Protecting Our Coral Reefs: Taylor Queen and Gillian Smith’s Quest for Understanding Caribbean King Crabs through Mote Marine Laboratory’s Specialty License Plate Program.

The Mote Marine Laboratory has introduced the “Protect Our Reefs” specialty license plate program to raise funds for coral reef research and restoration. Since its inception in 2004, the program has awarded over $5.2 million in grants to support partnerships in research, education, and conservation efforts. During her time at the lab, Taylor Queen, an environmental studies and marine science student from Athens, Tennessee, will be joined by Gillian Smith, a marine science student from Indianola, Iowa. Their research focuses on the grazing behavior of Caribbean king crabs, which are being used by NOAA to control algae growth on coral reefs. Taylor’s senior thesis revolves around three main research questions related to the behavior of Caribbean king crabs. She is studying how chemical cues found in their environment impact their growth and survival as larvae, investigating the impact of different ocean temperatures on their survival, oxygen consumption, and hatching success. Additionally, she is exploring how varying temperatures affect the swimming speed and behavior of the larvae, providing insight into potential changes in their population demographics as water temperatures rise.

The Mote “Protect Our Reefs” Grants Program has reviewed 433 proposals since 2004 and awarded grants to 245 projects totaling over $5.2 million. The significant portion of proceeds from the sale of these plates goes towards POR grants that support partnerships in research, education