During the busy summer boating season, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota reminds boaters everywhere to keep our waters safe for marine life. Over the past two months, three dolphins in Sarasota Bay have been seen bearing injuries from boat strikes, according to Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, a collaboration between the Chicago Zoological Society and Mote. Two of the dolphins were recently born calves. Mote`s Stranding Investigations Program has also recovered several large sea turtles that had been struck by boats in local waters. 
Boat strike wounds are apparent on a dolphin calf born this summer in this photo from the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. (Photo taken under National Marine Fisheries Service Scientific Research Permit No. 15543.)
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These incidents offer a stark reminder that we share our coastal waters with the animals that live there full time and that everyone can do their part to help keep wildlife safe.
Mote recommends that boaters follow Coast Guard-approved safe boating guidelines and keep a close eye out to avoid striking dolphins, manatees and sea turtles. Mote also urges beachgoers to take special care to respect sea turtles and their nests on Florida beaches, especially following Tropical Storm Debby, which took a toll on Southwest Florida nesting beaches. Sea turtles and marine mammals such as manatees and dolphins are all protected under federal law. Below we offer some summer updates on these animal populations, along with tips on how you can help keep wildlife safe during boating season. Sea Turtles
Recent stormy weather damaged, destroyed or concealed a majority of sea turtle nests from Longboat Key south through Venice, according to preliminary reports from Mote Marine Laboratory scientists who continue to document the impacts of Tropical Storm Debby. Until Debby, nesting numbers were looking great, with more nests laid between April and June 2012 than during all of the 2011 nesting season. Sea turtle experts hope that the high number of nests laid so far this year on local beaches will help offset losses from the storm. Turtle-friendly tips Do:
* If you encounter a nesting turtle, remain quiet and observe from a distance.
Shield or turn off outdoor lights that are visible on the beach from May through October.
* Close drapes after dark and put beach furniture far back from the water.
* Fill in holes that may entrap hatchlings on their way to the water.
* Place trash in its proper place.
* Stay away from sea turtle nests, typically marked with annotated yellow stakes and tape, and seabird nesting zones that are bounded by ropes. Dogs are not allowed on Sarasota County beaches other than Brohard Paw Park in Venice, where they must be leashed or under voice control, according to county ordinances. Don`t:
* Approach nesting turtles or hatchlings, make noise or shine lights at turtles.
Use flashlights or fishing lamps on the beach.
* Encourage a turtle to move while nesting or pick up hatchlings that have emerged and are heading for the water.
* Use fireworks on the beach Dolphins During late spring and summer, the resident bottlenose dolphins of Sarasota Bay are busy giving birth to calves. As of June 29, at least eight calves have been born this year in the Bay - including the granddaughter of Nicklo, the Bay`s oldest dolphin. Unfortunately, two of the calves have been seen bearing recent wounds from boat strikes. "We`re in the height of calving season, so it`s especially important to be vigilant while boating," said Dr. Randall Wells, director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. "Historically, the period of heavy boat traffic around the Fourth of July has been when most boat strikes on dolphins have occurred, typically involving mothers and their naive calves." About five percent of local dolphins have boat scars, according to Program scientists, who have closely monitored this population for 42 years, making it the world`s longest-running study of a wild dolphin population.
Click here for dolphin-friendly tips, or go to www.mote.org/dolphinfriendly
Never feed wild dolphins. Click here to watch a PSA about why it`s harmful and illegal to feed wild dolphins: www.dontfeedwilddolphins.org. Manatees
This is the time of year that manatees gather in groups as males try to mate with females that are ready to conceive. Often, as the female tries to evade her male suitors, large groups of up to a dozen or so manatees will end up in shallow waters along beaches.
So far this year, Mote scientists have documented several mating herds in Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, including areas off both Sarasota and Manatee counties. Boaters and beachgoers should give mating herds a wide berth - both for your own safety and for that of the manatees. We have witnessed people get in the water and try to interact with these herds, but that can disrupt the animals` normal mating behavior and it could also result in humans being injured. Single mating herds can last several weeks and be highly active as male manatees bustle around a female. Individual manatees may also rest at the surface for several hours. This is typical behavior and not a cause for concern. Manatee-Friendly Tips:
Do:
* Watch the manatees from at least 100 feet away. Coming any closer may disrupt the animals` natural mating behavior or put people into harm`s way. Adult manatees typically weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds and people could be seriously injured. Don`t:
* Try to push the animals back to deeper water. Animals such as manatees or dolphins can be injured when people try to push them along the sandy shore. Given their size, manatees especially also pose a danger to people.
* Feed, water or harass manatees. Federal and state laws forbid "harassing" them - harassment includes offering them food or water.
* Litter. Please be careful with your trash and carry out everything you carried to the beach. For more information, go to the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium Web site (www.mote.org) or www.mote.org/facebook and www.mote.org/twitter | 
