The ACS San Francisco Bay Chapter was delighted to host Scott Benson for a fascinating presentation about leatherback turtles. After six months away, traveling the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) will begin to arrive in the coastal waters of central California next month to gorge on abundant sea nettles. Uniquely adapted for life at sea, this ancient mariner is the most widely distributed sea turtle, spanning tropical and subarctic waters worldwide. This presentation discusses the biology and ecology of leatherback turtles including information specific to the endangered western Pacific population that utilizes US west coast waters as a foraging region. The presentation also includes the current status of the population, challenges to recovery, and actions that citizens might take to enhance recovery prospects.
This webinar is offered for free to the public. A suggested donation of $10 per participant/viewer is encouraged and appreciated. Donations help cover webinar costs and support our education and cetacean research grant programs. Click here to donate.
ABOUT SCOTT R. BENSON
Stationed at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Scott Benson is the lead investigator of the leatherback turtle ecology program at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center and coordinates studies of the distribution, abundance, movement patterns, foraging ecology, and health of endangered western Pacific leatherback turtles along the U.S. West Coast and throughout the Pacific. His research integrates bio-telemetry, aerial surveys, vessel-based sampling, and satellite remote sensing to enhance understanding of how oceanographic processes influence the occurrence and behavior of this species, and to aid U.S. and international conservation and recovery efforts.
