Kayla Sargent
Where do you spend your lost years, little ...

In late October, a collaborative team of researchers from Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation and Upwell took a boat into the swift Agulhas Current, the southwest boundary current of the Indian Ocean that runs down the east coast of South Africa. There, they released 12 tiny loggerhead turtles with satellite tags attached to their carapace (top shells) in an effort to understand how these turtles are using this oceanic highway. See where these turtles have traveled over their first weeks in the ocean!

Where do you spend your lost years, little turtle?
Kayla Sargent
Diving Into Underwater Photography with Nuno ...

Nuno Vasco Rodrigues is a Marine Biologist and researcher at MARE IPLeiria. He was named “Conservation Photographer of the Year” by Ocean Geographic Society in 2021. For the past three years, Nuno has photographed Upwell’s work tagging juvenile loggerhead turtles in the Azores Archipelago in partnership with the COSTA Project and the University of the Azores, which is part of Upwell’s Lost Years Initiative. Nuno took some time to chat with us about the highlights and challenges of documenting sea turtle releases underwater. 

Diving Into Underwater Photography with Nuno Vasco Rodrigues
Kayla Sargent
Researcher Interview: Analyzing Data from ...

With a team of collaborators, we tested new specially-designed prototypes of Lotek microsatellite tags on 160 juvenile sea turtles of four species in the North Atlantic. The data from these tags was published in a new article, "Novel Microsatellite Tags Hold Promise for Illuminating the Lost Years in Four Sea Turtle Species." We sat down with lead-author Tony Candela to talk about this article, his process as lead-author, and the important implications of these findings for the bio-logging community.

Researcher Interview: Analyzing Data from Microsatellite Tags on Juvenile Sea Turtles
Bycatch, Sea Turtle Tracking
Kayla Sargent
Leatherback Saved by Fisher-Researcher ...

When fishermen and researchers collaborate, they create opportunities to amplify efforts for the research and conservation of sea turtles. This past spring, Upwell participated in these efforts by providing a satellite tag for Liam Neythan, a leatherback sea turtle that was saved in Sinaloa, Mexico. Our collaborators, the fishers Edmundo Rafael Garcías Burgos and Mariano García Olivas, as well as Dr. Alan Zavala Norzagaray and the CIIDIR IPN Unidad Sinaloa are the key collaborators and heroes in this story.

Leatherback Saved by Fisher-Researcher Collaboration in Sinaloa
Leatherbacks, Sea Turtle Monitoring, Protecting Endangered Lea
Kayla Sargent
Aerial Surveys Result in One-of-a-Kind Finds

Upwell Research Project Technician Sierra Fullmer shares some of her most exciting sightings while conducting aerial surveys to look for leatherbacks off of the US West Coast.

Aerial Surveys Result in One-of-a-Kind Finds

Beyond the Reef: Tagging Juvenile Hawksbills in the Caribbean

Beyond the Reef: Tagging Juvenile Hawksbills in the Caribbean

Much of the current telemetry data collected by tagging hawksbills is from adult females, due to the fact that they are easiest to tag when they crawl up the beaches to nest. To expand our knowledge of small juvenile hawksbill movements, Upwell teamed up with ProTECTOR, Inc., an organization with the goal of advancing our understanding of sea turtle biology and ecology through research throughout the coasts of Honduras. In early July the collaborative team tagged eight juvenile hawksbills with micro-satellite tags. The turtles were then released just off of the northeast reef of the Bay Islands, with some making impressive journeys.

Can We All Agree to Protect the Ocean?

One of the biggest challenges in protecting sea turtles is that they are constantly on the move. All sea turtle species make migrations (big or small) from their nesting grounds to foraging areas, requiring coordinated conservation efforts between all territories that they cross through. For example, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia participate in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to protect the bird species that travel regularly across their borders. But what happens when the area that needs protecting doesn’t belong to any country?

Meet the Turtles Tagged in France

Meet the Turtles Tagged in France

At the end of June, Upwell Executive Director Dr. George Shillinger joined our Aquarium La Rochelle collaborators to tag and release 9 rehabilitated juvenile turtles. So far, about half of the turtles have left the bay swimming slightly northward, while the other half are taking their time. You can read more about each of the turtles, like where they were rescued and what care they received before their journey back into the ocean in the info cards made by the Aquarium below.

What Are Harmful Algal Blooms and How do They Impact Sea Turtles?

What Are Harmful Algal Blooms and How do They Impact Sea Turtles?

While the effects of HABs on marine mammals have been well documented, much less is known about their potential impact on sea turtles. Under the mentorship of Upwell Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Heather Harris, Cal Poly veterinary student Brenna Eikenbary is investigating the likelihood of HAB exposure among sea turtles stranded along the West Coast since 1990.

Loggerheads in the Bay of Biscay and Beyond

Loggerheads in the Bay of Biscay and Beyond

Last year in July, we deployed 10 micro-satellite tags on juvenile loggerheads in partnership with the Aquarium La Rochelle in France. Of this cohort, all of which are named after European scientists, the tags on turtles Archimede, Nicolas Copernic and Charles Darwin have continued to transmit for an astounding 312 days and counting (a new record)! As we prepare to release another set of turtles, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the observations from this first deployment, and how they help us to take the next steps in our research.

UN-Backed Global Research Movement Shows Benefits of Tracking Ocean Giants for Marine Conservation

UN-Backed Global Research Movement Shows Benefits of Tracking Ocean Giants for Marine Conservation

Why do we tag turtles? Upwell contributed our sea turtle telemetry data and expertise to the global UN-endorsed research project, MegaMove, which involves almost 400 scientists from over 50 countries in an effort to identify the most critical locations in our global oceans for better marine conservation efforts. The research found that the targets of the current BBNJ Treaty - signed by 115 countries but still to be ratified – is a step in the right direction and will be key to assist conservation but insufficient to cover all critical areas used by threatened marine megafauna, suggesting that additional threat mitigation measures are also needed.

Reflecting on the Sea Turtles in the Retroflection

Reflecting on the Sea Turtles in the Retroflection

Six months ago, Upwell and Two Oceans Aquarium deployed micro-satellite tags on 12 loggerhead turtles rehabilitated at the Turtle Conservation Centre. We watched their progress with many questions and hypotheses. While it will take far longer than six months to answer any of these questions fully, we made some fascinating observations that allow us to ask even more questions!