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Red tide: What Mote is doing now

■ BY HALEY RUTGER, MOTE MARINE LABORATORY From October 2017 through July 2018, Mote and its partners have monitored extensively for Florida red tide designed to augment public information on the status of the bloom. (For monitoring updates, see the resource list at the bottom of this story.) Mote and FWC have jointly collected 608 water […]

Wildlife Center of Venice announces new director Pam DeFouw

■ BY SUE ERWIN Pam DeFouw is the new director of operations at the Wildlife Center of Venice, but she certainly is not new to the facility. DeFouw started out as a volunteer for the organization in 2011, cleaning and feeding sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. She was quickly offered a position cleaning cages at […]

Sea turtles continue nesting, hatching … sometimes dying

■ BY SUE ERWIN Despite the effects of red tide, sea turtle nest numbers are continuing to grow, hatchlings are making their way to the water, and excavations are being done by patrol members on a consistent basis. As of July 27, the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association reported 614 Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtle nests […]

Boca Grande Old Theatre Building memories from Betsy and Kathleen

Amid tears and good wishes, more than 30 people said goodbye to their home away from home at the end of June, 2018, as the Old Theatre Building’s doors were closed. It had been a major hub of activity in downtown Boca Grande for decades, and Betsy Joiner and Kathleen Turner hope it will return […]

Some red tide fatalities, but sea turtle numbers still growing

■ BY SUE ERWIN Despite the effects of red tide, sea turtle nest numbers are continuing to grow, hatchlings are making their way to the water, and excavations are being done by patrol members almost daily. As of July 20, the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association reported 554 Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtle nests on the […]

Former Fusion chef now offering private cooking lessons

■ BY SUE ERWIN If you think blackened redfish with a couscous cake topped with caramelized basil might be an interesting dish to try, you’ll want to meet Chef Tim Spain. Known in the area as the “Florida Fishing Chef,” Tim is a catch-and-release fisherman who casts a line in almost daily and said he […]

Profile Tracy Roahrig

■ BY SUE ERWIN If you’ve enjoyed lunch or an ice cream at The Loose Caboose recently, you’re sure to recognize the smiling face of Tracy Roahrig. Tracy has been working in the food and beverage service business since she was 18 years old. “I found a job right after I graduated from high school, and […]

More hatchlings arrive, two juvenile strandings released

■ BY SUE ERWIN Sea turtle nests are continuing to hatch at a fast rate on the island, and more than 80 new nests have been recorded this week. As of July 13, the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association (BGSTA) reported 495 Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtle nests on the island. There were 511 reported false […]

Endangered turtle released after recovering from fishing gear entanglement

■ STAFF REPORT Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital staff released a subadult Kemp’s ridley turtle on Friday, July 13, from Anna Maria Island after it recovered from entanglement in fishing gear. The rehabilitation and release of this turtle, nicknamed “Gazpacho,” is of special importance because Kemp’s ridleys are federally designated as endangered. Gazpacho […]