We study sea turtles from land to sea in order to improve our understanding and protection of these iconic marine megafauna. On land, we study leatherback turtles at the world’s largest and densest leatherback nesting beach. In the sea, we study sea turtle social interactions, behavioral responses to fishing gear, conservation threats, and environmental factors that influence sea turtle bycatch. 

Representative publications:

  • Interactions among Hawaiian hawksbills suggest prevalence of social behaviors in marine turtles
  • Dynamics of human take and animal predation on sea turtle nests in Northwest Costa Rica
  • Developing low-cost tags: Assessing the ecological impacts of tethered tag technology on host species
  • Bycatch and directed harvest drive high green turtle mortality at Baja California Sur, Mexico
  • Fine scale daily movements and habitat use of East Pacific green turtles at a shallow coastal lagoon in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Study sites:

  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Baja California Sur, Mexico
  • North Carolina, USA

Partners:

  • Grand Riviere Nature Tour Guide AssociationĀ 
  • Turtle Village Trust
  • El Pardito Fishing Community
  • Inwater Research GroupĀ 
  • NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
  • NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science CenterĀ 
  • North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
  • Ecolibrium