mote magazine, summer 2011

Summer 2011

INSIDE MOTE MAGAZINE

Taking on Red Tide 3

A Dolphin Named Taz 6

Healing Battlefield Wounds 8

Seabird Spectacular 10

Issues & Impacts: Gulf Oil Spill 13

Driving Conservation 14

Staff work with Taz, an orphaned bottlenose dolphin rehabilitated in Mote’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital. Read more on pp. 6-7.

Cover Photo

President and CEODr. Kumar Mahadevan

EditorNadine Slimak

Creative DirectorLawson Mitchell

Writer Hayley Rutger

Contributing PhotographerSLawson Mitchell, staff from Mote’s Center for Shark Research

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

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2 MOTE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

Karen Melderis, a Sarasota resident since 1978, first noticed the effects of Florida’s

red tide in the 1990s when the symp-toms from her asthma flared during blooms of Karenia brevis, the organ-ism that causes red tide here.

“It usually started with a sore throat, a lot of coughing, wheez-ing, and it usually flared up my sinuses too,” Melderis said.

She was in her allergist’s office about six years ago when she saw a notice about a human health study investigat-ing the effects of red tides on humans — particularly humans with lung disorders like asthma or chronic obstructive pul-monary disease (COPD). She decided to volunteer to participate in the study to help scientists find out more about how red tides affect humans. “I think it’s really important for an asthmatic to know these kinds of things, and since we make a living on our beaches here, it’s fair to warn people who are coming down who have problems like that too,” she said. “Data is knowledge.”

The study that Melderis joined eventually became the most cohesive and longest-running scientific study looking at how humans are affected by Florida’s red tide. It wrapped up this year during a meeting of the 22 investigators from the eight par-ticipating organizations and has led to hundreds of new findings and even potential new drug treatments for cystic fibrosis and COPD sufferers.

“My background is in respiratory therapy and when I joined Mote, I got really interested in how humans were being affected by red tides,” said Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, manager of Mote’s Environmental Health Program. “We would hear these anecdotal reports of people coughing on beaches and having sinus issues, but no one had ever really tried to unlock medically what was going on until we started this study.”

The $15.8 million National Insti-tute of Environmental Health Sci-ences (NIEHS) project was based on a “beach-to-bedside” model designed to reveal the effects of naturally oc-curring chemical toxins in red tide by incorporating numerous scientific disciplines — everything from medical

Taking on Red Tide Decade-Long Study Leads to New Findings, New Treatments

by Nadine Slimak

Karen Melderis at Siesta Key Public Beach.

SPONSORED REPORT

MOTE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011 3

professionals and oceanographers to chemists and pharmacologists.

The study was led by Dr. Daniel G. Baden, director of the Center for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, with the field research based in Sarasota and led by Kirkpatrick and Dr. Richard Pierce, director of Mote’s Center for Ecotoxicol-ogy. In addition to UNCW and Mote, the study included lead investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health, the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Miller School of Medicine, Lovelace Respira-tory Research Institute, New Mexico, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami. While many of the researchers involved in the project will continue their studies of red tide and human health, the overall study as originally designed is complete.

study nets resultsOver the last decade, more than 500 Southwest Florida residents volunteered to participate in the study, including people with chronic lung conditions, as well as people without compromised lung function. It also included Sarasota County employees and even residents who let researchers place air sampling devices in their driveways.

“Without the community’s participation, our studies would not have been as complete or as enlightening,” Kirkpatrick said. Among the results:

The discovery that K. brevis has at least 12 toxins that can be harmful to humans. Each toxin has very subtle differences that can have very big differences in how humans react to them.The characterization of these toxins — the identification of everything from their size and their chemical makeup to their complete pharmacology.New air, water and seafood tests for red tide toxins.Scientific proof that toxins become airborne, can be

SPONSORED REPORT


inhaled by humans and that they can travel up to a mile inland, away from the beaches and the wind and wave action that propels them into the air.Scientific proof that people with compromised lung function — like asthmatics — who inhale these toxins suffer more and have longer-term impacts than people who don’t suffer from breathing problems — even after just one hour of exposure to the toxins.The discovery of how the toxins affect humans at the molecular level.Results showing that commonly used asthma medications can prevent and treat the effects of Florida red tide in asthmatics.Changes in public health messages related to beach-going during Florida red tides. Health experts now suggest that people with respiratory problems find alternate activities to visiting beaches during red tides. The message is especially important for people with poorly controlled asthma.Public information campaigns about Florida red tide and other harmful algal blooms, such as “Breathe Easy During Florida Red Tide,” which included beach signage and other resources; a 24/7 Aquatic Toxins hotline (in Spanish and English) through the Florida Poison Information Center and a new Web site through the Florida Department of Health Aquatic Toxins program.

