer who spoke at Mote’s Tea for the Sea, which launched the Women’s Giving Circle to unite women in philanthropy for the pursuit of science.

Earle’s enthusiasm drew applause from the 150 attendees at the Longboat Key Club’s Harbourside Dining Room. Guests mingled with Mote scientists and Trustees like Earle and her famous mentor, Mote Founder Dr. Eugenie Clark, who started the Lab in 1955 thanks to the philanthropy of Anne Vanderbilt and her husband.

Giving back to the ocean is vital — and supporting Mote’s mission is a clear path to accomplish that, said Kimberley Carreiro, Chair of Tea for the Sea. “Mote scientists are engaged in research to improve nearly every aspect of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf. Support for Mote helps ensure that Sarasota remains the absolute paradise it is today.”

To join the Women’s Giving Circle at Mote, contact Jennifer Vigne at 941-388-4441, ext. 393, or [email protected].

Tea for the Sea Chair Kimberley Carreiro and Mote Founder Dr. Eugenie Clark.

“I COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER”

SURVIVORS THE EXHIBIT

OPEN EVERY DAY 10AM–5PM MOTE.ORG

FEB 1–SEPT 14

PACKS A 200 POUND PUNCH

Peacock Mant is Shrimp

SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236


How sharks use their senses to find prey depends on the species. This is a nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum.

67



COVER PHOTO

PRESIDENT & CEOMichael P. Crosby, Ph.D., FLS

EDITORNadine Slimak


CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSHayley Rutger, Nadine Slimak, Madelaine Verbeek, Jeanette Wyneken of Florida Atlantic University


SPRING/SUMMER 2014 • VOLUME 67INFO: 941-388-4441 • MOTE.ORG




(941) 388-2252 or e-mail

[email protected].




OCTOBEROct. 17: Fish, Fun & Fright. 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in The Aquarium at Mote. Join us for a family-friendly evening of sailing the spooky seas and discovering creatures from the deep in a safe and fun trick-or-treating zone. Ticket price to be announced.

Oct. 25: Oceanic Evening. 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive. Join us to celebrate our oceans during our major annual fundraising event. Black-tie optional. Ticket price to be announced. Tables/sponsorships available, call Stacy Alexander at 941.388.4441, ext. 509.


By Hayley RutgerEARTH’S LARGEST sea turtle species — the leatherback — sure has some interesting eating habits. Their preferred prey is jellyfish — nature’s low-calorie Jell-O — but they eat enough of

them to power a migration thousands of

miles long, from feeding grounds to

nesting beaches. Scientists initially believed

the turtles had to feed at their nesting sites

too, but recent physiology research has

suggested that leatherbacks nesting in

French Guiana are fasting and living on

stored energy. Blood proteins transport

lipids, hormones, vitamins and metals in

the circulatory system and help to regulate

immune function and other body

processes.

New research — the largest-ever study of

blood proteins in leatherbacks — led by a

Mote scientist and published in the

peer-reviewed journal Conservation

Physiology, used the most detailed

analysis of blood proteins in leatherbacks

to date to confirm that another population

at St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands fasts

while nesting.

This new study strengthens the emerging

picture of the leatherback life cycle and

shows how fasting and migration may

affect the turtles’ bodies. These findings

provide vital information for resource

managers seeking to protect this

endangered species.

“It’s important to know where and when

leatherbacks are getting their energy and

how they’re using it — that has bearing on

Weighing in at about 1,000 pounds, adult leatherback sea turtles are the Volkswagen Beetles of the sea. You’d think that such a large animal would eat, well, a lot. All the time.

But new Mote research indicates that might not be the case.

By Hayley Rutger














processes.









while nesting.







endangered species.






By Hayley Rutger



COVER PHOTO

PRESIDENT & CEOMichael P. Crosby, Ph.D.

EDITORNadine Slimak


CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSMadelaine Verbeek, Hayley Rutger,

Nadine Slimak


SUMMER 2014 • VOLUME INFO: 941-388-4441 • MOTE.ORG




(941) 388-2252 or e-mail

[email protected].




OCTOBEROct. 17: Fish, Fun & Fright. 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in The Aquarium at Mote. Join us for a family-friendly evening of sailing the spooky seas and discovering creatures from

Oct. 25: Oceanic Evening. 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive. Join us to celebrate our oceans during our major annual fundraising event. Black-tie optional. Ticket price to be announced.. Tables/sponsorships available, call Stacy Alexander at 941.388.4441, ext. 509.


the deep in a safe and fun trick-or-treating zone. (Ticket cost to be announced.)


