Coral bleaching is the corals’ loss of their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), which give them their color. Bleaching is a natural event that occurs to some extent annually in the Florida Keys National ...

Mote Marine Laboratory is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks to diversify its work force. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color ...

Discover the cutting-edge coral reef science and restoration led by Mote Marine Laboratory scientists at our campuses throughout the Florida Keys. Learn more about public and private tours, ...

The Sharks & Rays Conservation Research Program is dedicated to studying the biology, ecology and conservation of sharks and their relatives, the skates and rays. These fishes comprise about 1,000 ...

Sand tiger sharks can grow up to 20 feet (6.1 meters) long, with an average length of 12 feet (3.7 meters). They can weigh up to 600 pounds (272.2 kilograms), but weigh around 240 pounds (108.9 ...

Florida manatees are native to the United States, as seen in both the fossil records and in Native American sites. Depending on the time of year they can be frequently found in Florida, Alabama, and ...

These fish usually live in pairs. If one gets separated from its partner, they will attempt to find and rejoin them. In the western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, foureye butterflyfish ...

On average, leatherback turtles measure six feet (1.8 meters) in length and a weigh anywhere between 500 to 1,500 pounds (226.8-680.4 kilograms). Jellyfish make up the majority of a leatherback's diet ...

When breeding, rainbow parrotfish stay in distinct pairs, only choosing one partner. Rainbow parrotfish may not display all the colors of the rainbow, but they have bright teal bodies and yellow, ...

Thousands of sea turtles nest (lay eggs) each year on southwest Florida beaches. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium scientists study and tag these endangered and threatened species to help protect ...

A screenshot from Mote’s Beach Conditions Reporting System, showing many of the sites where Mote’s trained volunteers monitor various beach conditions along the coastline. The Beach Conditions ...

Situated in the heart of the Lower Keys and only 24 miles from Key West, Mote Marine Laboratory’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration (IC2R3) is a fully equipped ...