Student in the Field: Tracking Shirleen

Photography by Derek Aoki, doctoral candidate,
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Southeastern Florida is home to a growing nesting aggregation of leatherback sea turtles, the largest species of sea turtles in the world. Leatherbacks return to nesting beaches every one to three years, laying seven to 10 nests per nesting season. Once the last nest has been laid, turtles embark on long distance migrations to foraging grounds located as far north as eastern Canada. Deploying satellite transmitters on nesting turtles allow researchers to monitor their movements after departing nesting beaches in order to identify high-use habitats, track migration patterns, and investigate environmental influences on sea turtle behavior.
Mentor: Annie Paige, associate research professor, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, and co-director, Marine Science and Oceanography Master’s Program