AMID CLINKING TEACUPS, FINGER SANDWICHES and hats of all colors, the word was spreading: “Mote Marine Laboratory rocks!” said Dr. Sylvia Earle, world-famous oceanographer who spoke at Mote’s Tea for the Sea, which launched the Women’s Giving Circle to unite women in philanthropy for the pursuit of science.


Giving back to the ocean is vital — and supporting Mote’s mission is a clear path to accomplish that, said Kimberley Carreiro, Chair of Tea for the Sea. “Mote scientists are engaged in research to improve nearly every aspect of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf. Support for Mote helps ensure that Sarasota remains the absolute paradise it is today.”

To join the Women’s Giving Circle at Mote, contact Jennifer Vigne at 941-388-4441, ext. 393, or [email protected].

Tea for the Sea Chair Kimberley Carreiro and Mote Founder Dr. Eugenie Clark.

“I COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER”

SURVIVORS THE EXHIBIT

OPEN EVERY DAY 10AM–5PM MOTE.ORG

FEB 1–SEPT 14

PACKS A 200 POUND PUNCH

Peacock Mant is Shrimp

SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236



67














processes.









while nesting.







endangered species.






By Hayley Rutger














processes.









while nesting.







endangered species.






By Hayley Rutger


which threats they face and when they

are most vulnerable,” said Dr. Justin

Perrault, a Mote Marine Laboratory

Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Perrault

led the study as a doctoral student at

Florida Atlantic University with

collaborators from the University of

Georgia.

The researchers collected 217 blood

samples from 76 leatherbacks that

crawled ashore to nest during 2009 in

St. Croix, after their migration from

feeding grounds in the North Atlantic.

The scientists separated out the serum

— the liquid surrounding blood cells —

and analyzed it for proteins called

albumins and globulins. Their results

revealed the total amount of proteins,

the percentage of each type and the

ratio of albumins to globulins. These

measures help reveal whether the turtles

are feeding, how healthy they are and

whether they have problems like injuries

or inflammation.

The total amount of protein in the

turtles’ blood declined during nesting

season, suggesting that the turtles were

eating little to nothing – they were burning through fat stores and beginning to use up their bodies’ protein for energy.

Female leatherbacks eat about 730 pounds of jellyfish per day while they are at their foraging grounds. Now it appears that they store this energy for long periods and use it to make migrations back to their nesting grounds every two to three years.

“It had been debated for years whether leatherbacks needed to feed at the nesting ground, and within the past decade, evidence has started to accumulate that most sea turtle species are fasting or feeding very little while nesting — our study confirms that pattern for this population,” Perrault said.

The researchers also found that many turtles stopped nesting when their total proteins hit a certain low point. “This protein ‘threshold’ could be an important signal for researchers to use in the future — it could allow us to know from bloodwork that nesting is ending and feeding is ready to start again,” Perrault

said. “It’s exciting to find physiological changes that relate to the turtles’ behavior — it allows us to understand what they’re doing in the water even if we can only observe them for a short time on land.”

Another intriguing finding was that proteins that signify immune system activity started out high and decreased over the nesting season.

“We think that leatherbacks might be exposed to all kinds of pathogens on the journey to their nesting beach, and this could mean they start the nesting season with an active immune system that naturally declines as they nest,” Perrault said. “But some of the decline over the season might also relate to man-made pollutants in coastal waters.”

During the study, an oil refinery was operating in the area, producing contaminants that could have affected the turtles’ immune systems, Perrault said. The refinery has since closed, but Perrault suggests that future studies should examine the possible immune effects of contaminants more closely.


© Jeanette Wyneken/Florida Atlantic University

A female leatherback sea turtle uses her flippers to cover up her nest.


JUSTIN PERRAULTMote Postdoctoral Fellowships, supported through philanthropic donations, are offered by Mote to support young researchers doing outstanding work early in their careers.

Justin Perrault, 29, developed his passion

for animals as he grew up in Memphis,

Tenn., in a home where strays were

welcomed and snakes made good

neighbors. “My parents were constantly

taking in strays that would magically show

up at our door step — I think the animals

knew we were suckers for that sort of

thing. They really had a lot of compassion

for just about every animal… I was never

allowed to kill spiders in the house; I had

to bring them outside. My mom

welcomed snakes in the yard, too. This is

definitely where I developed my passion

for animals and, with that, came a natural

interest in learning more about them.”

