Protect Our Reefs

06/01/2026

Today is World Reef Awareness Day! 🪸✨

Did you know that coral reefs are living animals? What some may think are rocks or plants are actually thousands of tiny animals working together to build one of the most vital ecosystems on Earth. And these corals protect more than you think!

Coral reefs keep our oceans and communities alive! Globally, they're home to ¼ of our marine life, and each year, the economic value of coral reefs in the U.S. exceeds $3.4 billion. But, Florida's coral reef is under pressure from a variety of impacts, including ocean acidification, disease and more.

Restoration is possible! Every day, Mote scientists are working towards keeping our reefs healthy by growing resilient corals, advancing coral reproduction science and testing coral reef disease treatments.

Together, we can help restore our coral reefs! 🤝 Join Mote’s efforts in restoring the reefs this World Reef Awareness Day by volunteering, diving or purchasing a Protect Our Reefs plate.

🔗 Learn more about Mote's Coral Reef Ecosystems Programs at mote.org/coralreefecosystems

05/29/2026

Earlier this month, Mote’s Dumpster Divers team took home 3rd place in the private boat division in the 4th Annual I.CARE Trash Derby! 🌊♻️

Our team removed 3,699 pounds of harmful marine debris from the reef, contributing to the total of 34,969 pounds removed by 931 participants across the Florida Keys! 💪🪸

Marine debris, like abandoned fishing gear and plastic waste, can smother corals, block sunlight, and entangle marine life. With over 11 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean annually, cleanup efforts like these are critical to protecting the ecosystems we work so hard to restore.

Activities took place within the NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary under permit and with FWC authorization.

05/25/2026

The fun part about science communication is making sure everyone can understand and digest the material 😉

05/22/2026

🚨 TWO TRAININGS LEFT! 🚨 Join Mote Marine Laboratory’s Florida Keys BleachWatch team! The BleachWatch Program trains recreational and professional divers and snorkelers to help monitor and report on conditions at the reef. Information from these citizen science reports, along with environmental conditions are summarized in a Current Conditions Report made available online at mote.org/bleachwatch. In this training, divers will learn how to identify coral bleaching, disease and predation, and complete the necessary data forms to submit observations to the program.

Attend one of our in-person training sessions. Register at the link in our bio or visit mote.org/bleachwatch!
🤿 May 23, 2026 | 10 AM - Marathon Fire Station
🤿 June 13, 2026 | 12 PM - John Pennekamp State Park Visitor Center

This project is funded by Mote's "Protect Our Reefs" license plate and is coordinated by Mote Marine Laboratory in conjunction with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Pre-registration is requested at mote.org/bleachwatch. If unable to attend an in-person workshop, online training is also available at mote.org/bleachwatch. For more information contact Eva Laxo at: [email protected] or 941-685-1860.

05/21/2026

DIVE IN with Mote + SCUBAPRO to help restore Florida’s coral reef! 🪸🤿 Ready to protect our reefs? Sign up at mote.org/divekeys

05/18/2026

Last month, Mote’s Team Spear-It brought home 3rd place in the 17th Annual REEF Lionfish Derby! 🦁🐟👏

Our team spent the weekend removing invasive lionfish from Florida’s Coral Reef, helping protect the same coral reef ecosystems we work year-round to restore through Mote’s resiliency-focused restoration strategy 💪🪸🌊

Lionfish threaten native fish populations and reef health, making events like this an important hands-on way to support healthier oceans. We even save the lionfish we remove for Mote’s education department to use in dissections with local school groups, turning invasive species management into a unique learning opportunity for future ocean stewards.

Beyond the competition, the derby strengthens our dive skills, teamwork, and shared commitment to protecting the Florida’s Coral Reef for future generations.

Congratulations Team Spear-It! 🤿

05/14/2026

Science in action 🧪🦀

Through a Florida DEP-funded project, the Grazers Lab in Mote’s Coral Reef Restoration Research Program is taking a closer look at the optimal conditions to raise stronger, healthier Caribbean king crabs (Maguimithrax spinosissimus) for reef restoration.

At both Mote’s International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration on Summerland Key and Mote’s Florida Coral Reef Restoration Crab Hatchery Research Center in Sarasota, scientists are comparing how seawater source and system type (flow-through vs. recirculating) impact crab growth and survival. By tracking individual juveniles from multiple clutches, the team is building detailed growth models—recording daily molts, growth rates, and survival to better understand how these crabs develop over time.

To take it a step further, juvenile crabs are even swapped between locations to see how they perform in each system. Researchers are also testing whether individual care improves outcomes for young crabs.

All of this helps answer one big question: what conditions produce the best grazers for our reefs? The goal is to optimize aquaculture practices and scale up efforts to restock Florida’s Coral Reef with this essential algae-eating species. 🪸✨

All work is conducted under permits from FWC and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and funded by NOAA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

📸: Marina Pham

05/13/2026

Join Mote Marine Laboratory’s Florida Keys BleachWatch team!

The BleachWatch Program trains recreational and professional divers and snorkelers to help monitor and report on conditions at the reef. Information from these citizen science reports, along with environmental conditions are summarized in a Current Conditions Report made available online at mote.org/bleachwatch. In this training, divers will learn how to identify coral bleaching, disease and predation, and complete the necessary data forms to submit observations to the program.

Attend one of our in-person training sessions. Register at the link in our bio or visit mote.org/bleachwatch!
🤿 May 14, 2026 | 6 PM - Mote’s International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration
🤿 May 18, 2026 | 6 PM - Keys History & Discovery Center
🤿 May 19, 2026 | 6 PM - REEF Ocean Exploration Center
🤿 May 23, 2026 | 10 AM - Marathon Fire Station
🤿 June 13, 2026 | 12 PM - John Pennekamp State Park Visitor Center

This project is funded by Mote's "Protect Our Reefs" license plate and is coordinated by Mote Marine Laboratory in conjunction with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Pre-registration is requested at mote.org/bleachwatch. If unable to attend an in-person workshop, online training is also available at mote.org/bleachwatch. For more information contact Eva Laxo at: [email protected] or 941-685-1860.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Mission: Iconic Reefs REEF Reef Environmental Education Foundation Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park & Dagny Johnson State Park

Upcoming In-Person Trainings Mote is excited to offer the following in-person BleachWatch trainings in the Florida Keys: May 14th, 2026 at 6PM:  SUMMERLAND KEY TRAINING SIGN UP May 18th, 2026 …