Mote Marine Lab & Aquarium | Main Building Indoors

Mote Marine Laboratory was founded in 1955 by Dr. Eugenie Clark, out of her love for visiting her local aquarium as a child, this love turned into passion for marine science. Originally this one room lab was located in Cape Haze Florida. The aquarium opened in 1980 on City Island in Sarasota Bay. Displaying more that 100 species with a focus on species and ecosystems studied by staff scientists.

Under the leadership of Dr. Gilbert, Mote scientists expanded research on wildlife including Dolphins, Manatees, and Sea Turtles. The Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium has worked hard to educate and inspire the public by giving visitors a new window into Marine Science.

From rivers to the seas is where we will begin our journey. Through Freshwater Florida, here we learn that Florida's rivers stretch more than 25,000 miles total and connect with waterbodies such as swamps, lakes and the sea. here we will learn that many of these species are common in home aquariums as well as find out the impacts of invasive species like the Jeweled Cichlid, and water pollution.

The first live coral exhibit along our path houses a dozen coral species found in Florida reefs, and reveals how Mote Marine Laboratory Scientists study corals, why these coral reefs are struggling amid environmental changes and how Scientists at Mote Lab are advancing Coral science and restoration to help bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Here we will also learn about how Dr. Eugenie Clark and her collaborators were the first to describe the behavior, size and habitat of adult convict fish in the wild. The second gallery is Creatures of the Coastal Oceans Exhibit, there we will see angelfish, butterflyfish, Porcupinefish, Spiny Lobsters, Jellyfish and other examples of the incredible biodiversity that relies on the barrier reefs of southeastern Florida. Before finishing off our visit for the day with a look at Molly, a 27 foot long preserved Giant Squid.

Partial species list:
Atlantic Blue Tang, Blue Chromis, Red Ridged Clinging Crab, Blue Legged Hermit Crab, Clown Wrasse, Brown Chromis, Flame Cardinalfish, Butter Hamlet, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp,
Eastern Mosquitofish, Golden Topminnow
Jeweled Cichlid
Sailfin Molly, Lesser Sirin
Bluefin Killifish, Eastern Newt
Diamondback Terrapin (Cecil, Pearl)
Banded, Black-banded & Blue-spotted Sunfish
Mangrove Snapper
Yellowtail Snapper,
Red Grouper, Green Moray Eel
Convict Fish
Dwarf Cuttlefish
Common Octopus
Striped shrimpfish, Chocolate Chip Starfish
Lionfish
Yellowhead Jawfish
Upside-Down Jellyfish
Atlantic Sea Nettle
Comb Jelly
Moon Jelly


Thanks for joining me on this first look at Mote Aquarium!
-Brad

Here are a few other Florida wildlife attractions:
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary -    • Busch Wildlife Sanctuary  
Audubon Center for Birds of Prey -    • Audubon Center for Birds of Prey  
Florida Wetlands -    • Florida Wetlands | Palm Beach Zoo