“We learned more during this study than scientists had been able to uncover in the past 150 years because this collaboration was so large, so well funded and included so many different experts,” said Baden, the principal investigator. “Thanks to the NIEHS’s beach-to-bedside model, we were able to bring together re-searchers from many different dis-ciplines to attack Florida’s red tide and unlock its effects on humans.”

For Melderis, a recovery-room

nurse, being a part of the research has been exciting and important. “It’s a decade of research, and being part of it is exciting,” she said. “It’s just been very interesting to watch the data that they’ve collected and the papers they’ve published. It gives me a lot of information so that when I hear red tide is coming, I know to stay inland. All of our [medical] practice now is so evidence-based, so it’s nice seeing that evidence, even at the beach.”

LEARN MOREDuring the decade of research surrounding the human health effects of Florida’s red tide, scientists published more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific articles and made more than 400 presentations to the public and scientific community about their findings.

You can view many of the abstracts from the publications online at www.mote.org/niehsstudy.

THE BEACH CONDITIONS REPORT

As part of the NIEHS study, Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick developed the Beach Conditions Report™ to provide real-time updates on beach conditions and an inde-pendent source for information about whether red tide is af-fecting 33 beaches on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Find it online at www.mote.org/beaches.

STUDY LEADS TO NEW CYSTIC FIBROSIS TREATMENT

Perhaps one of the most surpris-ing and exciting findings during the NIEHS-funded study was the discovery that, in addition to the neurotoxins that cause humans respiratory problems, K. brevis also has at least three different antitoxins. These anti-toxins can neutralize the effects of the organism’s own toxins.

One of these antitoxins is currently being used to develop a new drug called Brevenal that will be used to treat cystic fibro-sis, chronic obstructive pulmo-nary disease (COPD), the effects of Florida red tide exposure and even Ciguatera fish poisoning.

“Cystic fibrosis causes the lungs to produce an extremely thick, sticky mucus, that makes it difficult to breathe and causes frequent lung infections,” said Dr. Daniel G. Baden, Director of the Center for Marine Science at

the University of North Carolina Wilmington, who is developing the drug. In the 1950s, few of the chil-dren diagnosed with the disease survived to elementary-school age. Today, CF sufferers are expected to survive to about age 30 to 40.

Initial findings show that Breve-nal is 1 million times more effective at treating CF than drugs already on the market. “It’s exciting to think that by looking at the toxins in red tide, we have also found a poten-tial treatment for a very debilitat-ing human disease,” Baden said. “About 30,000 children and adults are affected by CF. We hope that the development of Brevenal will help increase the length and quality of their lives. I think this study has allowed us to make a con-crete difference in human lives.”

Researchers are seeking a pharmaceutical partner to help bring Brevenal to market.

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professionals and oceanographers to chemists and pharmacologists.

The study was led by Dr. Daniel G. Baden, director of the Center for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, with the field research based in Sarasota and led by Kirkpatrick and Dr. Richard Pierce, director of Mote’s Center for Ecotoxicol-ogy. In addition to UNCW and Mote, the study included lead investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health, the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Miller School of Medicine, Lovelace Respira-tory Research Institute, New Mexico, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami. While many of the researchers involved in the project will continue their studies of red tide and human health, the overall study as originally designed is complete.

study nets resultsOver the last decade, more than 500 Southwest Florida residents volunteered to participate in the study, including people with chronic lung conditions, as well as people without compromised lung function. It also included Sarasota County employees and even residents who let researchers place air sampling devices in their driveways.

