Mote’s big move: What does it mean for Longboat?

New Pass is really the only thing separating Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and its northern neighbor, Longboat Key.

On a good day, it takes eight minutes to cover the 4.1 miles from the Shoppes of Bay Isles to Mote’s home on City Island.

But when, and if, Mote builds its Mote Science Education Aquarium near University Town Center northeast of Sarasota, that connection becomes something around 18 miles and 30 minutes by car. 

Mote President and CEO Michael Crosby, though, is confident Longboat Key residents, along with other barrier island residents, will continue to be patrons.

In an interview last week, Crosby said he doesn’t think Longboat Key residents will be able to stay away from the new facility. He also said not all of Mote is leaving City Island.

“I don’t think they are going to be able to resist because it’s going to be such a phenomenal attraction,” he said. “We’re still going to have daily public tours here on City Island for people to see the research laboratories, research tanks. The hospital is still going to be here, and the turtle nursery is still going to be here.”

Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce President Gail Loefgren doesn’t see Mote’s move negatively affecting Longboat tourism numbers. She said plenty of Longboat Key residents and tourists are lured by mainland attractions, but come right back to the island.

“We send them to Ringling, and that hasn’t affected anything,” she said.

But Longboat residents make Mote a destination for their visitors. Longboat resident and Mote volunteer Debbie Cohen said she often brings guests to Mote because it’s convenient. Now, she said, visiting the new location will depend on factors such as time of year, traffic and who her visitors are. If she has visitors in February and March, she can’t see herself rushing them out to Nathan Benderson Park when traffic is heavy. She is more likely to do that if one of her guests is a child, she said.

“I think for those of us that live on Longboat Key, we’ve always had this, even though it [Mote] was in Sarasota, we’ve always had a close relationship with Mote,” Cohen said. “A lot of us are volunteers. Our grandkids go to camp there in the summer. It’s a sort of personal asset to the island, I think, and so moving up to Benderson, makes it less reflectively ours.”

As for continuing her volunteer work, she isn’t sure what she’ll do, though she has time to consider her plans. The new site isn’t expected to open before 2021.

Cohen isn’t sure she would travel to Nathan Benderson, especially during season. However, she said there will be volunteer opportunities continuing at City Island.

Cohen understand Mote’s need to grow, however.

“If they couldn’t be by the bay, then probably (Interstate) 75 is the next best option,” she said. “I really do think it’s too bad they’re not going to be on the bay.”

Long-time Assistant to the Town Manager Susan Phillips said she is excited that Mote is able to expand its research capacity on the island. It will help with local conservation efforts.

“We will, however, miss having the convenience of the aquarium, because, of course, when the grandkids visit, it’s a favorite place to take them,” Phillips said.

But Mote isn’t just a spot Longboat residents go to visit. Some residents, such as the volunteers of the Longboat Key Turtle Watch, are partners with Mote, especially during turtle nesting season. Mote and the Longboat Key Turtle Watch team up throughout turtle season to keep track of Longboat’s nesting numbers.

Town Clerk Trish Shinkle said she thinks Mote will lose some of its volunteers because of the move.

“Everything is going east, and I think it takes a lot away from people who visit,” she said. “I think it looks like a beautiful building, but it’s more removed from the sea life.”

Turtle Watch Vice President Cyndi Seamon said she doesn’t think Mote’s plan will change their relationship, but she hopes the new facility has something that explains the turtle patrol to visitors. Overall, Seamon said this move sounds like a good one.

“It’s going to expand the education outreach to, hopefully, a lot more kids that might not be able to get to Mote where it is now,” Seamon said.

Although Longboat Key and Mote are close neighbors, so are Mote and Save our Seabirds.

Mote’s potential move means Save Our Seabirds will be the only tourist attraction on City Island, Save Our Seabirds CEO David Pilston said. But, he isn’t concerned that interest in Save Our Seabirds will dwindle.

“It may or may not, but we’re talking about four of five years from now, and when you look how far we’ve come from five years ago, think of how far we’ll go [in the next five years],” Pilston said.

Pilston said Mote’s plan is fantastic.

“We think it’s a very cool project, and it’s good for the whole environment community to succeed,” he said.

Longboat Observer reporter Bret Hauff contributed to this story.