A trip to Mexico, where he watched a

green sea turtle nest, only drew him

more. “I remember thinking how big it

was and how hard it had to be to crawl up

the beach using only its front flippers. I think this really piqued my interest further in the field of marine science.”

After their first marine biology course at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, many of Perrault’s peers changed majors. Not him. “After that class, I knew that I was in the right field. I was always fascinated with the different aspects of biological sciences. I even took chemistry courses that weren’t required for fun. It was very early on that I decided research was the right path for me.”

Perrault received his Ph.D. from Florida Atlantic University and today is focused on toxicology and health of marine animals, with a current focus on marine turtles, especially in understanding their toxin loads and how these loads affect nesting success. One question he’d like to answer: “Are reptiles more or less tolerant of toxins than other vertebrate species and do their current toxicologic loads pose a threat to their health and survival?”

And what has been his most interesting experience to date? It happened during his doctoral research in St. Croix, which hosts the largest nesting aggregation of leatherback sea turtles in the U.S.

“Many of the biologists on the staff would take naps in between our hourly patrols if we did not encounter any turtles during the previous patrol. Once, I woke up from a nap and had three leatherbacks digging their nest chambers all around me. Keep in mind these creatures are about 6 feet long and weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds. It was pretty remarkable to have an animal that many call Earth’s last dinosaur — these animals have been around for about 100 million years — surrounding me on all sides and doing what they’ve been doing for their entire existence. I was on their beach. Morale could often get low after hours upon hours and days upon days of field research; however, it was rare experiences like these that made it all worthwhile. Very few people ever get to experience seeing a nesting sea turtle, let alone three leatherbacks at a time. It is definitely something that will be hard to top.”

HYBRID DOLPHIN SPECIES DISCOVEREDA study published this year on the clymene dolphin, a small and sleek marine mammal found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, shows that this species arose through natural hybridization between two closely related dolphin species. The finding, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, is the first to document natural hybridization in a marine mammal species.

The classification of the clymene dolphin has long been a challenge to taxonomists, who initially considered the clymene to be a subspecies of the spinner dolphin. In 1981, thorough morphological analyses established it as a distinct species. In the latest study, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History’s Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, the University of Lisbon and Mote Marine Laboratory, sought to clarify outstanding questions about the dolphin’s origin and relationships through genetic analyses.

Study co-author Gretchen Lovewell, Manager of Mote’s Stranding Investigation Program, provided data, skin samples and dolphin skulls from the Lab’s extensive Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection, an accredited collection of dolphin and whale bones. The clymene bones came from a 1995 mass stranding in Tarpon Springs, Fla.

In a molecular analysis including the closely related spinner and striped dolphins, scientists concluded that the clymene dolphin is the product of natural hybridization, a process that is more common for plants, fishes and birds, but quite rare in mammals.








Georgia.
















or inflammation.






















































Georgia.
















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Georgia.
















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SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT: When Animals Strand

By Nadine Slimak

In January, Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program responded to two mass strandings of pilot whales in Collier and Lee counties. Over five days, stranded whales were reported off Marco Island and Lovers Key State Park. In all, 37 whales died and three remained unaccounted for.

Coming on the heels of a mass stranding of 51 whales in the Everglades in December, this event drew national interest. Mote Magazine asked Stranding Program Manager Gretchen Lovewell to tell us why Mote responds to stranded animals and what happened during this event.

Q: Two mass strandings… that’s a lot of whales. Does it signal an increase in strandings?

A: The stories about these stranded whale groups received so much attention that it might seem like the number of stranded whales is going up. But when we look at the records over the last 23 years, we actually find that 19 mass strandings have been reported since 1991. Some of these events were quite large, with 20 to 40-plus animals.

Q: Why do they strand?

A: Aristotle actually wrote about a pilot whale stranding and we’ve found evidence of pilot whales stranding in mass groups in the fossil record. Pilot whales are really interesting animals. They typically live in large groups of up to 50 of animals and sometimes come together into large mating pods that can include hundreds of animals. They form strong social bonds and the groups tend to stick together. There are a number of theories as to why these animals strand. One animal might be sick and swimming to shallow water; when the rest of that

animal’s group follows, they get caught in shallow places they’re not used to navigating and get into trouble themselves. There could also be viruses or parasites affecting some of these populations.

Q: Why does Mote respond to stranded animals?