“Without the community’s participation, our studies would not have been as complete or as enlightening,” Kirkpatrick said. Among the results:

The discovery that K. brevis has at least 12 toxins that can be harmful to humans. Each toxin has very subtle differences that can have very big differences in how humans react to them.The characterization of these toxins — the identification of everything from their size and their chemical makeup to their complete pharmacology.New air, water and seafood tests for red tide toxins.Scientific proof that toxins become airborne, can be

SPONSORED REPORT


inhaled by humans and that they can travel up to a mile inland, away from the beaches and the wind and wave action that propels them into the air.Scientific proof that people with compromised lung function — like asthmatics — who inhale these toxins suffer more and have longer-term impacts than people who don’t suffer from breathing problems — even after just one hour of exposure to the toxins.The discovery of how the toxins affect humans at the molecular level.Results showing that commonly used asthma medications can prevent and treat the effects of Florida red tide in asthmatics.Changes in public health messages related to beach-going during Florida red tides. Health experts now suggest that people with respiratory problems find alternate activities to visiting beaches during red tides. The message is especially important for people with poorly controlled asthma.Public information campaigns about Florida red tide and other harmful algal blooms, such as “Breathe Easy During Florida Red Tide,” which included beach signage and other resources; a 24/7 Aquatic Toxins hotline (in Spanish and English) through the Florida Poison Information Center and a new Web site through the Florida Department of Health Aquatic Toxins program.

“We learned more during this study than scientists had been able to uncover in the past 150 years because this collaboration was so large, so well funded and included so many different experts,” said Baden, the principal investigator. “Thanks to the NIEHS’s beach-to-bedside model, we were able to bring together re-searchers from many different dis-ciplines to attack Florida’s red tide and unlock its effects on humans.”

For Melderis, a recovery-room

nurse, being a part of the research has been exciting and important. “It’s a decade of research, and being part of it is exciting,” she said. “It’s just been very interesting to watch the data that they’ve collected and the papers they’ve published. It gives me a lot of information so that when I hear red tide is coming, I know to stay inland. All of our [medical] practice now is so evidence-based, so it’s nice seeing that evidence, even at the beach.”

LEARN MOREDuring the decade of research surrounding the human health effects of Florida’s red tide, scientists published more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific articles and made more than 400 presentations to the public and scientific community about their findings.

You can view many of the abstracts from the publications online at www.mote.org/niehsstudy.

THE BEACH CONDITIONS REPORT

As part of the NIEHS study, Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick developed the Beach Conditions Report™ to provide real-time updates on beach conditions and an inde-pendent source for information about whether red tide is af-fecting 33 beaches on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Find it online at www.mote.org/beaches.

STUDY LEADS TO NEW CYSTIC FIBROSIS TREATMENT

Perhaps one of the most surpris-ing and exciting findings during the NIEHS-funded study was the discovery that, in addition to the neurotoxins that cause humans respiratory problems, K. brevis also has at least three different antitoxins. These anti-toxins can neutralize the effects of the organism’s own toxins.

One of these antitoxins is currently being used to develop a new drug called Brevenal that will be used to treat cystic fibro-sis, chronic obstructive pulmo-nary disease (COPD), the effects of Florida red tide exposure and even Ciguatera fish poisoning.

“Cystic fibrosis causes the lungs to produce an extremely thick, sticky mucus, that makes it difficult to breathe and causes frequent lung infections,” said Dr. Daniel G. Baden, Director of the Center for Marine Science at

the University of North Carolina Wilmington, who is developing the drug. In the 1950s, few of the chil-dren diagnosed with the disease survived to elementary-school age. Today, CF sufferers are expected to survive to about age 30 to 40.

Initial findings show that Breve-nal is 1 million times more effective at treating CF than drugs already on the market. “It’s exciting to think that by looking at the toxins in red tide, we have also found a poten-tial treatment for a very debilitat-ing human disease,” Baden said. “About 30,000 children and adults are affected by CF. We hope that the development of Brevenal will help increase the length and quality of their lives. I think this study has allowed us to make a con-crete difference in human lives.”

Researchers are seeking a pharmaceutical partner to help bring Brevenal to market.

SPONSORED REPORT


An orphaned bottlenose dolphin calf spent three months at Mote’s Dolphin and Whale

Hospital earlier this year, recuperat-ing after stranding on a sandbar. The dolphin, nicknamed Taz for his spunky nature, was found in January in the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island.

