Honorable Mention: Sea Bound

Photography by Derek Aoki, graduate student, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Pictured here is a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) hatchling crawling to the ocean minutes after emerging from its nest on Juno Beach, Fla. Leatherbacks are the largest species of sea turtle, and in the next 15 to 25 years, this tiny hatchling will transform into a 1,000-pound adult. The global leatherback population is declining, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean subpopulation is considered endangered. This highlights the need for continuous monitoring of this species to promote the conservation and recovery of this important subpopulation.