A: Stranding response really has a few different purposes. The first, when we find live animals, is to do what we can to get those animals back to the wild. When a single animal strands, or there are smaller mass strandings of dolphins, that might mean taking the animals for treatment at a special hospital like those at Mote where medical staff can treat the animals with the ultimate goal to return them to the wild. In fact, we’ve been able to return 26 dolphins and 251 sea turtles to the wild after treatment in our Sarasota hospitals.

However, that’s just not possible for such large groups of animals. In the case of the pilot whales, we first tried to herd the animals back to the deeper water they’re more accustomed to navigating.

Another reason we respond is in cases where animals are very sick, we want to ease their suffering. Sometimes when we can clearly see that an animal will not survive, we humanely euthanize them and then try to learn as much as we can about why the animal was sick.

The third, and most frequent reason we respond is so that we can do post-mortem examinations, called necropsies, to better understand what happened. Sometimes it’s clear — for instance in cases of boat strikes or entanglements, we know pretty quickly that an animal died because it was tangled in fishing gear or hit by a boat.

But in other cases, like these pilot whales, the causes aren’t obvious. Many of these whales appeared to be in good health; others did not, so it was really a mix of what we found. That’s why we take blood and tissue samples. We take those samples back to the lab and analyze them to look for diseases or parasites.

In the case of the pilot whales, we collected hundreds of samples and it takes the patient application of good science to get good results.

Q: So what made these animals strand?

A: We’re still looking for a smoking gun. It takes time to analyze all the samples we collected. The other difficulty is that marine mammals are very difficult to study in the wild and there’s a lot we don’t know about their biological makeup and behaviors. It’s possible that we will never know what happened.

Q: Who supports this work?

A: That’s a good question. At Mote and the other nonprofit organizations that respond to stranded animals, we are responsible for raising our own funding to support this work and we rely on philanthropic donations. For instance, Mote’s response to the stranded pilot whales added up to more than $14,000. But that’s just one stranding event that received a lot of public attention. My team and I are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to reports of sick, injured and dead animals. And, when we find a live animal in need of treatment, we bring it to our animal hospitals where it can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars per day to treat.

Q: How can the public help?

A: First: The public can learn what to do if they come upon a sick or injured animal.



By Nadine Slimak

• Do not push the animal back into the water; they have stranded for a reason and pushing them back into the water is both illegal (under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act) and will prevent the animal from receiving proper care.

• In Florida, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-FWCC. Or try the new smartphone app called “Dolphin and Whale 911.”

• Protect the animal from direct sun and keep skin protected with wet towels, making sure to keep the area around the blowhole clear of water, sand or debris.

• Keep pets away and avoid excessive noise or handling.

• To avoid injury to yourself, stay clear of the tail and observe the animal from a safe distance until the appropriate experts arrive. Even though the animal is probably sick, remember they are wild animals and very strong.

Second: You can financially support these efforts by making a donation to Mote online at mote.org/donate.

SPECIAL THANKS Thanks to support from MarineMax Sarasota and the Sea Turtle Grants Program, Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program will be able to respond more quickly to strandings. The Sea Turtle Grants Program, which is funded from sales of the Sea Turtle License Plate, awarded Mote a $12,104 grant, that allowed for the purchase of a Boston Whaler from MarineMax, which offered Mote a generous discount. Learn more about the Grants Program at helpingseaturtles.org.

A team of researchers from multiple organizations prepares to perform necropsies, or animal autopsies, on stranded pilot whales on Kice Island in Collier County earlier this year.



By Nadine Slimak























By Nadine Slimak












By Nadine Slimak























By Nadine Slimak











By Nadine Slimak























By Nadine Slimak










HOW SHARKS HUNT PREY — from first whiff to final chomp — has been revealed as never before in a new Mote-led study about shark senses that was supported by the National Science Foundation and published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE.

The study, led by scientists from Mote, the University of South

Florida (USF) and Boston University, is the first to show how

vision, touch, smell and other senses combine to guide a

detailed series of shark behaviors from start to finish.

“This is landmark work,” said co-author Dr. Jelle Atema, a

Professor of Biology at Boston University and Adjunct Scientist

at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who worked with

Mote researchers on pioneering studies of shark senses that

were precursors to this study.

“Back in 1985, world experts in underwater animal senses met

at Mote, and at that time we emphasized that sensory studies

were focusing on one animal at a time, one sense at a time,

and we needed to start combining this information. Now we

have.”

