Q&A with FSU professor on reducing impact of boat strikes on sea turtles
Published on: Florida State University News
By Holden Grace Wilkins
As summer approaches and more boaters take to the water, the risk of vessel strikes increases for the sea turtles that inhabit Florida’s coastal environment.
Florida State University Professor Mariana Fuentes helps reduce the impact on sea turtles by studying issues around their conservation and management. Within the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, she leads the Marine Turtle Research, Ecology and Conservation Group, where her team studies sea turtles across every life stage, from nesting beaches to coastal feeding grounds.
A recent study identified places on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts that expose protected marine turtles to the highest risk of being struck by vessels. Along with partners around the state, she is part of a statewide educational campaign called “Boaters for Turtles” to reduce vessel strikes on sea turtles…