The male dolphin was esti-mated to be just 6 months old. Calves typically stay with their mothers until age 3 to 6, depending on mom for food, protection and to help them learn how to capture prey and safely navigate their environment.

Because Taz was motherless, the National Marine Fisheries Service

(NMFS) determined that he could not survive on his own if returned to the wild. NMFS, which oversees the care and protection of wild marine mammals, instead found him a new home at the Indianapolis Zoo, which has a social group of two male and five female bottlenose dolphins. Experts hope that one of the female dolphins there will “adopt” Taz as her own. So far, Taz is doing great.

Mote has been rehabbing dol-phins and whales at our Sarasota, Fla.-based facilities since 1992. Our goal is to provide humane treat-ment for live-stranded dolphins and whales and return them to the wild whenever possible.

Orphaned Dolphin

by Hayley Rutger

Taz interacts with an environmental enrichment device. These special “toys” are designed to mimic sea creatures and make the dolphin’s environment more stimulating.


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Having the hospital available at a moment’s notice to treat sick animals is costly. There is no health insur-ance for sick wildlife and there are few federal or state funding sources avail-able to pay for these efforts. Without financial support from the community, Mote’s hospitals would not be able to receive and care for animals like Taz.

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Mote volunteers and staff support Taz in the water. Taz was very weak when he arrived and was monitored around the clock during his short stay.

Mote staff and volunteers lower Taz into a medical pool upon his arrival in January.

Taz interacts with Lynne Byrd, Mote’s rehabilitation and medical care coordinator (right), and Mary Ann Scharenbroch-Gillum (left), senior trainer for marine mammals at the Indianapolis Zoo. Social interaction is important for bottlenose dolphin calves.

SPONSORED REPORT


Scientists have known for decades that sharks and stingrays have remarkable healing abilities. Now,

a new grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will help Mote and its research partners find out whether this unique healing ability can help soldiers wounded on the battlefield.

“People have observed remark-able healing abilities in these fishes for decades, but to our knowledge there have been no controlled scientific studies of how this process works,” said Dr. Carl Luer, manager of Mote’s Marine Biomedical Research Program and the lead investigator on the project. “We plan to look at the basic processes of wound healing and look for new chemi-cal compounds that prevent infection.”

During the three-year study, Mote and collaborators from the University of South Florida, Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y., and Clemson University in South Carolina will share the

$1.3-million DOD grant as they study wound-healing in sting-rays and related species.

The new study will focus on several infection-causing microbes ranging from mild to severe. These microbes will include strains that cause serious problems for humans, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), an infection that is infamous for resisting antibiotic treatments. Scientists estimate that MRSA killed more than 18,000 U.S. hospital patients in 2005, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The project could guide future efforts to improve treatment for mili-tary personnel wounded on the battle-field; blast wounds in particular tend to heal slowly and become infected.

Infection-fighting substances have been found on the skin of amphibians and some fishes, but despite the fact that elasmobranchs — stingrays, skates and sharks — seem to heal quickly and completely from even severe

injuries while avoiding infection, this process has gone largely unstudied.

The study will focus on an in-vestigation of the protective mucus that coats the skin of Atlantic sting-rays, clearnose skates and cownose rays. The researchers will:

Test the mucus to see whether it contains antibiotic properties that help protect the rays from infection caused by harmful bacteria and fungi that typically infect wounds.Determine how these substances affect the rate of healing and infection resistance in elasmobranchs.Find and describe the specific infection-fighting compounds produced by these fishes.

Can this group of fishes teach us to heal better and faster? “This truly is a basic research project to begin looking for these infection-fighting compounds, but given what we’ve seen in these fish, we have reason to be optimistic,” Luer said.

Could Stingrays Help Heal Battlefield Wounds Better and Faster?by Hayley Rutger

By Hayley Rutger

Dr. Carl Luer scrapes a small amount of mucus from a live cownose ray and places it in a test tube. Researchers hypothesize that the stingray mucus holds infection-fighting substances.

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Seabird Spectacular Maybe it’s because they walk so funny; or maybe it’s their dashing sense of style — whatever the reason, penguins are some of the world’s most captivating creatures.

