Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Blog & News

Five Sea Turtles Released by CMA After Rehabilitation 

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is excited to announce that five of its rescued green sea turtles have been released after receiving care from CMA rehabilitation and veterinary teams. Each of their stories reveal the persistence and resilience of marine animals, inspiring CMA to never give up on those that need our help.  

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Manatee Tracking – LilJon

An eight-foot subadult male manatee named LilJon was located and tagged on May 2, 2024 at Cumberland Island, Georgia through the collaborative effort between Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI), Georgia Aquarium (GAQ), Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) and other organizations. LilJon received a full health assessment checkup from GAQ and CMARI veterinarian staff and was outfitted with a GPS satellite tag to closely monitor his travels as part of our manatee Northern Atlantic Coast Manatee Movement study.

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Manatee Tracking – Sawyer

A nine-and-a-half-foot adult male manatee named Sawyer was located and tagged on May 3, 2024 at Cumberland Island, Georgia through the collaborative effort between Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI), Georgia Aquarium (GAQ), Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) and other organizations. Sawyer received a full health assessment checkup from GAQ and CMARI veterinarian staff and was outfitted with a GPS satellite tag to closely monitor his travels as part of our manatee Northern Atlantic Coast Manatee Movement study.

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Sea Turtle Hospital Patient – Topaz

Topaz is a large, subadult Kemp’s ridley, who was found entangled in fishing line near Fort Desoto on June 4. The fisherman who found Topaz reported that they were struggling to surface. Upon the rescue, it was observed that the fishing line was attached to a large crab trap that was pulling Topaz underwater, increasing their risk of drowning. Topaz has a ligature injury on their right front flipper from the entanglement but is otherwise in good body condition.

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Manatee Tracking – Latke

Latke was released back to the Welaka area in the St. Johns River on March 26, 2024. CMARI tagged Latke for their Northern Atlantic Coast Manatee Study along the east coast of the United States and as part of a cooperative study with state and federal agencies to assess manatee movement and habitat use as a result of the Unusual Mortality Event.

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Chillout with Capybaras at Clearwater Marine Aquarium!  

Starting June 8, Clearwater Marine Aquarium will host three,  8-week-old capybaras in a new Capybara Chillout event, in partnership with Amazing Animals, Inc. Join us in welcoming these adorable newbies to their habitat between June 8 and July 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, while experiencing their friendly personalities and learning about their natural behaviors.  

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New Publication Standardizes the Vernacular Names for Manatees

A new publication in the journal, Caribbean Naturalist, has standardized the vernacular names for manatees throughout North, Central, and South America. The research, titled “What’s in a name? Standardization of vernacular names for Trichechus manatus,” was conducted by 24 researchers, three of whom are from Clearwater Marine Aquarium, including doctors Anmari Alvarez-Aleman, James “Buddy” Powell and master’s of science Jamal Galves.

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Clearwater Marine Aquarium to Present Lights by the Bay: Diving Into Celebration!

Clearwater Marine Aquarium will host the ultimate celebration under the setting sun with its third drone light show, Lights by the Bay: Diving Into Celebration on Saturday, June 15, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. This dazzling drone presentation will display scenes of marine life in motion against the backdrop of Clearwater Bay. Join CMA for this family-friendly, celebration-themed event which is guaranteed to create memories as guests take in the beauty of the water around us. 

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“Superheroes of Manatee Conservation” Featured June 6 At Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Educational Speaker Series

Clearwater Marine Aquarium will present its second in a series of “Echoes of the Ocean: A Marine Life Speaker Series, with its second presentation, “Superheroes of Manatee Conservation” on June 6 from 5 – 8 p.m. at CMA. The second in a series will reflect a 50-year span of research, rescue and release of manatees and CMA’s both a local and global reach.

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