39th Annual Run for the Turtles (Draft)

Mote Marine Laboratory's Run for the Turtles is the largest fundraiser for our Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program, which has studied and protected sea turtles along 35 miles of southwest Florida nesting beaches for four decades. 

Here is how your support helps endangered and threatened sea turtles:

• $40 Run registration fee will provide supplies for marking and monitoring five sea turtle nests. Marking and monitoring helps us understand nesting trends and inform sea turtle protection.
  
  
• $50 will provide supplies for marking and monitoring 15 sea turtle nests.
  
  
• $350 will outfit a sea turtle intern with enough equipment to mark 100 nests.
  
  
• $500 will provide printing and distribution of educational materials for 75 beach-front properties. Education is critical for keeping our beaches safe for sea turtles.
  
  
• $1,000 will buy enough supplies to tag 100 nesting sea turtles. Tagging allows us to identify individual turtles as they return to nest. We've observed some individuals since the 1980s!
  
  
• $2,500 supports DNA tests for 25 mother turtles and their hatchlings. DNA testing (genotyping) helps us recognize how many males and females are breeding—important information for protecting populations.
  
• $5,000 allows us to tag a turtle with a satellite transmitter and track it for several months to a year. Tracking helps us understand where turtles go to feed after leaving the nesting beach and what challenges they might encounter as they migrate through the ocean.
  

Thank you again for your support! Please keep scrolling to donate now.