Mote Marine Laboratory will have five exhibits at Englewood Beach Waterfest in the Family Conservation Center. The exhibits are:

• FIN-TASTIC FRIENDS – Learn the truth about the often misunderstood sharks and rays and about Mote’s current research to discover more about these amazing animals.

• FLORIDA WATERSHEDS – What kinds of native animals live in your backyard? Learn about some of our remarkable native residents such as gators, birds and river otters. Discover what is harming our local watersheds and what you can do to protect them.

• MARINE CSI – Learn about Mote’s team of experts who investigate animal strandings. Compare a dolphin and manatee skull, feel real dolphin bones and see if you can learn how to solve the case.

• SPINELESS SEA – What do a sea star, a whelk, a horseshoe crab and a squid have in common? Learn some of the weird and wacky adaptations of the spineless sea, and how to protect them and help keep them in the ocean where they belong.

• RADICAL REEFS – Are corals plants, animals or minerals? Learn about these fascinating ecosystems and the important work Mote scientists are doing to study, protect and restore our planet’s coral reefs.

Also scheduled to exhibit in addition to Mote Marine:

• Butterfly Encounter

• Barrier Island State Park Society

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

• Mote Marine Laboratory

• Peace River K9 Search and Rescue

• Restore Our Oceans

• SWFL Sea Turtle Rescue

• Venice Photo BoothExpand your family’s marine life education and conservation efforts. Bring the whole family to The Family Conservation Center at Englewood Beach during the Englewood Beach Waterfest, October 10 & 11, 2026.

Expand your family’s marine life education and conservation efforts. Bring the whole family to The Family Conservation Center at Englewood Beach during the Englewood Beach Waterfest, October 10 & 11, 2026.