Q: I’ve seen a black and white shark. What kind was it?

A: There are a few sharks that this could be. We think it may be the Zebra Bullhead shark (Heterodontus zebra) which is found in the subtropical western Pacific Ocean between latitudes 40° N to 20° S, at depths of between 50 and 200 m. Its length is up to 1.25 m. Little in known about this species, but scientists believe it probably feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and small fish.

A photo of a Zebra Bullhead Shark (Heterodontus zebra) taken in a small (roughly 1.5m diameter) cylindrical tank. Author: Jason Quinn

I’d like to challenge our SeaTrek students to find this shark’s location on a globe and to convert meters to feet to find it’s known depth and body length.

Some other shark possibilities include:

• Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)
• Brownbanded Bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum)
• Juvenile Zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum or varium)
• Pyjama shark aka Striped Catshark (Poroderma africanum)

Port Jackson shark in Shanghai Aquarium.
Author: J. Patrick Fischer

Juvenile brownbanded bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum) in the Lembeh Straits.
Author: Steve Child

Juvenile Zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) in Aquarium tropical du Palais de la Porte Dorée
Author: Liné1

Pyjama shark (Poroderma africanum)
Author: Guido Zsilavecz

Q: I heard that an eel-like shark was discovered near Japan over the holidays. What was it?

A: I don’t know of anything recent, but back in January of 2007, a fisherman near Tokyo, Japan spotted a “strange, eel-like creature” swimming in the shallows. Scientists later identified the animal as a Frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus). This occurrence was strange because Frilled sharks are known to live thousands of feet below the surface.

Chlamydoselachus anguineus at Aquarium tropical du Palais de la Porte Dorée (Paris)
Author: © Citron / CC-BY-SA-3.0

__

Thank you Lewiston-Porter for challenging my shark skills!

-Kasey

SeaTrek Digital Learning programs has some exciting announcements for the remainder of the 2012-2013 school year! Read on to find out how you can qualify for program discounts and scholarships. We hope to SEA you soon!

Spring Ahead for 2013
SeaTrek is now taking program requests for January – May 2013. If you order 5 or more programs at once, you will qualify for a 15% discount. Check our calendar for availability and register today.

SeaTrek in High-Definition
Beginning in 2013, connect to SeaTrek in High-Definition. Through a generous donation from Cisco, SeaTrek will soon offer programming in high-definition beginning with our popular Sharks programs. Of course, our system is still compatible with standard definition codecs. We will also soon offer programming via webconferencing technologies like Skype, Safari Montage Live, Blackboard Collaborate and Adobe Connect. Check our website for the latest details.

Attention Florida Teachers
Scholarships Available
Mote Marine Laboratory received funding from the Mosaic Company Foundation for the enhancement and delivery of SeaTrek Interactive Programs to regional classrooms. The Mosaic funds will allow Mote Marine to assist regional Florida schools in purchasing SeaTrek programs to compliment and enhance their existing STEM curriculum. The funds will provide 100 SeaTrek program scholarships to be offered to middle and high public schools in Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, DeSoto, Charlotte, Lee, Polk and Hillsborough counties. These scholarships have a value of $125 each.

An online SeaTrek Scholarship Application is available on this webpage. SeaTrek Scholarship programs will be available for scheduling and delivery beginning January 16, 2013.

FMSEA Only $10
Become an active part of marine science education in Florida. Join the Florida Marine Science Educators Association for field trips, teacher scholarships, professional development workshops and more. Visit FMSEA.org to sign up today!
Cost: $10.00 for Half-year membership; First year teachers are FREE.

Sea Lions Are Here
Mote’s limited-time exhibit featuring sea lions is now open to the public. Sea Lions: On the Water’s Edge is an exciting exhibit featuring Patagonian and California sea lions that willbe open through April 28, 2013, in The Aquarium. The exhibit will star Patagonian sea lionsStella, 8, Rose, 7, and Kitty, 7, and over time will feature other individual sea lions – each with a distinct personality that helps reveal how cool and complex these mammals can be.

Stay tuned to the UStream Channel for the live streaming video of Sea Lions: On the Water’s Edge from Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida.

 
SeaTrek Goes on the Road
SeaTrek Traveling Exhibits are making their way around the country! Be sure to look for them in St. Augustine, FL, Las Vegas, NV and Los Angeles, CA. For more information about SeaTrek Exhibit Rental, please visit our website.

