My wife Liz and I just returned from a week in Atlanta.
Probably like most of you, we have traveled through or around the city on our
way somewhere not to mention in and out of Atlanta’s airport. But this is the first time we
have actually made Atlanta our destination for a sightseeing trip. We enjoyed the
CNN Center, the Botanical Gardens, and the Jimmy Carter Museum and Library. But the best part was The Georgia Aquarium. This surprised us! We obviously have
lived by the Gulf of Mexico all our lives and we have the Mote Marine Laboratory,
but we decided to go to the Atlanta Aquarium anyway, mainly because it is the
largest aquarium in the western hemisphere. It was fantastic…but in a different
way than our own Mote Marine. For one thing, it’s really huge compared to Mote
and we easily could have spent an entire day there. Also, there were many cold
water animals and sea creatures we had never seen, along with the fantastic beluga
whales. Did you know that they are the only whales that have ‘necks,’ which
allows them to move their heads up and down and side-to-side?
But given all that, we realized that we are so very fortunate
to have Mote Marine Laboratory right in our backyard! While the Georgia Aquarium is loaded
with great exhibits, Mote is by far the best learning facility for marine
science and those interested in nature. So here’s a little information about the
six decades of Mote Marine Laboratory.
Mote has a long history of shark expertise, having been
founded out of a combined effort by Dr. Eugenie Clark, the “Shark Lady,” and
philanthropist Anne Vanderbilt, according to a history on Mote’s website.
Clark’s work focused mostly on the behavior of sharks and the lab became known
for it, and still is today. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is an
independent, nonprofit research institution founded in 1955. Mote began and
flourished because of the passion of Dr. Eugenie Clark and her partnership with
the community and philanthropic support, first of the Vanderbilt family and
later of the William R. Mote family. The one-room facility in Placida where it
all began doubled as a dock where the wealthy Vanderbilt family could store a
boat, and existed chiefly so Eugenie Clark could quietly study the migration
patterns of sea life in the Gulf of Mexico. It was known as Cape Haze Marine
Laboratory until its 1967 renaming in honor of major benefactors of the
laboratory William R. Mote, his wife Lenore, and his sister, Betty Mote Rose. Since
1960, it has been based in Sarasota, Florida, and has been located on City
Island since 1978.
More than six decades later, the laboratory continues to
provide a foundation for marine and science-based industry in the region. Today, Mote is one of the top attractions in Sarasota,
Florida and has five campuses stretching from Sarasota to the Florida Keys. Mote
has more than 20 world-class research programs studying oceans locally to
internationally, with an emphasis on conservation and sustainable use of marine
resources. Mote’s vision includes positively impacting public policy through
science-based outreach and education. Showcasing the Lab’s research is Mote
Aquarium.
On a recent visit to Mote, Liz and I had our eyes really opened about all the plastic pulled from the oceans. All of the art was formed from that plastic and it was something to behold. (see photo of the huge shark made from plastic.) The ‘Sea Debris’ exhibit was a
fun and creative way to start a conversation regarding an issue that is
affecting all of the world’s oceans on a macro and microscopic scale. The hope
was that exhibit opened guests’ eyes, not just to the problem, but to the solutions
regarding sea pollution. It sure opened ours!
Ground will be broken in 2020 for a brand new facility, the Mote
Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA) will be an iconic, educational and
outreach hub that vastly improves access to marine science and technology for
an estimated three million residents living within a 60-minute drive and
visitors from around the world, representing a rebirth of the current Mote
Aquarium. According to Mote’s website, Mote SEA will be built on 12 acres in
the Sarasota County-owned land within Nathan Benderson Park. Mote SEA will be
an iconic facility with 110,000 square feet containing more than 1 million
gallons of exhibits featuring marine life and scientific displays from around
the world, onsite diving programs, a STEM (science, technology, engineering and
math) resource center for students, teachers and the general public, conference
and special event space, educational galleries with interactive, advanced,
digital and augmented reality technology to enhance learning, two STEM workforce
training labs and three K-12 STEM teaching labsMote SEA is expected to be
complete in 2022.
If you have never visited Mote Marine Laboratory, it is a ‘must
see’ attraction in Sarasota, Florida and just one more reason to live in Sarasota paradise! If you are looking to buy or sell your home or condo in the Sarasota, Englewood, Bradenton area, call me!
Sources and Credits: Mote Marine Laboratory, Mustdo.com,
Wikipedia, Your Observer, Sarasota Herald Tribune