Results of this study looking at more than sense on more than

one species show that sharks with different lifestyles may favor

different senses, and they can sometimes switch when their

preferred senses are blocked. That’s hopeful news for sharks

trying to find food in changing, sometimes degraded

environments.

“Our findings may surprise a lot of people,” said Dr. Jayne

Gardiner, lead author and Mote Postdoctoral Fellow. “The

general public often hears that sharks are all about the smell of

prey — that they’re like big swimming noses. In the scientific

community, it has been suggested that some sharks, like

blacktips, are strongly visual feeders. But in this study, what

impressed us most was not one particular sense, but the

sharks’ ability to switch between multiple senses and the

flexibility of their behavior.”

Among Gardiner and her team’s striking results:

• Nurse sharks did not recognize their prey if their noses

were blocked, but the blacktips and bonnetheads did.


By Hayley Rutger

© Madelaine Verbeek


• When the researchers blocked both vision and lateral line,

blacktip and bonnethead sharks could not follow the odor

trail to locate prey, but nurse sharks could.

• When the sharks’ vision was blocked, they could

compensate by lining up their strikes using their lateral

lines.

• During normal feeding, the prey’s electric field triggered

opening their mouths at very close range. However,

electricity alone was not enough: Blocking vision and

lateral line prevented sharks from striking, even when they

were close enough to sense the prey’s electric field.

• With electroreception blocked, sharks usually failed to

capture prey.

“We sought to discover how sharks use their highly evolved

senses to hunt and locate prey, knowing it involved more than

just a good sense of smell,” said Dr. Bob Hueter, Director of

Mote’s Center for Shark Research and co-author of the study.

“What we found was amazing, not only in how the various

senses mesh together but also how one shark species can

vary from another. Not all sharks behave alike.”

For USF’s Dr. Phil Motta, study co-author, “perhaps the most revealing thing to me was the startling difference in how these different shark species utilize and switch between the various senses as they hunt and capture their prey. Most references to shark hunting overemphasize and oversimplify the use of one or two senses; this study reveals the complexity and differences that are related to the sharks’ ecology and habitats.”

While the results do not focus on shark-and-human interactions, they do highlight that some shark-safety measures, like specially patterned wetsuits meant to provide visual camouflage or electrical deterrents that target the sharks’ electrosensory system — each focusing on one sense at a time — may not be enough to change the rates of shark incidents, Gardiner said.

She thinks these results could also indicate that sharks might be resilient ocean residents. “I think the sharks’ abilities to switch between different senses may make them more resilient in the wild. They may be more flexible and better adapted to deal with environmental changes — but not all human impacts. Overfishing is still overfishing.”

PIONEERING STUDY — Scientists report in a new PLOS ONE article that sharks sense prey in surprising ways.

A blacktip shark is fitted with noseplugs — a way to block their sense of smell during studies to understand how shark senses affect shark behavior. (The shark was not harmed during the procedure.)















have.”






environments.













MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

By Hayley Rutger


� MOTE MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014 9






lines.







capture prey.




























have.”






environments.














By Hayley Rutger








lines.







capture prey.



























have.”






environments.














By Hayley Rutger








lines.







capture prey.














AMID CLINKING TEACUPS, FINGER SANDWICHES AND HATS OF ALL COLORS, the word was spreading: “Mote Marine Laboratory rocks!” said Dr. Sylvia Earle, world-famous oceanographer who spoke at Mote’s Tea for the Sea in February. The Tea launched the Lab’s new Women’s Giving Circle, which is uniting women in philanthropy for the pursuit of science.


“Genie’s passion was the foundation of Mote, and the philanthropy of Anne Vanderbilt gave her the freedom to pursue it,” said Mote President and CEO Dr. Michael P. Crosby. “Today, Genie’s passion has blossomed into our 24 research programs, and more than 50 percent of our science staff are women.”

Giving back to the ocean is vital — and supporting Mote’s mission is a clear path to accomplish that, said Mote supporter Kimberley Carreiro, Chair of Tea for the Sea. “Mote scientists are engaged in research to improve nearly every aspect of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf. Support for Mote helps ensure that Sarasota remains the absolute paradise it is today.”

To join the Women’s Giving Circle at Mote, contact Major Gifts Officer Jennifer Vigne at 941-388-4441, ext. 393, or [email protected].


Photos: (Top) Amy Sussman, Mote Trustee Susan Gilmore-Clarke and Mote President & CEO, Dr. Michael P. Crosby.

