Scott Benson

NOAA – Southwest Fisheries Science Center

Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program

March 21, 2018
Pacific Forum—3:00 p.m.

With their immense size and peculiar appearance, leatherback turtles resemble species that inhabited Earth in the distant past. A swimming and diving machine, they are uniquely adapted for life at sea. This ancient mariner is the most widely distributed sea turtle, spanning tropical and subarctic waters worldwide. The endangered western Pacific leatherback turtle engages in the longest migration of any aquatic, air-breathing vertebrate. These turtles travel more than 7,000 miles annually between their western Pacific nesting beaches and their eastern Pacific foraging areas. This presentation will cover the biology and ecology of leatherback turtles, the current status of the population, challenges to recovery, and the actions we can take to help.

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