A Shark Santa Is Coming To Mote Marine Aquarium

By Jamie Tacy

Sarasota, FL - Mote Mascot Gilly the Shark is all decked out in his annual holiday garb and will be taking photos with visitors for FREE with their paid admission to Mote Aquarium again this year.

Santa Jaws will be in the Aquarium Courtyard from noon to 2 p.m. each Saturday from Nov. 29 through Dec. 20 (every Saturday from Thanksgiving through Christmas). The event is sponsored by SRQ Media Group.

Mote Aquarium is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 365 days a year, including all holidays. Ticket prices are $17 for adults and $12 for children ages 4-12. Admission for Mote Members and children age 3 and younger is free. Mote Aquarium is located at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota. Call 941-388-4441 or visit www.mote.org for more information.

Beach Conditions Report Expands Reach
The Beach Conditions Report™, created by Mote Marine Laboratory in 2006 to provide up-to-date information about red tides on beaches, now covers 31 beaches along the Florida Gulf coast. The program has recently expanded to provide coverage of eight Panhandle beaches.
The Report provides residents, business owners and visitors with real-time information about the presence of red tide and other conditions. Reports are provided by specially trained observers who use computers to upload their information directly to the web via a special web interface designed by Mote.

The Beach Conditions Report™ now covers the following locations:
* Escambia County: Pensacola Beach
* Okaloosa County: Fort Walton Beach, Henderson Beach State Park and Destin Beach
* Gulf County: St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, both Gulfside and  Bayside
* Franklin County: St. George Island State Park, both Bayside and Gulfside
* Pinellas County: Caladesi Island, Fort DeSoto Park
* Manatee County: Manatee Beach, Coquina Beach
* Sarasota County: Lido Key, Siesta Key, Nokomis, Venice North Jetty, Venice Beach, Manasota Beach
* Lee County: Bowditch Point Park, Lynn Hall Beach Park, Lovers Key State Park, Bonita Beach, Tarpon Bay Beach
* Collier County: Barefoot Beach, Vanderbilt Beach, Seagate Beach, Lowdermilk Park, Naples Pier, Tigertail Beach, South Marco Beach

The Beach Conditions Report™ updated daily at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. includes several types of information:
* The presence or absence of dead fish and whether beachgoers are reporting respiratory irritation
* The presence or absence of red drift algae and other seaweeds
* The water color, wind direction and what flags are flying at the beaches (at lifeguard-monitored beaches only)
* Reports made by lifeguards also include real-time surf zone conditions and whether rip currents are present.

The Report was created in 2006 by Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, manager of Mote’s Environmental Health Program, in response to numerous requests for such information from the public. In addition to online updates provided at www.mote.org/beaches, reports can be e-mailed directly to users who sign up for updates. Visitors without Internet access can also call 941-BEACHES for information.

The Beach Conditions Report™ is made possible through support from the following organizations: Mote Marine Laboratory, Solutions To Avoid Red Tide (START), the Florida Department of Health, Sarasota County, Florida State Parks, Pinellas County Parks Department, the Manatee County Marine Rescue Division, Lee County Parks and Recreation, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Sanibel Sea School,  Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Collier County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the cities of Marco Island and Naples, Collier County Pollution Control, the Collier County Parks and Recreation Department, the Santa Rosa Island Authority, the Okaloosa County Public Safety, the Destin Fire Control District.