Mote Marine  Laboratory (Mote), an independent not-for-profit institution established in 1955, has recently  adopted a new 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan that seeks to ensure  a comprehensive and integrated 21st Century  Mote enterprise with research, innovation and public education and outreach programs that are all among the most creative and fruitful in the world.  It is critical that all elements of Mote are guided by the same integrated vision and strategic plan.  In doing so, all elements will work together  to further  Mote’s overarching mission- The advancement of marine and environmental sciences through scientific research, education and public outreach, leading to new discoveries, revitalization and sustainability of our oceans and greater public understanding of our marine resources.

In order to fully implement Mote’s strategic plan, a merger of Mote’s Aquarium and Education Divisions, and stronger linkages with Mote’s Research Division, has recently been initiated. A key element of this merger is the establishment of the Mote Eminent Informal Science  Education (ISE) Scholar Research Initiative. Applications for the position of Mote Eminent ISE Visiting Scholar are now being accepted. The Search Committee will accept applications until the position is filled; however, Mote will start to review applications on December 1, 2012, and may make a decision shortly thereafter, depending on the applicant pool at that time.

The Mote Eminent ISE Visiting Scholar is a competitively awarded 2-3 month sabbatical for an outside scholar to conduct innovative research at Mote on evaluation of best methods for informal science education utilizing and highlighting the full suite of Mote education, aquarium, volunteer and research assets in designing and implementing such studies. Sabbatical salary and per diem will be provided by Mote while other funding sources (i.e., NSF, NOAA, Dept of Education, private foundations) developed by the visiting scholar would cover any other ISE research costs.

At the heart of the Mote Eminent Informal Science Education (ISE) Scholar Research Initiative is the goal of increasing public understanding of our marine resources, or what has come to be known as “Ocean Literacy”. Ocean literacy can be defined as an understanding of the ocean’s influence on human society and society’s influence on the ocean. An ocean-literate person: understands the essential principles and fundamental concepts about the functioning of the ocean, can communicate about the ocean in a meaningful way, and is able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources. When a visitor leaves Mote’s Aquarium or completes a structured or informal science education program at Mote, they should have an increased level of ocean literacy.

The Mote Eminent Informal Science Education (ISE) Scholar Research Initiative will significantly enhance Mote’s  ability to address key goals of our 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan, including:

•    Translate and transfer science and technology development to positively impact human society and the marine environment.
•    Increase public experiences for marine conservation connections and impressions.
•    Increase the number of advanced technology, interactive informal science stations for public use at
Mote Aquarium.
•    Deliver responsible marine conservation and sustainable-use focused public service to local, regional, state, national and international communities.
•         Take a national and global leadership role in implementing a new paradigm for improved interactions between and among the often-disparate communities of science, public policy and education/outreach.

As an independent, nonprofit, mission-based organization, Mote’s greatest strength has been its ability to define its own agenda and research based on our communities’ needs and our scientists’ expertise. Mote is committed to being a leader in nationally and internationally respected research programs that are relevant to conservation and the sustainable use of marine biodiversity, healthy habitats and natural resources.  We envision a comprehensive and integrated Mote enterprise with research, innovation and public education and outreach programs that are among the most creative and fruitful in the world.

Mote’s research extends throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and tropical to polar environments. The main 10-acre campus is headquartered on City Island in Sarasota, Florida, where Mote’s Aquarium and Educations programs are also located.  The 200-acre Mote Aquaculture Research Park is located nearby in Sarasota County.  Mote’s other major facilities include a fisheries research station and new education initiative in Charlotte Harbor (Lee County- southwest Florida); a Tropical Research Laboratory on Summerland Key (Monroe County- Florida Keys); and an additional Education Center with small aquarium at the Eco-Discovery Center in Key West.  Mote’s  existing research programs include behavioral ecology & physiology, benthic ecology, biomedical research, chemical ecology, coral reef ecosystem research, coral reef science & monitoring, dolphin research, ecotoxicology, environmental  laboratory for forensics, environmental health, fisheries habitat ecology, manatee research, marine & freshwater aquaculture research, marine biomedical research, marine immunology, marine mammals & sea turtles, marine microbiology, marine stock enhancement, ocean acidification, phytoplankton ecology, sea turtle conservation & research, sensory biology & behavior, shark biology, and marine stranding investigations. The Laboratory also includes a marine policy institute. Program details are available at www.mote.org.

The Mote Aquarium receives over 350,000 visitors per year, while the Mote Education programs enroll over 25,000 students of all ages per year.