Soon, Mote Aquarium visi-tors will be able to see penguins in person during a new limited-time exhibit called Penguin Island.

From November 2011 through Feb-ruary 2012, visitors will have the chance to meet and learn more about these

black-tie guests during daily visits and special meet-and-greet opportunities.

Penguins might seem like exotic tourists for sunny Southwest Florida, but not all penguins live in chilly climates. The black-footed penguins coming to Mote Aquarium are native to South Africa, where the ocean currents are cold and the climate is moderate.

Endangered in the wild, black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demer-sus) face some of the same threats

as marine life in the Gulf of Mexico — lack of food due to overfishing and environmental changes, oil pollution, habitat destruction and sea-level rise.

By showcasing a far-away species that faces the same risks as many of the marine animals in our own Gulf, Mote hopes to highlight the importance of working glob-ally for marine conservation.

Plus, we might add, pen-guins are just plain cool!


Starting Nov. 1, guests will be able to visit the penguins daily during normal visiting hours in Mote Aquarium’s courtyard. Guests will also have the opportunity to interact with specially trained Mote penguin caregivers and learn about these fascinating birds and their day-to-day lives during daily narrated training sessions. (Free with admission.)

Mote Aquarium is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. seven days per week, including all holidays, at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota. Tickets are $17 for adults, $16 for seniors (over 65), $12 for kids (ages 4-12) and free for children age 3 and younger. Mote Members always get in free. Learn more at www.mote.org.

Adopt-a-Penguin

For as little as $30, you can adopt a penguin in Mote’s Penguin Island. A portion of the proceeds will support wild penguin conservation programs of the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. Visit www.mote.org/adopt for details.

July-September Special summer discount: $5 off tickets to Mote Aquarium for visitors wearing penguin paraphernalia (examples: penguin T-shirts, hats, pins, etc.). During regular visiting hours.

Service Industry Summer: Employees of Southwest Florida hotels, restaurants and bars get into Mote Aquarium for $5. Proof of employment required; discount good for service industry employee and one guest.

SeptemberSept. 1-30: 30 Days of Discovery at Mote Aquarium: 2-for-1 admission. Coupon required from Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau or online at http://www.sarasotafl.org/promo/days-of-discovery/.

OctoberWeekends in October: Sharktoberfest: Children in costume on Saturdays and Sundays receive treat bag and free admission with paying adult.

Oct. 21: 6:30-9 p.m. Penguin Island fun at Mote’s Halloween event, Night of Fish, Fun and Fright: Buoys and ghouls of all ages are invited to dress up in costume to discover sea creatures from the deep in a safe and fun trick-or-treat zone. Don’t miss our signature underwater pumpkin carving in our spooktacular shark tank!*

Oct. 29: 6:30 p.m. Mote’s annual Oceanic Evening*: An elegant black-tie fundraiser. RSVP required. Call Vicki Wiese at 941-388-4441, ext. 305 or e-mail [email protected].

November & DecemberNov. 1: Penguin Island officially opens.

Nov. 5: 11 a.m. -2 p.m. Penguin Island Party: Welcome the penguins with games, crafts and more. Free with admission.

Nov. 10-13: Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition,* Siesta Key Public Beach.

Nov. 18: Pinstripes & Penguins*: cocktail fundraiser. Details TBA.

Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10, 17: Noon to 2 p.m. Have your picture taken with Santa Jaws and Penguin Elf at Mote Aquarium. Free with admission.

January & FebruaryJan. 7: Breakfast with the Penguins*

Feb. 4: Breakfast with the Penguins*

Date TBA: Penguins featured in Mote’s Special Lecture Series.*

Late February: Penguin Farewell Party

*Denotes event with additional fee. Find

details online at www.mote.org/events.

Events


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For many Americans, the August 2010 announcement that the Deepwater Horizon oil well was

finally capped marked the official end of the disaster and the nation turned its at-tention elsewhere. But for the 14 million of us who call the Gulf coast home, there are still unanswered questions.

Mote Marine Laboratory’s oil spill response, started just days after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explo-sion, remains a team effort among a diverse group of scientists who study everything from large animals — sharks, dolphins, sea turtles — to those who look for the most minute changes in the DNA of organisms.

