Center for Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Research

The three principal components of marine mammal research at Mote Marine Laboratory include: marine mammal strandings, manatee studies and dolphin population studies. Although the Center for Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Research was only formally organized in 1998, the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, which now is part of this Center, has been active since 1970.

The mission of Mote Marine Laboratory's Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program is to monitor sea turtle activity, to learn more about the biology and behavior of these species, and to help reduce the impacts of human activity. Program personnel (staff, interns and volunteers) gather information that is used to track the status of sea turtles in Florida as part of a statewide cooperative effort to conserve sea turtles.