Sea Turtle Specialist

Miami-Dade County Sea Turtle Conservation Program

April - Aug 2017

The Miami-Dade County Sea Turtle Conservation Program provides protection to the endangered and threatened sea turtle species in Miami-Dade County, Florida through conservation, education, and community outreach. The MDCSTCP is part of the eco-adventures division of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces department of Miami-Dade County.

As a sea turtle specialist, during nesting season, my primary responsibility was to conduct morning nesting surveys by ATV on 18.5 miles of nesting beach in Miami-Dade County. This included identifying sea turtle crawls based on crawl characteristics, collecting data on both false crawls and nests, monitoring nests daily, conducting post-hatch excavations, and releasing hatchlings. I also responded to strandings in Miami-Dade County after attending a Florida Stranding and Salvage Network training workshop. As is the nature of any field work, equipment maintenance and management was also a key part of the job, including keeping inventory, buying equipment, and re-stocking staging locations, as necessary.

In addition to field work, my responsibilities included aspects of data and report management. I, along with other staff, entered nesting data into a database for both statewide (SNBS) and index (INBS) nesting beach surveys, which were subsequently reported to the state. I was also responsible for the management of all sea turtle disorientation reports, including reviewing, organizing, and sending all reports to appropriate agencies and following up with any questions/comments. 

​The MDCSTCP also strived to be an active part of the community through outreach and education. During peak hatching season, I led and participated in public hatchling releases, which included an educational presentation and the release of hatchlings from that morning's excavations for approximately 50 people. I also attended several outreach events, such as community Earth Day and a Miami Seaquarium camp, to teach people about Florida's sea turtles, our program, and the importance of conservation efforts. In addition to attending events, I also contributed to the creation of educational materials, such as pamphlets and posters.