(Middle) Tea for the Sea Chair Kimberley Carreiro and Mote Founder Dr. Eugenie Clark.

(Bottom) Frances Fergusson, Maryann Armour and Melody Suzor.







Photos: (Top) Melody Suzor, Mote Trustee Susan Gilmore-Clarke and Mote President & CEO, Dr. Michael P. Crosby.


(Bottom) Frances Fergusson, Maryann Armour and Amy Sussman.

MOTE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2013 11

UNDER $1,000 FRIENDSn Mote Decals

$1,000 - $4,999 PILLARS CLUBn Subscription to the Mote Magazinen Dolphin Membership

$5,000 - $9,999 SIGNATURE SOCIETYn Manatee Membership

$10,000 - $49,999 CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLEn Recognition on the websiten Recognition in the annual reportn Lifetime membership (twelve guests with cardholder) n Invitation to President’s breakfastn Major Donor Dinner Event with Presidentn Shark Pin

$50,000 - $99,999 CAPE HAZE SOCIETYn Complimentary tickets to the Special Lecture Series and privatedonorreceptionpriortothefirstlecture

$100,000 – $249,999 DIRECTOR’S CLUBn Invitation to the Special Lunch with the Scientists Seriesn Two complimentary tickets to Oceanic Eveningn Invitation to visit Coral Reef Restoration Program in the Keys (limited opportunities available)*

$250,000 - $499,999 PRESIDENTIAL ROUNDTABLEn Private Boat Tourn Table at Oceanic Eveningn Invitation to dive trip with the Combat Wounded Veterans and the SCUBAnauts (limited opportunities available)*

$500,000 - $999,999 WILLIAM MOTE GUILDn Access to private donor dive excursion in the Keys with Mote’s President (limited opportunities available)*nComplimentaryCaviarCertificatefor500gramsn Invitation to exclusive international trips (limited opportunities available)

$1,000,000 & MORE DR. EUGENIE CLARK SOCIETYn Admittance to all Mote events, including one table at Oceanic Evening and one table at Party on the Pass n Naming opportunities for endowed chair, post doctoral, etc.





















UNDER $1,000 FRIENDSn Mote Decals

$1,000 - $4,999 PILLARS CLUBn Subscription to the Mote Magazinen Dolphin Membership

$5,000 - $9,999 SIGNATURE SOCIETYn Manatee Membership

$10,000 - $49,999 CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLEn Recognition on the websiten Recognition in the annual reportn Lifetime membership (twelve guests with cardholder) n Invitation to President’s breakfastn Major Donor Dinner Event with Presidentn Shark Pin

$50,000 - $99,999 CAPE HAZE SOCIETYn Complimentary tickets to the Special Lecture Series and privatedonorreceptionpriortothefirstlecture

$100,000 – $249,999 DIRECTOR’S CLUBn Invitation to the Special Lunch with the Scientists Seriesn Two complimentary tickets to Oceanic Eveningn Invitation to visit Coral Reef Restoration Program in the Keys (limited opportunities available)*

$250,000 - $499,999 PRESIDENTIAL ROUNDTABLEn Private Boat Tourn Table at Oceanic Eveningn Invitation to dive trip with the Combat Wounded Veterans and the SCUBAnauts (limited opportunities available)*

$500,000 - $999,999 WILLIAM MOTE GUILDn Access to private donor dive excursion in the Keys with Mote’s President (limited opportunities available)*nComplimentaryCaviarCertificatefor500gramsn Invitation to exclusive international trips (limited opportunities available)

$1,000,000 & MORE DR. EUGENIE CLARK SOCIETYn Admittance to all Mote events, including one table at Oceanic Evening and one table at Party on the Pass n Naming opportunities for endowed chair, post doctoral, etc.



keynote address during Mote’s Annual

Legacy Society Recognition Breakfast at

The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. “I think planned

giving really helps us to create a path for

our children, grandchildren and great-

grandchildren that helps them understand

what we thought was valuable.”

For Veronica and her husband Jay, the

things that are important to them include

the sustainable use of natural resources,

educating children about marine life,

studies that will lead to better cancer

treatments and marine research that

helps improve the health of our oceans.

“We’re huge believers in legacy and we’re

huge believers in Mote,” she said. “That’s

why Jay and I made the decision to

include Mote in our philanthropic plans.

Strong communities are built on endowed

philanthropy, which is built on community

generosity. Now, we are part of a Legacy

family at Mote and we think that gives us

a connection to the past, present and

future.”

