Green Sea Turtles: One of Conservation's Greatest Success Stories | Inside NOAA's Sea Turtle Research

What does it take to recover a species that was once on the brink of collapse?In this episode of Safe Travels, we travel to San Diego Bay with researchers from NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Fisheries Science Center for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's most inspiring wildlife recovery stories, the remarkable comeback of the green sea turtle.Join research biologist Dr. Cali Turner Tomaszewicz, biologist Garrett Lemons, lab technician Anna Cahill, and citizen scientist Tracy Tempest as they capture, examine, tag, and release one of San Diego Bay's resident green sea turtles. Along the way, we explore how decades of science, international conservation, and community involvement have helped reverse one of the greatest wildlife declines of the last century.You'll discover how researchers monitor turtle populations, use genetics and satellite tracking to understand migration, estimate age through bone science, and investigate the mysterious "lost years" of juvenile sea turtles. The episode also examines the new conservation challenges facing recovering populations, including climate change, warming oceans, vessel strikes, marine debris, and shifting sex ratios caused by rising nesting temperatures.Most importantly, this episode demonstrates that long-term, science-based conservation works, and that every person has a role to play in protecting our oceans.In This EpisodeField research with NOAA Fisheries in San Diego BayCapturing and safely handling wild green sea turtlesTagging, blood sampling, genetics, and satellite trackingHow scientists estimate turtle age using skeletal growth ringsThe mystery of the sea turtle "Lost Years"Why most Southern California green turtles originate from MexicoHow citizen scientists contribute to sea turtle conservationThe impact of climate change on sea turtle populationsBoat strikes, marine debris, and other modern threatsWhy the recovery of the green sea turtle is one of conservation's greatest success storiesSimple actions everyone can take to help protect sea turtlesFeatured GuestsDr. Callie Turner TomasevitzResearch BiologistNOAA Fisheries – Southwest Fisheries Science CenterGarrett LemmonsBiologistNOAA Fisheries – Marine Turtle Ecology & Assessment ProgramAnna CahillLab Technician Marine Turtle Ecology & Assessment ProgramTracy TempestCitizen Scientist & Sea Turtle Conservation VolunteerKey TopicsGreen Sea TurtlesMarine ConservationNOAA FisheriesSea Turtle ResearchWildlife BiologyOcean ConservationClimate ChangeCitizen ScienceMarine EcologyNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationWildlife DocumentaryEnvironmental ScienceIf You Enjoyed This Episode:Please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing this episode with someone who loves wildlife, conservation, or the ocean. Every listen helps us continue telling the stories of the scientists, rangers, and conservationists working to protect our planet.