We offer on-site and outreach school programs, a range of public offerings for toddlers to adult audiences and an extensive, award-winning distance learning program to sites throughout the country. Mote Education also operates a Mobile Exhibit that is a self-contained tractor trailer sized traveling exhibit which includes a saltwater aquarium and touch tank. Our programs will use the methods and findings of Mote research to increase science and ocean literacy, and to inspire global marine and environmental stewardship through informed personal choices. These programs will take full advantage of emerging markets and technologies to reach a broad-spectrum, multi-faceted audience. Mote Education staff strive to innovate based on a unified organizational purpose, sound financial management, and a track record of success demonstrated  by a strong evaluation program.

The Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory opened in 1980 as the public outreach and educational arm of the Laboratory.  The Aquarium’s living collections include more than 200 species of fish and invertebrates.  Marine mammals and sea turtles housed at the Marine Mammal Center include West Indian manatees, a pan-tropical spotted dolphin, loggerhead sea turtles and green sea turtles.  Several offsite aquariums are also maintained by Aquarium staff, including a 6,000-gallon tropical reef exhibit at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and a 4,000-gallon aquarium at the main branch of the Sarasota County Library.  Mote’s Sea Turtle and Whale and Dolphin Hospitals have established an international reputation for excellence in care and treatment of diseased and injured animals, as well as for the frequency with which such individuals recover and are successfully reintroduced into the wild.

Qualifications
The prospective candidate will have PhD or EdD degree, with exceptional records of academic and research accomplishments in the general area of informal science education.  Ideal candidate will have attained tenured-ranked university positions or similar types of positions in other institutions.

Competitive applications will focus on research programs that are relevant to conservation and the sustainable uses of marine biodiversity, healthy habitats, and natural resources; will bring or propose
new multi-investigator/institutional collaborations to Mote, and will be cognizant of global issues.  Mote
is especially interested in applications that will focus on ocean acidification related topics, but is open to consider any topics related to grand challenges of conservation and sustainable use of marine ecosystem. All applications must include a research plan for examining effectiveness of innovative informal science education methods and approaches that would be tested at Mote.

Applicants must be eligible to work in the US in 2012 and 2013, and be able to begin and complete this sabbatical appointment in 2013.  Term of the 2-3 month sabbatical may be spread over a number of months in 2013, but Mote ISE Eminent Visiting Scholar is expected to conduct sabbatical in residence at Mote.

APPLICATION
The Search Committee will accept applications until the position is filled; however, Mote will start to review applications on December 1, 2012, and may make a decision at any time thereafter, depending on the applicant pool at that time. A complete application will be a single pdf file containing:

– A letter of interest, including employment status and proposed sabbatical term at Mote during 2013 (may be up to 3 months continuous or split between non-continuous months)
– Academic transcript of doctoral studies
– Copy of the PhD, EdD or equivalent professional degree
– Curriculum vitae
–A 3-page essay describing the applicant’s intended research program to be conducted at Mote
– Letter from the President, Provost, Dean or other appropriate senior executive of the applicant’s home institution confirming approval of sabbatical leave of absence for applicant to accept this award if offered
– Three representative journal publications (in press or published), and
– Names of 3 references including their complete contact information.

Novel media other than pdf essential to an individual’s application may be submitted.

Address cover letters to the ISE Visting Scholar Search Committee Chairman. Applications should be sent to: humanresources@mote.org. Finalists and alternates are expected to be notified as soon as possible after December 1, 2012.  Mote Marine Laboratory is an EOE/ADA/E-Verify employer.

Dive into Digital Learning at Mote Marine Laboratory with SeaTrek! SeaTrek Interactive brings high-energy, multimedia ocean programming into your library using Internet and videoconferencing technologies. Swim with the manatees and sharks as our experts give a brief overview of our live program offerings and our Exhibits of the Sea, designed with libraries in mind. SeaTrek’s educational mission is: To bring the ocean world to people everywhere, through the innovative delivery of science education experiences that promote understanding of science concepts and the role of research in ocean conservation.

Target Audience(s): Library Directors, Youth Services, Information and Technology

UPDATE: A recording of our session is available online.

“It was excellent to see her return home,” said Lynne Byrd, medical care and rehabilitation coordinator at Mote. “We watched her get her bearings for a moment and then she seemed to be showing some fishing behaviors – that’s a good sign.”

