Florida’s Gentle Giants - Protecting Manatees Above and Below

Join us this Manatee Awareness Month for a program featuring footage from the 150,000-gallon manatee habitat at the new Mote Science Education Aquarium. Jason Robertshaw, certified Florida Master Naturalist and Program Manager at Mote Marine Laboratory, will share more than 30 years of groundbreaking manatee research, exploring how scientists use aerial surveys, drones and photo-identification to track populations, monitor migration patterns and identify critical habitats. Learn how researchers catalog individual manatees by their unique scars and markings, creating decades-long records that help shape state and federal conservation efforts. At a critical time for the species, you’ll gain insight into the threats manatees face — including seagrass loss, harmful algal blooms, cold stress and human impact — and how science is guiding conservation efforts. This lecture offers a compelling look at how data and discovery come together to protect one of Florida’s most iconic animals. 

Maeve Hartney, Chief Program Officer of Massachusetts Road Scholar Programs, will lead a viewing of the online lecture at Abbot Public Library, followed by a discussion session. 

Registration is required and limited to 35. Please register at tinyurl.com/RS-Manatees. Can't attend in person? Please register for the program or join the Wait List. Everyone who is registered will be sent the recording.

Jason Robertshaw is a programs manager at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. He designs and delivers STEM distance learning programs for all ages, including Mote's award-winning SEA Trek program. Robertshaw manages educational technologies, produces multimedia content, and leads Mote's “Endless Oceans” lifelong learning program. He has a background in public television and environmental project management for the state of Florida. Robertshaw is a certified Florida Master Naturalist and Instructor, and serves as a board member for multiple organizations. 

This program is sponsored by the Friends of Abbot Public Library.

Photo Courtesy of Road Scholar