Keegan Sentner is a wildlife biologist by training but considers himself a conservation storyteller. He acknowledges a great need to effectively communicate science to the public in exciting and inspiring ways. He aspires to use his voice to amplify the voices of others. Currently based in Baja California Sur, Keegan aims to help build a sustainable seafood economy. Keegan’s storytelling encompasses fields such as eco-tourism, wildlife, travel, and adventure sports. Follow his blog (ConservationAtLarge) or connect with him via email (KeeganSentner24@gmail.com).
Upwell researcher Stephanie J. Rousso stares out across the bay from the front row of seats of a blue and white fishing panga. The waters of the bay extend off into all directions, appearing to go on for days, still as glass. To her right, leaning against the steering column, is Adalberto Garcia, the captain of this boat. Adalberto is a stocky individual with a quiet wisdom that commands respect from anyone within his presence. He is a member of the fishing community La Reforma, located on the coastline of Northern Sinaloa. The community sits amidst a large lagoon complex lined with mangrove trees, desert islands, and colonies of seabirds. This fishing village is one of the largest in Mexico, and Adalberto is one of La Reforma’s most respected members. His collaboration in science is an example in the community, a standard of progress amidst a generational livelihood.
Adalberto has been collaborating with Stephanie’s PhD advisor, Dr. Alan Zavala Norzagaray, for several years. Alan is a professor at the research institute CIIDIR (Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional), located a couple of hours from La Reforma in Guasave, Sinaloa. Alan is a respected marine ecologist with a charismatic nature; he has formed personal relationships with fishers and is a big reason Adalberto transitioned from poacher to protector. Adalberto’s relationship with Alan led to Stephanie’s involvement with the La Reforma fishing crew. Now, she has her own relationship with Adalberto, which has grown into a unique form of a conservation partnership: a community-supported fishery, a model based on a program where the fishers are the drivers of conservation, collecting data, monitoring turtles, and reporting bycatch incidents.
Photo: Keegan Sentner
The data being collected here by Adalberto’s crew is instrumental in the future of sea turtle conservation within Northwest Mexico. According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), one of the most pressing threats to sea turtle conservation is bycatch. Bycatch occurs when fishing practices incidentally catch a non-target species in their fishing gear. Although bycatch is prevalent, artisanal fisheries are largely unregulated and bycatch is rarely reported to government authorities. This lack of oversight means there is virtually no information on the effects of bycatch in Northwest Mexico. Based on this information, the data Adalberto’s crew is collecting in La Reforma is instrumental to establishing a baseline of data within the region.
Stephanie is a PhD researcher with a focus on the spatial movements of sea turtles found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Her foundational research aims to understand the distribution and habitat usage of the five species of sea turtles in the region. Stephanie’s primary focus is the spatial movement of sea turtles. To do this, she utilizes a unique relationship between epibiotic barnacles and sea turtles to elucidate the movements of sea turtles. The barnacles form an obligate relationship with sea turtles, utilizing their carapace as a substrate to attach themselves. Stephanie applies isotopic analyses to identify chemical markers on the barnacles that act as indicators of past habitat usage, thus providing her with a picture of the habitats turtles have occupied.
Fishers collect barnacles from the turtles for stable isotope analysis to learn more about where they have traveled. Photo: Keegan Sentner
With a greater understanding of the past habitat use of sea turtles, Stephanie can then construct a spatial map of the areas in which sea turtles frequent. This information gives us a clearer view of the locations in which fisheries may contact sea turtle populations. Areas where high levels of fishing practice interact with large sea turtle populations, are labeled as “conflict zones.” This identification of conflict zones will lead to a more refined approach to collaborative activities in which the team can mitigate bycatch incidents in these conflict zones.
Stephanie and Adalberto joke with one another throughout the time we spend on the water. They bounce ideas off one another, ask about personal lives, and talk like old friends. This partnership is something that goes beyond standard scientific practice. These individuals care about the future of one another’s endeavors. This investment in one another sparks a much stronger partnership than you would find in standard business collaboration. It is these kinds of conservation practices that will help write a new narrative in Northwest Mexico. A narrative founded on the ideals of friendship, conservation, and passion for the great blue of our planet.