(May 29, 2020) --

Example of wildlife camera and drone raw data of the mass nesting of Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles that was incorporated into the laboratories for the 2020 Marine Turtles Course. The students helped evaluate the mass nesting behavior and the conservation status of this critically endangered sea turtle.

Submitted by Thane Wibbels (UAB) and Jennifer Layton (Samford University)

The University Programs May Term Marine Turtles Course focuses on getting the students out into the field to experience and conduct field research and conservation and allow them to have a personal impact.  This normally includes having the students help with conservation projects in local habitats near the Dauphin Island Sea LabDISL, as well as taking the students throughout the entire expanse of Florida to let the students experience a variety of sea turtle conservation programs and world-class sea turtle scientists.

The COVID-19 situation was a challenging situation for a field-oriented marine conservation course, but our motto this year was: “If you can’t bring the students to the field to experience science and conservation first hand, we will bring the field to the students”.  

Example of wildlife camera and drone raw data of the mass nesting of Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles that was incorporated into the laboratories for the 2020 Marine Turtles Course. The students helped evaluate the mass nesting behavior and the conservation status of this critically endangered sea turtle.

In addition to a full two weeks of lecture content in the mornings, we incorporated state-of-the-art video media to complement the lecture content.  We also designed the labs to interface the students into ongoing research by getting the students to help us analyze newly acquired data regarding the biology and conservation status of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (a signature species for the Gulf of Mexico, and the most endangered sea turtle in the world).  

This included the data acquired from high tech drones and wildlife cameras (see table below).  The student examined these data in order to gain a first-hand understanding of the species’ mass nesting behavior or “arribada behavior.”  The results are also essential to help us evaluate the conservation status of this critically endangered sea turtle.  

As an additional way of interfacing the students with real-time/ongoing sea turtle biology and conservation, we assembled a full series of world-class sea turtle scientists and conservations from throughout the Southeastern United States to interact with the students and give them a full overview of their research/conservation programs (see the list of scientists and conservationists below).  

Through this unique and multidisciplinary approach, the students were provided with a rich research and conservation experience that included a broad spectrum of topics and included interaction with a full series of well-known sea turtle scientists and conservationists.  

 

Dr. Erin Seney

Associate Program Director: UCF Marine Turtle Research Program, University of Central Florida

Dr. Larry Wood

Foundation Biologist, National Save the Turtle Foundation, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Adrienne McCracken

Former Field Operations Manager, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, Florida
Former Biologist, Sea Turtle, Inc., South Padre Island, Texas

Dr. Jeanete Wyneken

Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University

Jake Lasala

Expert on Sea Turtle Genetics, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Sarasota, Florida

Dr. Kate Mansfield

Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, UCF Marine Turtle Research Group

Kristen Mazzarella

Senior Biologist, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Sarasota, Florida

Jeff George

Executive Director, Sea Turtle, Inc., South Padre Island, Texas