ocean

Unraveling the Mystery of the “Lost Years” in the Azores

Unraveling the Mystery of the “Lost Years” in the Azores

Upwell’s Executive Director, Dr. George Shillinger, and Upwell Researcher Dr. Sean Williamson recently traveled to the Azores for the unique opportunity to satellite-tag juvenile loggerheads being rehabilitated at the Aquário Porto Pim before their release into the North Atlantic.

Bon Voyage, Bumpy!

Bon Voyage, Bumpy!

In October of 2021, Upwell and our partners from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tagged one of the largest leatherbacks ever encountered in the California Current foraging zone weighing in at 1,419 pounds! This massive male leatherback was dubbed “Bumpy” because of the distinctive bumps on the rear of his carapace, which were likely caused by a prior ship strike. Find out more about where Bumpy has traveled.

PRESS RELEASE - Massive leatherback sea turtle satellite tagged in California waters

PRESS RELEASE - Massive leatherback sea turtle satellite tagged in California waters

Upwell and NOAA Fisheries are monitoring and protecting California’s leatherbacks with satellite technology. Researchers in October captured a massive Pacific leatherback turtle off California that they had caught and released once before in 2016.

Local Gifts Can Help Turtles This Holiday Season

Local Gifts Can Help Turtles This Holiday Season

We all know buying local reduces carbon emissions and can help combat climate change, but did you know it can also help reduce threats to sea turtles? International shipping often relies on the use of massive cargo ships to transport goods across our oceans. Sea turtle migration paths can intersect with vessel traffic and nearshore shipping lanes can overlap with important foraging habitats.

Striving for Mutual Success with Artisanal Fishers in Sinaloa

Striving for Mutual Success with Artisanal Fishers in Sinaloa

La Reforma 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 fishers are taking a proactive stance in protecting sea turtles from bycatch. The Upwell team recently traveled to La Reforma to meet with several experienced fishers that partner with Grupo Tortuguero, such as Captain Adalberto Garcia. The data being collected here by Adalberto’s crew is instrumental in the future of sea turtle conservation within Northwest Mexico.

Ghosts in the Bay of La Paz

Ghosts in the Bay of La Paz

The Bay of La Paz, Mexico is filled with scattered mangrove forests, rocky reefs, and rugged coastlines. Bycatch is a pressing issue in the region. Although regulations exist to limit unselective fishing gear like gillnets, enforcement can be weak. Sea Turtle Spotters help Upwell as citizen scientists, reporting both live and dead sea turtles to Upwell researchers to help us learn more about the threats they face at sea.

Upwell Teams Up with Artisanal Fishers Seeking to Reduce Bycatch

Upwell Teams Up with Artisanal Fishers Seeking to Reduce Bycatch

A new generation of artisanal fishers in the El Pardito fishing cooperative of Baja California Sur is working to replenish overfished stocks and reduce sea turtle bycatch. Upwell researcher Stephanie Rousso has seen first-hand the threats posed by artisanal fisheries to sea turtles, mostly by entanglement in gillnets. In collaboration with fishers from the El Pardito cooperative, Stephanie is designing a pilot program to measure and reduce sea turtle bycatch.

Novel tracking technology sheds light on leatherback “lost years”

Novel tracking technology sheds light on leatherback “lost years”

New technologies are finally shedding light on one of the greatest mysteries in sea turtle biology. Using prototype “micro-satellite” tags specifically designed to fit juvenile leatherback turtles, Upwell and Florida Atlantic University researchers released eighteen captive reared juvenile leatherbacks to track their movements off the coast of Florida and shed light on the “lost years” phase of their lives.

Saving East Pacific Leatherback Turtles from the Brink of Extinction

Saving East Pacific Leatherback Turtles from the Brink of Extinction

Concerned scientists, conservationists, and managers gathered in 2012 to discuss ways to stop the extinction of East Pacific leatherbacks; they formed a regional network called LaudOPO in 2015. This network has developed an Action Plan to address the two main threats to East Pacific leatherbacks: fisheries bycatch and egg loss or reduced hatchling recruitment at nesting beaches. Upwell is investigating active recovery techniques such as egg translocation and headstarting as options to complement LaudOPO’s conservation action plan.