Evenings at Whitney on June 14:  Emerging Research and Conservation of Sea Turtles - in Honor of World Sea Turtle Day

Evenings at Whitney on June 14: Emerging Research and Conservation of Sea Turtles - in Honor of World Sea Turtle Day

Published: Friday, June 8, 2018

The spring Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series hosted by the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory concluded on June 14, 2018, at 7 p.m. with the program titled “Emerging Research and Conservation of Sea Turtles - in Honor of World Sea Turtle Day.” With a nod to World Sea Turtle Day on the Saturday following the lecture, a panel of experts on sea turtle research and conservation provided an interactive lecture. Guests attending the lecture learned about the Sea Turtle Hospital at University of Florida Whitney Laboratory as well as breaking new sea turtle research taking place and what community members can do daily to help sea turtles. A question and answer session with the panel members followed the lecture. Also, interactive information about sea turtles was displayed in the lobby as part of Whitney Laboratory’s education mission. This free lecture was presented at Lohman Auditorium, located at 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd., on the Whitney Laboratory campus.

The Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Laboratory provides rehabilitation, education and research for sea turtle conservation in Northeast Florida. Catherine Eastman, program coordinator at the Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Laboratory, opened the lecture by sharing about the focus, work and goals of the hospital. David Duffy, courtesy faculty and researcher at Whitney Laboratory, talked about the cutting-edge research taking place at the laboratory for sea turtle conservation, which utilizes state-of-the-art cancer research approaches used in human medicine. Funded in part by the Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program, which is financed by the sales of the sea turtle specialty license plate, the research has a goal of helping return a greater number of healthy sea turtles back into their wild populations. Rachel Thomas, veterinary hospital manager at the Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Laboratory, talked about what community members can do on a daily basis to help conserve sea turtles. She shared how plastic pieces of debris found in the ocean negatively impact sea turtles. She also talked about the importance of eliminating single-use items in daily living.

The lecture concluded with the panel comprised of Eastman, Duffy and Thomas answering questions from the audience about sea turtle research, care and conservation.

This is the last lecture in the spring season of the Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series. The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series will return in the fall with lectures each month from September through December.