“Let’s start our program this morning by taking a minute to honor and remember those members of the Mote Legacy Society who we have lost this year. They are all very special people who have helped to support Mote in very special ways.”

— Tom Waters, Chief Advancement Officer, Mote Marine Laboratory

SPECIAL THANKS

Mote Marine Laboratory would like to thank PNC Wealth Management and Caldwell Trust Company for their sponsorship of our Annual Legacy Society Recognition Breakfast.


Photos: (Top left) Ed Rogers, Mote Major Gifts Officer Jennifer Vigne and Elyse Rogers.

(Bottom left) Shirley Fein, Mote Chief Advancement Officer Tom Waters and Tina Fein Dinitz

(Top right) Veronica Brady, Senior Vice President for Philanthropy, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Mote Founding Director, Dr. Eugenie Clark, and Mote President & CEO Dr. Michael P. Crosby.

(Bottom right) Caldwell Trust Company’s Sonya Dlug, Scott Antritt, Tim Videnka, Mote scientist Jim Culter, Jan Miller, of Caldwell, and Dr. Michael P. Crosby.


Do you know the first names of your great grandparents? How about the things they cared most deeply about?

In just two generations, it’s easy to lose

sight of the things that were important to

even our closest ancestors, says Veronica

Brady. She knows this from her

experience helping families achieve their

charitable goals and build endowments

that benefit the community in her role as

Senior Vice President for Philanthropy at

Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

If you said connecting generations is her

passion, you’d be right. But it’s also

something that she’s taken to heart as a

member of Mote Marine Laboratory’s

own Legacy Society, which recognizes

those who have committed their support

to Mote through estate plans or other

types of planned gifts.

“In just two generations, we don’t always

know what our great grandparents stood

for or what was most important to them,”

Brady said in February, as she gave the

“Mote was founded on three principles: passion, philanthropy and partnership. We had the passion of a young woman — Genie Clark — for her science. We had the philanthropy of Anne and William Vanderbilt, who built the one-room lab where Mote started and, later the philanthropy of William Mote who helped us grow. And, of course, we have our partnership with the community, which feels very much a part of Mote and has supported us over time… What we’re really celebrating today is the future. It’s important to realize that the Legacy Society is really about the future of Mote — Mote would not exist without you all and your commitment to Mote. Thank you all very much.”

— Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President and CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory

Mote President Emeritus, Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, Mote Trustee Dr. Sam Seider, Trustee Susan Gilmore-Clarke, Mote President & CEO Michael P. Crosby, Trustee Lowe Morrison and Trustee Nigel Mould.

























future.”



SPECIAL THANKS


























































future.”



SPECIAL THANKS

























































future.”



SPECIAL THANKS



































When Dr. Charles H. “Pete” Peterson thinks about the status of wild populations like scallops, oysters and fish — their abundance, their numbers, — he doesn’t just think about an individual species. He takes a holistic

approach, looking at the forest and not just the trees, if you will.

Peterson is the Florida State University-Mote 2014 William R.

and Lenore Mote Eminent Scholar in Fisheries Ecology &

Enhancement. This chair, funded through an endowment

created by the Mote family in 1994, promotes collaborations

between FSU and Mote that furthers the understanding of

exploited marine populations.

Peterson’s specialty is synthesizing studies to help create a

better understanding of the health of an overall ecosystem and

species populations within in. He led a National Academy of

Sciences panel charged with asking what the environmental

influences of shellfish aquaculture are.

Q: Why did the National Academy of Sciences focus on this question? Why is it important to look at the pros and cons of aquaculture?

Our environmental laws require us to consider consequences of

many commercial activities before necessary permits are

granted. In the case of bivalve shellfish aquaculture associated

with the bottom of bays and the ocean, the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers must provide permits.

Q: How did the panel tackle the question?

The panel reviewed all applicable data worldwide.

Q: What kinds of things do you consider when you are trying to determine the health of an ecosystem vs. just the health of an individual species?

The fundamental challenge is to address how the activity — in

this case bivalve shellfish aquaculture — affects processes that

may modify the ecosystem. Biodeposition of feces and

pseudofeces from oysters, clams and other bivalves induces

denitrification, which helps combat eutrophication; reduces

turbidity, which allows more seagrass and benthic microalgal

growth; and helps fertilize segrasses, increasing the spread of

this valuable nursery habitat.

