To celebrate Sea Turtle Week, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Melania López-Castro for our next Wildlife Wednesday presentation. Sea turtles spend the vast majority of their lives in the open ocean, far from human sight. This "hidden" existence makes protecting them a unique challenge: how do we conserve a species that disappears for decades at a time?

In her talk, Melania will explore how scientists are finally solving these mysteries. From the nesting beaches of the Yucatán to distant foraging grounds, she’ll explain how her team uses tools like satellite tagging and biochemical markers to piece together the life stories of these ancient travelers. We’ll learn about how modern challenges, like rising temperatures are affecting the sex of hatchlings, make this work more urgent than ever.

Dr. López-Castro brings a wealth of expertise as a Program Coordinator at Pronatura Península de Yucatán and a faculty member at the Center for Wildlife Studies, where she teaches a specialized course on Sea Turtle Ecology, Conservation, and Research Methods. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of these magnetic navigators or just curious about marine science, join us to discover what it takes to protect sea turtles in our rapidly changing world.

CWS Wildlife Wednesday - Sea Turtles with Dr. Melania Lopez-Castro

Sea turtles: solving the puzzle of a life in the ocean