Upwell’s Laboratory Veterinarian Dr. Sam Kuschke is investigating the bacteria that lives on the skin of leatherback sea turtle hatchlings, blood values in leatherback sea turtle hatchlings, and the effect that climate change has on both.
Living the Dream: Life as a Scientist Who Studies Sea Turtles
One of the first things people say to me when they find out I’m a scientist that studies sea turtles is: “Wow, you are living everyone’s childhood dream!”. I am living my childhood dream, though my day-to-day work may be different from what most people expect when they think of being a marine biologist. So, what is it really like?
The Arrival
Arribada roughly translates to “arrival”, but in so many ways, it’s an understatement. Turtle nesting on Ostional Beach occurs year-round, but hits a peak in the rainy season between August and November. Each month on the last quarter of the full moon, olive ridley sea turtles gather off the coast of Ostional and prepare to lay their eggs en masse. The mass nesting of the arribada corresponds with the evening high tide, and for a few nights each month hundreds to thousands of sea turtles emerge from the sea to lay their eggs.
Where do turtles go when they leave the nest? Upwell aims to find out.
Little is known about a turtle’s life at sea. Conservation efforts and studies of sea turtles have largely focused on nesting beaches. Upwell aims to learn more about how sea turtles travel the oceans. By understanding where they go and how they use different habitats, we can better advance protections for turtles at sea.