“For Mote, and for all the scien-tists who study the Gulf, the spill and its effects will remain a key scien-tific focus for years to come,” says Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, Mote’s president and CEO. “This disaster really helped illustrate the need for more coordi-nated research efforts Gulf-wide.”

Here is a sampling of some of Mote’s own ongoing response efforts:

Sharks, Tunas and Billfishes Scientists in Mote’s Center for Shark Re-search are gathering biological samples from large sharks and other large migra-tory fishes in oil-impacted parts of the Gulf to see whether traces of the oil are present in the animals’ blood, muscle or organs and whether the oil has affected their immune systems, fertility or DNA.

Beaches As questions arose about the impact of the spill along beaches, Mote expanded its Beach Conditions Report™ to include oil spill impacts on 33 beaches on Florida’s west coast. As it has during the Florida red tides that led to its creation, this system continues to prove itself as an important source of credible, real-time information for the public. Log on to www.mote.org/beaches.

Environmental Monitor-ing and AssessmentMote responded immediately to the spill by monitoring for oil and study-ing the condition of Florida’s marine

and coastal ecosystems in a joint effort with Sarasota County, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and Florida’s Depart-ment of Environmental Protection. This rapid response was possible because of support from the local community, including a grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

In an ongoing project, Mote, The National Aquarium and Johns Hopkins University are also using semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) to test for the presence of oil contaminants in the Gulf.

DolphinsScientists in the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, a partnership between Mote and the Chicago Zoo-logical Society, have been studying bottlenose dolphins in Gulf Coast waters off Sarasota, Fla., and the Florida Panhandle in coordination with NOAA to monitor for possible oil effects.

Sea Turtles Mote scientists are working within a Gulf-wide Natural Resource Damage Assessment to study the possible effects of oil on loggerhead sea turtles, a threatened species. Project scientists are looking for oil impacts to female loggerheads, their young and their nesting beaches by taking samples of blood, skin, eggs, beach sand and more.

Guiding Future Research Mote’s efforts have gone beyond singular studies on the effects of the spill. By hosting and co-sponsoring workshops related to the Deepwater Horizon disaster and participating in those hosted by others, Mote is also helping to shape the future research agenda for the Gulf of Mexico.

Says Mote President Mahade-van: “Perhaps the most important part of the response to the spill is yet to come. Now is the time for us all to look at the mistakes that were made and to learn from them — to find new and better ways to conserve and protect the Gulf of Mexico.”

Issues & Impacts: Gulf Oil Spill

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4Proof_JULY_2011_MOTE TEMPLATE.indd 13 5/24/11 2:43 PM

Fishing, Diving, Conservation and our Economy...

Get the plate that supports it all.

Support coral reef restoration and research by purchasing a Protect Our Reefs license plate the next time you register or renew your car, truck or boat trailer.

It’s a small investment to ensure the future of Florida’s waters.

Go to www.4reef.org to get your plate today!

Florida drivers who sport the Protect Our Reefs license tag on their ve-hicles should pat themselves on the back for helping Florida’s reef. Since the program’s inception, the funds raised through the sale of this spe-cialty Florida plate have provided $2.3 million in funding for 94 projects, including studies published in top peer-reviewed journals like Science.

Did you know:

• Florida has the only barrier reef in the continental U.S.;

• More than 3 million people visit each year, contribut-ing more than $1.2 billion to the state’s economy;

• And that the state’s reefs and surrounding waters support hundreds of marine species and account for more than 20 million pounds of commercially harvested seafood each year?

“By helping coral reefs, the Protect Our Reefs Program really supports many aspects of Florida’s economy and ecology,” says Dr. David E. Vaughan, Director of Mote’s Center for Coral Reef Research. “Whether you care about fish, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins or bringing visitors to Florida, protect-ing our reefs is important to all.”

The dollars raised through the sale of the license plate come to Mote Marine Laboratory, which uses the

money to support a special grants program. The grants provide support to groups in Florida doing reef re-search, conservation and education.

“For the most part, these are all pretty moderate levels of funding, but the research that the Protect Our Reefs grants support is pretty cutting-edge stuff,” says Vaughan. “Each year these projects amaze us.”

