MISSION: “To ensure the survival of sea turtles within the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific through research, education, training, advocacy and protection of the natural habitats upon which they depend.”

HQ: Gainesville, Florida

YEAR STARTED: 1959

CONNECT: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

PROJECT: The Sea Turtle Conservancy is the longest-running sea turtle research and conservation group in the world. It was founded in 1959 by Dr. Archie Carr, a world-renowned sea turtle scientist. At the time, turtles were facing extinction from being harvested when they nested on beaches. With the efforts of the Sea Turtle Conservancy and other conservation organizations, turtle populations have steadied over the years. While six out of the seven species of sea turtles are still considered threatened or endangered, there is more work being done to protect them than ever before.

From economic to ecological to educational reasons, sea turtles are ultra-important species to conserve. They perform critical functions in the different ecosystems they inhabit, like keeping coral reefs and seagrass beds healthy and improving biological diversity of certain habitats. Sea turtles are considered a keystone species, meaning that ecosystems would undergo a complete change if they disappeared.

Sea turtles can also tell a lot about the health of an ecosystem, says David Godfrey, executive director of STC.

“If you have healthy sea turtle populations in a particular area, then it’s a very good indicator that all of those habitats are at least doing well enough to sustain this large, long-lived marine organism,” he says. “And when you see them being wiped out or dying off in areas, it’s also an indicator that there are problems.”

Sea Turtle Conservancy has developed a number of programs to help these essential marine species. They conduct the longest continuous sea-turtle research programs in the world, train leading sea-turtle biologists, educate youth and raise awareness for turtle conservation.

Plus, they represent sea turtles in other ways. When there are activities or laws that STC recognizes might harm turtles — or laws that they know would help turtles if passed — “We actively become engaged in the political nest to influence legislation to the benefit of sea turtles and their habitats,” Godfrey says. “So we take a step beyond being scientists — we are also advocates for the animal.”

STC has a unique connection to the dive world — swiss watch company Certina, which uses a turtle as its logo, reached out to the conservancy after realizing they launched their dive watches in the same year that the conservancy was formed. As the official watch of STC, Certina has provided dive watches to conservancy researchers and has financially supported their work.

GET INVOLVED:

1. Participate in a Sea Turtle Experience

At a select number of STC’s research sites, travelers are invited to join the conservancy team during nesting and hatching season.

“We have the facilities to be able to allow people to come and work with us on the beach for a week or two weeks and actually get that hands-on experience, essentially working as a sea-turtle biologist,” Godfrey says. Learn about Florida’s species during a guided beach walk along the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge; go on an eco-adventure to help collect data on nesting green sea turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica; or get up-close-and-personal with the largest turtles in the sea — leatherbacks — at Soropta Beach, Panama.

2. Adopt a Turtle

“The adopt a turtle program is a way for people to join the organization and be more connected to what we do than simply by writing a check to become a member,” Godfrey says. “By adopting a turtle, a person can become literally connected to one of the animals we are monitoring and working to protect.”

There are two types of adoptions. Both cost $30 ($40 if outside U.S.) and come with an adoption packet.

In one type of adoption, the turtle you adopt is yours for life. STC has put metal flipper tags on more than 100,000 turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Each tag has a unique number, and it is used to identify turtles nesting year after year. When you adopt one of these turtles, you’ll give it a name that will be recorded in STC’s database. Whenever that turtle is seen back on the beach, STC will send you an email about where it was seen, its health, how many hatchlings it is producing, and more. Only one individual is assigned per turtle, and you’ll receive notifications about your turtle indefinitely.

In the other type of adoption, you co-adopt a satellite-tagged turtle. STC tracks 15 to 20 turtles per year, and they’re named by the organizations that sponsor their satellite transmitters. Each time one of these turtles surfaces, the transmitter sends a location point that’s entered into STC’s database. When you adopt one of these turtles, you are able to watch it travel online in real-time for about a year (or as long as the transmitter keeps power).

3. Throw a Sea Turtle House Party

After people all over the world began to reach out to STC to see how they could get involved, the conservancy created the Sea Turtle House Party kit.

“You may hear from someone who’s sitting in Missouri, and they love sea turtles and they want to know how they can help, how they can play a role,” Godfrey says. With the House Party, “they can get their friends together to talk about some of the issues affecting turtles, talk about the organization and what we’re doing, and help spread the news about STC and encourage others to get involved, even in some small way.”

The House Party is a way for STC to equip people with materials and advice on throwing a fun, educational, sea-turtle-themed bash. From lemonade and hot chocolate stands to bridal parties, weddings and home get-togethers, turtle-lovers have taken the House Party kit and created all kinds of special events. If you throw a Sea Turtle House Party, STC may even feature you and your group in their newsletter and online.