Current Projects
Protecting Endangered Leatherbacks
Upwell works with partners on the US West Coast and around the world to mitigate leatherback interactions with fisheries and support population recovery of this keystone species.
Unraveling the mysteries of the “lost years”
Upwell investigates where sea turtle hatchlings go and then mobilizes the data to advance conservation actions to improve their chances of survival in the ocean.
Creating cooperative solutions to reduce bycatch
Upwell involves fishers in sea turtle research and designs predictive models that enable fishers to avoid costly interactions with sea turtles.
Sea Turtle Conservation Medicine
Upwell is developing less invasive techniques to assess leatherback health and new approaches to improve the health of sea turtles and our oceans.
Upwell is investigating complementary options for active recovery, including rewilding, to save critically endangered Pacific leatherbacks.
Outreach and Education
Upwell created the Grande Turtle Adventure children's book and accompanying curriculum to teach kids about sea turtles’ life cycles, habitats, threats to their survival, and actions everyone can take to help sea turtles.
Engaging citizen scientists
Upwell invites boaters, divers, surfers and ocean enthusiasts to use the iNaturalist Sea Turtle Spotter project to contribute data on sea turtle sightings to an open-source database.