Edna stranded June 6 on Longboat Key and was found by volunteers who work with Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol, who were checking on washed out nests on the Key. They called Mote for instructions and helped keep the animal safe until a team from the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program could arrive to stabilize the dolphin.

Rescuers from Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program and the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program brought the dolphin to Mote’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital, a nationally recognized facility that has provided critical care to 70 dolphins and small whales.

When Edna arrived at the hospital, she was dehydrated, severely underweight, had pneumonia, gastritis and problems with multiple other organ systems.

Edna, estimated to be 2 to 6 years old, weighed about 165 pounds when she arrived. At release, she weighed about 240 pounds.

During her stay, Edna received around-the-clock care from Mote staff and volunteers, many of whom worked long shifts in the middle of the night. Their hard work shows how Mote goes to great lengths to help animals in need. She was also visited by famed M*A*S*H star, Emmy-award winning actress and animal advocate Loretta Swit.

By early August, Edna’s swimming improved and she was feeding on her own. A panel of experts reviewed her case and Mote received final permission to release her from the National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This government agency manages the protection of wild dolphins and whales.

Edna was released offshore of Sarasota, in an area that should provide appropriate habitat.  She is not part of the highly local population of dolphins that has been monitored since 1970 by the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (a collaboration between the Chicago Zoological Society and Mote), but biological and genetic tests suggests she spends time near the coast.

And Edna’s story won’t end with her release. She was satellite tagged by the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, a partnership between Mote and the Chicago Zoological Society. This tag, which will send readings to a satellite and then onto Program staff, will allow us to follow Edna at sea for the next 60 to 100 days.

The tag will show where Edna goes, how deep she dives, when and for how long, and what water temperatures she encounters.

“This satellite tagging technology really enables us to determine the success of our rehabilitation and release,” said Dr. Randy Wells, director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. “And it will also allow us the opportunity to learn more about the behavior of a dolphin that spends most of its time further offshore than our Sarasota Bay dolphins.”

Mote’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital needs support from the public to keep making a difference for animals like Edna, and to be ready at a moment’s notice when the next dolphin or whale needs our help.  To support these vital efforts, you can donate at www.mote.org/hospitalhelp or by contacting Barbara Meyer at 941-388-4441, ext. 309.

June 22-September 3

Experience sea life as a shrimp when you step inside the vibrant coral reef cove of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Explore the mysterious and intriguing features of the monsters of the deep: venom, ultra vision, jaws, and even glow in the dark flesh. This exhibit is organized and managed by Mote Marine Laboratory and generously sponsored by the Triad Foundation.

Sea Monsters brings to life extreme ocean animal adaptations, from venom and ultra-vision, to jaws and glow-in-the-dark flesh. From the colossal squid with a sharp horny beak to the torpedo ray that can produce enough electricity to power four cars, discover the fascinating “monster” characteristics sea animals have adapted to live in extreme underwater environments.

Explore the softer side of the ocean in Sanctuary Reef. Enter a ten times larger-than-life replica of the coral reef of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Experience this important ecosystem filled with huge models of corals, colorful fish, eels, and interactive panels while learning about coral anatomy, biodiversity, watersheds, and conservation.

“Mote Marine Laboratory’s mission is to share crucial knowledge of the oceans’ vital ecosystems with people of all ages, no matter where they live.” Said Aly Busse, Director of Mote’s Education Division. SeaTrek’s programs and exhibitions have won prestigious awards from the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Visit the Museum throughout the summer for live interactive shows with Mote Marine Laboratory staff and activities with Museum of the Earth educators. Program details can be found here. If you have any questions about our interactive traveling exhibits, visit our website. If you are interested in bringing one of our exhibits to your site, please contact the SeaTrek Coordinator.

About the Museum of the Earth

Come explore the Earth’s past and understand your role in its present and future through a unique mix of natural history displays, interactive science features, and art exhibitions. Touch and feel history through hands-on exploration of fossils and dinosaurs at Discovery Labs. View more than 650 specimens from PRI’s world-class collections, including the skeletons of the Hyde Park Mastodon and Right Whale No. 2030.  Enjoy the 500-foot art mural, Rock of Ages, Sands of Time. Also visit Cayuga Nature Center – the outdoor nature experience of PRI and its Museum of the Earth. PRI is affiliated with Cornell University. The Museum of the Earth and the Cayuga Nature Center are proud members of the Discovery Trail. Learn more at www.museumoftheearth.org.

About Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

Founded in 1955, Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 research organization based in Sarasota, Fla., with field stations in eastern Sarasota County, Charlotte Harbor and the Florida Keys. Donations to Mote are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Mote is dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans with an emphasis on world-class research relevant to conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, healthy habitats and natural resources. Mote’s vision includes positively impacting public policy through science-based outreach and education. Showcasing this research is Mote Aquarium, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 365 days a year. Learn more at www.mote.org.

Program will focus on rescue and rehab of marine wildlife in Mote’s animal hospitals

Marine science educators at Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory will bring ocean education to patients at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg through a live videoconference program on Monday afternoon, April 30. Media are invited to attend. This program is NOT open to the public. This program tops off a special visit by Mote’s Discovery Reef — a hands-on traveling exhibit with a videoconference screen that has featured live programs about sea turtles, sharks and coral reefs for All Children’s patients this month. The April 30 program will reveal how Mote rescues, rehabilitates and releases sick and injured dolphins, whales and sea turtles, providing long-term care for animals that cannot be released. All Children’s patients will be able to ask questions and get answers through Mote’s live videoconference screen. Patients who stay in their rooms will be able to tune in through a closed-circuit TV system and have the opportunity to ask questions by phone during the program. “We’re delighted to bring this program to All Children’s Hospital — every kid should have the chance to learn about the sea, even when they aren’t able to visit the ocean or come see the marine life at Mote,” said Kasey Gaylord-Opalewski, SeaTrek Coordinator and Educator at Mote. This special visit of Discovery Reef and its programs were donated by Mote to support ocean education at All Children’s. Discovery Reef and other exhibits by Mote’s SeaTrek program are available for a fee to museums, libraries and other venues in the U.S. and beyond. This unique model for a traveling exhibit is the first to incorporate live interaction with experts hundreds of miles away. Mote’s videoconference programs recently earned a third Pinnacle Award from the nonprofit Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration. The award honors videoconferencing programs rated highest by teachers.

Learn more about Mote’s SeaTrek exhibits and learn how to reserve one for your museum, library or other venue at mote.org/seatrek. Learn more about Mote’s education programs for all ages at mote.org/education.

What: Marine science educators at Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory will bring ocean education to patients at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg via a live videoconference program through Mote’s traveling exhibit Discovery Reef. The program will focus on rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured marine life.

Who: Media are invited to attend. This program is NOT open to the public.

Date: Monday, April 30

Time: Media guests should arrive at 2:30 p.m. Program begins at 2:45.

Where: All Children’s Hospital, 501 6th Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Enter the lobby and Hospital communications staff will be there to meet you.

Media contact at Mote: Hayley Rutger, 941-374-0081, hrutger @ mote.org

Media contact at All Children’s Hospital / visit logistics: Roy Adams, 727-767-4456, roy.adams @ allkids.org

Children are the sole focus of All Children’s Hospital and its new, million-square-foot St. Petersburg, Fla. campus devoted to pediatric specialty care. The 10-story All Children’s Hospital and its adjacent Outpatient Care Center (dedicated in January 2010) replace an existing 42-year-old facility just two blocks away. All Children’s Hospital is a proud member of Johns Hopkins Medicine. All Children’s is the only U.S. hospital outside of the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. metroplex to achieve that distinction. It is also the only hospital on Florida’s West Coast totally devoted to children’s care — a leader in pediatric treatment, education, research and advocacy. As a regional referral center for children with some of the most challenging medical problems, All Children’s draws patients from throughout Florida, all 50 states and 36 foreign countries. The mission of this private, not-for-profit hospital is rooted in its beginnings in 1926 as Florida’s first Crippled Children’s Hospital for polio victims. All Children’s understands that it’s not enough to treat disease — that true progress comes from teaching and research to cure disease. All Children’s shares its pediatric expertise through research and education affiliations with 70 different institutions including Johns Hopkins Medicine, the University of South Florida (USF Health) as well as Moffitt Cancer Center, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

About Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

Founded in 1955, Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 research organization based in Sarasota, Fla., with field stations in eastern Sarasota County, Charlotte Harbor and the Florida Keys. Donations to Mote are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Mote is dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans with an emphasis on world-class research relevant to conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, healthy habitats and natural resources. Research programs include studies of human cancer using marine models, the effects of man-made and natural toxins on humans and on the environment, the health of wild fisheries, developing sustainable and successful fish restocking techniques and food production technologies and the development of ocean technology to help us better understand the health of the environment. Mote research programs also focus on understanding the population dynamics of manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks and coral reefs and on conservation and restoration efforts related to these species and ecosystems. Mote’s vision includes positively impacting public policy through science-based outreach and education. Showcasing this research is Mote Aquarium, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 365 days a year. Learn more at http://www.mote.org. Contact: Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236. (941) 388-4441 or info @ mote.org .