Q: Why is looking at the “big picture” important?

ISSUES AND IMPACTS: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT


A: If we focus narrowly on restocking a single species, we may unbalance the ecosystem, learning that habitat or food resources is what limits production of the target fish. These tests are all part of what has been referred to as “Responsible Stock Enhancement”, as developed in large part by the Mote Program led by Drs. Ken Leber and Kevan Main.

Q: Your time at Mote this year is coming to a close but your collaborations continue. What will they focus on?

A: I hope to see Deepwater Horizon restoration funds flow to the Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement Program at Mote and to be able to work with Ken Leber and others at Mote to enhance key fish stocks that suffered from the oil spill and to develop appropriate fisheries management actions that sustain the enhanced stocks at high abundance so that the benefits continue to flow for years.

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Every member of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Legacy Society has their own history and connections that drew them to the organization and inspired them to support Mote through a planned gift.

Veronica Brady and her husband Jay have many. “We like Mote and we like what Mote does and what it stands for, but we also have personal connections that drew us to Mote and inspired us to include the Lab in our estate plans,” she says.

CONNECTION ONE: Love of exploration and discovery.

It started with her grandfather who became chief of National Geographic’s news service after serving as a war correspondent during WWII and then a White House correspondent following the war. “My childhood was spent going to his office at National Geographic and exploring. Later, his youngest son, my uncle, was managing editor of the National Geographic magazine.”

CONNECTION TWO: Love of the ocean.

“My late father loved to sail and I spent a lot of my early childhood tied to the mast of his sailboat — really! They tied me to the mast so I wouldn’t fall in.”

CONNECTION THREE: Fascination and interest in the Lab’s history and evolution.

“My father passed away two days before my birthday 12 years ago. My mom gave me the gift he had planned to give me. It was a first edition of Genie Clark’s book The Lady and the Sharks. When he passed away, we made a legacy gift to Mote in his name.”

CONNECTION FOUR: Thinking of Mote as part of your family.

“Jay’s brother met his wife while they were both interning at Mote.”

OUR CONNECTION: “Every member of Mote’s Legacy Society has their own connections to Mote — their own reasons for giving,” says Veronica. “But we all have one thing in common: Our belief in Mote and our desire to support its future. And that makes us all part of the Mote Family. I try to share that Mote message with my friends and family — and know other Legacy Society Members do, too. That way, our ‘family reunion’ at next year’s Legacy Society breakfast will be even bigger.”

M A K I N G H E R C O N N E C T I O N T O M O T E ’ S P A S T , P R E S E N T A N D F U T U R E

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 [email protected].


Every member of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Legacy Society has their own history and connections that drew them to the organization and inspired them to support Mote through a planned gift.

Veronica Brady and her husband Jay have many. “We like Mote and we like what Mote does and what it stands for, but we also have personal connections that drew us to Mote and inspired us to include the Lab in our estate plans,” she says.

CONNECTION ONE: Love of exploration and discovery.

It started with her grandfather who became chief of National Geographic’s news service after serving as a war correspondent during WWII and then a White House correspondent following the war. “My childhood was spent going to his office at National Geographic and exploring. Later, his youngest son, my uncle, was managing editor of the National Geographic magazine.”

CONNECTION TWO: Love of the ocean.

“My late father loved to sail and I spent a lot of my early childhood tied to the mast of his sailboat — really! They tied me to the mast so I wouldn’t fall in.”

CONNECTION THREE: Fascination and interest in the Lab’s history and evolution.

“My father passed away two days before my birthday 12 years ago. My mom gave me the gift he had planned to give me. It was a first edition of Genie Clark’s book The Lady and the Sharks. When he passed away, we made a legacy gift to Mote in his name.”

CONNECTION FOUR: Thinking of Mote as part of your family.

“Jay’s brother met his wife while they were both interning at Mote.”

OUR CONNECTION: “Every member of Mote’s Legacy Society has their own connections to Mote — their own reasons for giving,” says Veronica. “But we all have one thing in common: Our belief in Mote and our desire to support its future. And that makes us all part of the Mote family. I try to share that Mote message with my friends and family — and know other Legacy Society Members do, too. That way, our ‘family reunion’ at next year’s Legacy Society breakfast will grow even bigger.”

M A K I N G H E R C O N N E C T I O N T O M O T E ’ S P A S T , P R E S E N T A N D F U T U R E

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 [email protected].

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(941) 388-4441www.mote.org


mote magazine, spring 2014

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