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Mote Marine facility opening May 5

Mote Marine facility opening May 5

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mote Marine education outreach center on the City Pier remains on track for Friday, May 5.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in City Pier Park, across the street from the pier, and be followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the pier entrance.

During the April 13 city commission meeting, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said invitations were sent to Anna Maria city commissioners and other city and county officials.

Murphy expects the ceremony to last approximately 45 minutes. After the mayor’s introductory remarks, Mote Marine President and CEO Dr. Michael Crosby will speak. Some of the attending city and county officials may also make brief remarks.

Portions of Pine Avenue, North Bay Boulevard and South Bay Boulevard will be closed during the ceremony.

The grand opening ceremony is open to the public and the Mote Marine education outreach center will open to the public right after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Featuring live and virtual marine life exhibits, the outreach center will then be open daily at no cost to the public.

At the recommendation of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council, the Manatee County Commission provided $500,000 in county funds for the interior buildout of the city building and the installation of the Mote Marine exhibits. Mote Marine is leasing the city building rent-free but will operate and staff the outreach center at its own expense.

“This has been a long, long, long, long, long time coming. We’re finally here,” Murphy said. “We’re at the cusp of opening it up and I’m really excited. I think it’s going to bring a lot to the city in terms of education. When we pursued this, it was about awareness and education.”

Murphy referenced the commission discussions and public debate that ensued in 2020 and 2021 and pertained to whether the larger of the two city-owned pier buildings should be leased to a full-service restaurant operator or be used for some other purpose. After multiple efforts to secure a restaurant operator fell short, the commission majority decided to pursue the Mote Marine facility instead.

“Do we have hamburgers or do we have knowledge? We opted for knowledge,” Murphy said of that decision-making process.

Commissioner Robert Kingan noted the city actually got both because the smaller pier building is already leased to the operators of the City Pier Grill & Bait Shop.

Kingan said he visited the pier facility the previous day and saw workers installing the backgrounds and displays associated with the live and virtual exhibits.

“I think it’s going to be a resounding success,” Kingan said.

“It’s all about public awareness and knowledge and research. The pier is the jewel of this city and has been for over 100 years. We’re dedicating it to science and research and knowledge about the environment and clean water,” Murphy said.

Commissioner Jon Crane said, “I, for one, am absolutely thrilled.”

“It’s exciting for it to finally be open,” Commissioner Deanie Sebring added.

Green sea turtle released

Green sea turtle released

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA – Five months after an apparent collision with a boat left him with multiple injuries, a rehabilitated green sea turtle nicknamed “Pierre” by Mote Aquarium staff was released back into the wild on July 5.

Pierre had been found on Jan. 31 floating on the water’s surface near the Anna Maria City Pier. He had suffered multiple fractures and a large piece of his carapace – or upper shell – was damaged, but there was no neurologic damage.

“Veterinary Surgery Center of Sarasota was kind enough to do a CT scan for us to determine the extent of the trauma,” Mote Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital Aquarist Weston Spoon said.

Pierre had numerous fibropapilloma tumors, which were surgically removed. After a second surgery to remove a tumor on his eye in May, he continued to gain weight and eat well.

Following his successful recovery, workers from the facility released Pierre into the waters off Bayfront Park, a short distance from where he had been found.

“He was found stranded near the City Pier, so it’s best to release them near where they’re stranded,” Spoon said, adding that Pierre is expected to acclimate easily back into his watery environment.

“Studies have been done that show they will go about their lives just as before,” Spoon said.

Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital has admitted more than 650 sick and injured sea turtles since 1995.

“We aim to help all our turtle patients return to the wild and contribute to their populations for years to come,” according to the Mote website. “This matters greatly: All sea turtle species are threatened or endangered.”

While it was difficult to determine Pierre’s age, Spoon said he was a juvenile less than 10 years old. Green sea turtles have a life expectancy of up to 80 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are far less common in the waters off Anna Maria Island than loggerheads, but both nest on area beaches from May through October.

Training a new generation of environmental scientists

Training a new generation of environmental scientists

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Center of Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – The community scientist program at The Center of Anna Maria Island is getting off to a great start thanks to some help from students at Eckerd College and Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium staff.

A volunteer takes a reading testing water temperature and pH levels. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Small groups of Eckerd College students are coming each Saturday morning to The Center to train with staff from Mote on the equipment they’ll be using. Part of the training involves how to take the water samples and video needed to observe the effects of the mini reefs from Ocean Habitats installed as a part of a fundraiser for the nonprofit. These students are the first of the community volunteers being trained to study the effects of the mini reefs on the local waters and marine life. Students will travel around the Island to the mini reef sites to conduct water testing and video the condition of the reefs. This also helps keep track of all of the reefs and observe any maintenance issues requiring attention. Community scientists will test the water for the presence of harmful algae blooms such as karenia brevis – red tide – keep track of water temperature and pH levels, and study the organisms making the mini reefs their home.

Once the program is better established, The Center’s Director of Development, Jim McDaniel, says he hopes to open it up to Island resident volunteers and others in the community.

The program is the brainchild of McDaniel, who said he hopes to expand it in the future while also providing an important resource in the fight to mitigate the effects of red tide, which can cause fish kills, skin irritation and breathing problems.

Currently, there are 166 mini reefs installed in the waters around Anna Maria Island and west Bradenton as a result of The Center’s partnership with Ocean Habitats.

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