Now featured in our SeaTrek distance learning program.

Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital recently received a tiny new patient: a loggerhead turtle weighing just under 5 ounces.

Nicknamed “Stanley,” the turtle was brought to Mote on March 20 by staff from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), who retrieved it from resident who said he rescued it from a canal in Marco Island.

Stanley’s case is unusual: Based on the size of Stanley’s upper shell — about 3.5 inches long — the turtle probably hatched last year. Loggerhead sea turtles at this stage of life wouldnormally be found far offshore in clumps of seaweed called Sargassum. How Stanley remained behind is unknown.

“We have never had a rescued turtle come into our hospital during this part of its life,” said Lynne Byrd, Mote’s rehabilitation and medical care coordinator. “Even in the most unusual cases, our goal is the same: Taking the best possible care of each individual turtle, for the benefit of these threatened and endangered species.”

All sea turtles are threatened or endangered and are protected by state and federal laws. The loggerhead sea turtle population that nests in Southwest Florida is considered threatened.

Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital has rehabbed more than 398 sea turtles since 1995. Learn more about these efforts and support them with a donation at:www.mote.org/seaturtlehospital.

• You can also help by attending our April 14 fundraiser Party on the Pass (www.mote.org/partyonthepass). This year’s event will benefit Mote’s hospitals for sea turtles, dolphins and whales while also bidding a fond farewell to the penguins currently “vacationing” at Mote Aquarium. For reservations and sponsorships, contact Stacy Alexander at 941-388-4441, ext. 509, or stacyalexander@mote.org. Reservations required by April 9.

Protecting sea turtles is important year ‘round — especially as Southwest Florida prepares for sea turtle nesting season, May 1-Oct. 31. Here are some tips to help clear the way for nesting turtles and their hatchlings:

Do:

• If you encounter a nesting turtle, remain quiet and observe from a distance
• Shield or turn off outdoor lights that are visible on the beach from May through October
• Close drapes after dark and put beach furniture far back from the water
• Fill in holes that may entrap hatchlings on their way to the water
• Place trash in its proper place

Do Not:

• Approach nesting turtles or hatchlings, make noise, or shine lights at turtles
• Use flashlights or fishing lamps on the beach
• Encourage a turtle to move while nesting or pick up hatchlings that have emerged and are heading for the water
• Use fireworks on the beach

Sea turtles are protected under federal law and any harassment or interference with a sea turtle, living or dead, is subject to penalty. If you witness anyone disturbing a turtle or find an injured or disoriented hatchling or adult, please notify agents with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922), the local sheriff’s department, and/or Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Program at 388-4331. If you find a dead or injured sea turtle, contact Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program at 988-0212.

FMSEA Aquatic Species Collection Workshop
SeaTrek staff will facilitate a FMSEA Aquatic Species Collection Workshop on Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 9:00 am-noon.

This workshop is available to certified Florida teachers and/or employees of educational centers. During the training workshop, participants will discuss aquatic species collecting alternatives, benefits, collection and transport techniques, methods to minimize environmental impact, restrictions imposed by the Collecting Certificate, available resources, and related activities.

After successful completion of the 2–3 hour workshop, an aquatic species collection certificate will be mailed to each recipient within 6–8 weeks from the Florida FWCC. Certificate holders are eligible to collect specified aquatic species for educational purposes that would be restricted under fishing license guidelines. This Educator Certification is valid for 3 years. This workshop has been developed by the Florida Marine Science Educators Association and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

• Register for the ASC Workshop at Mote Marine Lab.
• The workshop registration fee is $25 and includes a free membership to Florida Marine Science Educators Association.

Florida Master Naturalist Program Coastal Systems Module
Coming this fall, we will begin offering a Florida Master Naturalist Program Coastal Systems Module. The FMNP is an adult education program developed by the University of Florida. The training is geared for anyone interested in learning more about Florida’s environment or wishing to increase their knowledge for use in education programs as volunteers, employees, ecotourism guides, and others.

We will post dates and times for the program on this blog and in our newsletter. Sign up here for early announcements.