Bonnethead shark
Bonnethead sharks are smaller relatives to the hammerhead shark. They're grayish brown in color with shovel-shaped heads.
Zebra shark
Zebra sharks get their name from the coloration they exhibit as juveniles. Juvenile zebra sharks have brown and white stripes, but as they get older, their pattern lightens to become tan with dark brown leopard-like spots. The upper...
Sand tiger shark
Sand tiger sharks have an intimidating appearance— they have multiple rows of long, razor like teeth that are visible even with their mouth closed. The lifespan of a sand tiger shark in human care can reach up to 40 years.
Swell shark
The swell shark is a small, nocturnal species of shark. They have large mouths, extending past their eyes. Swell sharks have a broad head and stout body. They are a yellowish brown color, with a pattern of large dark blotches and...
White tip reef shark
Whitetip reef sharks are a smaller species of shark, with grayish brown coloration and a distinctive white tip on their dorsal and caudal (tail) fins. They are a mostly nocturnal species, and are often found resting on the seafloor...
Silky shark
Silky sharks have long, slender bodies, with a dark gray or bronze coloration and white belly. They have a distinctive rounded dorsal fin, and a rounded snout. Their dermal denticles, similar to scales, are tightly packed and overlapping,...
Growth rates of bonnetheads (Sphyrna tiburo) estimated by using tag-recapture data
Results from published age and growth models for bonnetheads (Sphyrna tiburo) indicate significant differences in life history between populations in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and those in estuarine waters of the Atlantic coast...
Indirect legacy effects of an extreme climatic event on a marine megafaunal community
. While extreme climatic events (ECEs) are predicted to become more frequent, reliably predicting their impacts on consumers remains challenging, particularly for large consumers in marine environments. Many studies that do evaluate...
Visit Mote Aquarium!
At Mote Aquarium you can explore the secrets of the sea through touch pools, viewable working labs, and high-tech interactive exhibits that showcase the world-renowned research of the adjoining Mote Marine Laboratory. See more than...
Results and Impacts of the First Decade of the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program
Thriving coastal and Gulf environments that support wild and human lives. Sustainable fisheries for recreation and sustenance. Knowing where (and how) juvenile sea turtles travel when they leave Florida beaches and how they are impacted...
Bioactive properties of venoms isolated from whiptail stingrays and the search for molecular mechanisms and targets
The venom-containing barb attached to their ‘whip-like’ tail provides stingrays a defensive mechanism for evading predators such as sharks. From human encounters, dermal stingray envenomation is characterized by intense pain often...
Health Risk Assessment of Globally Consumed Shark Derived Products
Shark meat and fin soup are seafood commodities exported and consumed worldwide. Because sharks are large and slowgrowing marine predators they tend to accumulate a large amount of mercury in the form of methylmercury. Due to this...
Reproductive timing and putative mating behavior of the oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus in the eastern Bahamas
Oceanic whitetip sharks Carcharhinus longimanus aggregate at Columbus Point, Cat Island, The Bahamas, in at least April and May. We show that signs of putative mating activity (i.e. bite wounds) on mature females, which dominate the...
From rivers to ocean basins: The role of ocean barriers and philopatry in the genetic structuring of a cosmopolitan coastal predator
The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) faces varying levels of exploitation around the world due to its coastal distribution. Information regarding population connectivity is crucial to evaluate its conservation status and local fishing...
Characteristics and species composition of a small-scale shark fishery in Puerto Rico: Jurisdictional issues enable legal landings of prohibited...
Shark fishing is increasingly regulated in the Caribbean region. We present new information on the characteristics, landings, species composition, and size composition of the shark fishery of Puerto Rico, a U.S. Caribbean territory,...
Dr. Krystan Wilkinson
Krystan Wilkinson is a postdoctoral scientist employed by the Chicago Zoological Society and based at Mote Marine Laboratory as part of a partnership to engage in dolphin research, education and conservation action. Wilkinson is...
Leah Roberts-Hays
By the age of ten Leah knew she wanted to be a marine biologist. She attended Ohio University where she majored in marine, freshwater and environmental biology and completed an internship in Clearwater as a water quality technician...
Dr. Robert “Bob” Hueter
Dr. Robert (Bob) Hueter is a Mote Senior Scientist Emeritus and was the first Director of Mote's Center for Shark Research and the first recipient of Mote's Perry W. Gilbert Chair in Shark Research. The Mote CSR is a national research...
Felicia Manning
Felicia was born and raised in Oklahoma and is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation tribe. She has worked with and has an appreciation for both terrestrial and marine species. She received her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Science...
New study finds global reef shark conservation depends on a combination of protected areas and national fisheries management
SARASOTA, Fla (May 21, 2024) – Marine protected areas (MPAs), areas that provide legal protection to important marine and coastal ecosystems, often have more reef sharks compared to non-protected areas, but according...
Report Ray Sightings
Since 2009, Mote Researchers have been collecting data on three pelagic ray species: spotted eagle rays, manta rays and devil rays. All three are classified as “Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature...
Conservation Science at Home
One of the many legacies of Mote’s shark research is that it has been used by the U.S. federal and state governments to regulate and manage shark fishing in our waters. Center for Shark...
Tracking International Trade
The single greatest threat to sharks and rays is overfishing. A large part of overfishing...
Global FinPrint
Reef sharks are in trouble worldwide. Here at Mote Marine Laboratory &...
Mote Aquarium Sciences Apprenticeship Program (ASAP)
THE APPLICATION FOR THIS PROGRAM IS NOW CLOSED. The Mote Aquarium Sciences Apprenticeship Program (Mote ASAP)...
Aquarium Sciences & Animal Care URE
Aquarium Sciences & Animal Care URE Internship Mentor: Amanda Felix Fish & Invertebrate Department URE students should have an interest in all aspects of the science of caring for public aquarium...
Ray Biology & Conservation URE
This program is not currently accepting interns. Explore other Mote URE opportunities Ray Biology...
Marine Immunology REU
Marine Immunology REU Internship Mentor: Dr. Cathy Walsh As manager of Mote's Marine...