Save the Sea Turtles
Breakfast with a View:
A Morning at Mote Marine Aquarium & Laboratory...
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| View from Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium |
A sheet of fog covered the coast at dawn today, an unusual sight in Southwest Florida, especially in the morning. The haze soon lifted to unveil another sparkling blue day on the Sun Coast for the Mote Marine Aquarium & Laboratory's annual member appreciation breakfast. The backdrop of Sarasota Bay was idyllic as we dove into our local waters with two expert biologists as our guides...
Breakfast with a View
Also dubbed Breakfast with a Biologist, this members-only event was held in the laboratory auditorium at Mote, which has been conducting research on our waterways and the fascinating creatures that inhabit them since 1955. A continental breakfast of assorted muffins, cheese danishes, fruit salad, coffee and orange juice preceded an educational program spotlighting the underwater lives of jellyfish and sea turtles.
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| Moon Jellyfish |
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| Green Sea Turtle |
Intriguing Lessons on Marine Life
The featured speakers, staff biologists Andrew Angelo and Lauren Miller, presented interactive lectures that engaged the audience, many of whom were aspiring young scientists under the age of 12. Attendees learned about how jellyfish research and breeding could lead to successful treatments for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease, two conditions that currently have no cure.
Breakfast guests also learned about the resident sea turtles at Mote, like the aptly named Hang Tough. Living at the aquarium since 1992, Hang Tough is blind and would not survive in her natural habitat. You might think that another sea turtle, Harriet, who weighs in at a whopping 300+ pounds, would have a better chance of survival in the wild. However, Harriet, like many rescued sea turtles at the aquarium, was hit by a speeding boat and suffered both head and shell wounds. Lucky for Harriet, the pleasantly plump reptile lives alongside manatee pals Hugh and Buffett at Mote.
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| Biologist Lauren Miller shares a story about Harriet the sea turtle. |
The enriching lectures wrapped up with a lively Q&A session, all while drinking in this magnificent coastal view...
The overarching theme of the morning was to encourage us as residents of Southwest Florida to be good stewards of our majestic natural surroundings. That means caring not only for the environment but also for the diverse wildlife within it. If we want to keep enjoying crystalline views like this...
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| Lido Key Beach |
...then we need to respect them! This means not tossing plastic bags or plastic anything anyWHERE but the recycling bin or swapping them out entirely for paper bags. Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, which are one of their sources of prey, and the results are disastrous.
Be an Environmentalist in Your Own Backyard
You can support the Mote Marine Aquarium & Laboratory's mission by becoming an official member. Your membership is also your passport to discounted or free admission at more than 100 other attractions in North America - including a Sun Coast gem, Selby Gardens. Who knows, you might even get an invitation to breakfast...