Grants are made annually by the Protect Our Reefs Grants Advisory Committee, which recently announced the release of 11 new awards totaling $274,000. This year’s grants include new and ongoing research about how ben-eficial bacteria fight coral disease, why some corals recover from stress better than others, how to restore reefs using corals grown in aquaculture and more.

“We’re really proud that we are able to use these dollars to advance coral reef conservation both at Mote and by supporting research at other organizations with similar goals,” says Mote President Dr. Kumar Ma-hadevan. “It’s gratifying that Florida drivers have been so supportive.”

Get Your Plate TodayFlorida drivers can get their Protect Our Reefs license plate in person at their local tax collector’s office or purchase online. You can also give a gift cer-tificate for a Protect Our Reefs plate to your favorite reef lover. Learn more or purchase online at www.mote.org/4reef.

Driving Conservation: License Plate Program Helps Protect Reefs

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Please Be Our Guest For A Tour

Of Sarasota Bay Club!~By Appointment~

Call Kathryn CooperDirector of Sales

(941) 552-3284

1301 N. Tamiami Trail • Sarasota, Florida 34236 • www.SarasotaBayClub.com

Luxury RetirementResidences

Starting In The $300’s

To learn more about including Mote Marine Laboratory and aquarium

in your estate plans, please contact anna Hayes in the Development Office .

(941) 388-4441, Ext. 261 • e-mail [email protected]

NON PROfIT ORG.U.S. Postage

PAIDManasota, fLPermit #1201

1600 Ken Thompson ParkwaySarasota, fL 34236-1004

(941) 388-4441www.mote.org

Robert W. Fiedler, Sr. knew a good

investment when he saw one. In the 1950s,

he began making small investments in the

stock market, including Walt Disney stock.

While he watched his investment grow,

the Largo, Fla., resident and retired military

man lived modestly and enjoyed dancing

with his friends at the local VFW.

Mr. Fiedler had a strong desire to help

feed the world and he saw fish farming

and stock enhancement as one way to

help do that. On a visit to Mote, he met Dr.

Ken Leber, Director of Mote’s Center for

Fisheries Enhancement.

That’s when Mr. Fiedler began making

donations to Mote Marine Laboratory and

aquarium. Through the years, his support

helped fund Mote fisheries research and

education programs.

When Mr. Fiedler passed away this year,

his will included a very generous gift to

Mote that will allow us to continue building

on his legacy and grow the investment he

made in our programs.

Mote Marine Laboratory and aquarium

is proud to honor Mr. Fiedler and thankful

for his investment in our future.

Honoring a LegacyRobert W. Fiedler Sr. • October 10, 1923 – January 18, 2011

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To learn more about including Mote Marine Laboratory and aquarium

in your estate plans, please contact anna Hayes in the Development Office .

(941) 388-4441, Ext. 261 • e-mail [email protected]

NON PROfIT ORG.U.S. Postage

PAIDManasota, fLPermit #1201

1600 Ken Thompson ParkwaySarasota, fL 34236-1004

(941) 388-4441www.mote.org

Robert W. Fiedler, Sr. knew a good

investment when he saw one. In the 1950s,

he began making small investments in the

stock market, including Walt Disney stock.

While he watched his investment grow,

the Largo, Fla., resident and retired military

man lived modestly and enjoyed dancing

with his friends at the local VFW.

Mr. Fiedler had a strong desire to help

feed the world and he saw fish farming

and stock enhancement as one way to

help do that. On a visit to Mote, he met Dr.

Ken Leber, Director of Mote’s Center for

Fisheries Enhancement.

That’s when Mr. Fiedler began making

donations to Mote Marine Laboratory and

aquarium. Through the years, his support

helped fund Mote fisheries research and

education programs.

When Mr. Fiedler passed away this year,

his will included a very generous gift to

Mote that will allow us to continue building

on his legacy and grow the investment he

made in our programs.

Mote Marine Laboratory and aquarium

is proud to honor Mr. Fiedler and thankful

for his investment in our future.

Honoring a LegacyRobert W. Fiedler Sr. • October 10, 1923 – January 18, 2011

sponsored reporT


mote magazine, summer 2011

Documents

mote membership

mote magazinetaking

report2 mote magazine

sarasota magazine

mote marine laboratory

effects of floridas

effects of red tides

reduced admission