During the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, UCF’s Marine Turtle Research Group was highlighted for their conservation efforts with green turtles. The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge hosts about one-third of all green turtle nesting sites in Florida and has seen improved numbers of sea turtle nests in the past decades.

“The green turtle was heavily exploited for its meat, and local populations were likely small decades before the ESA went into effect,” said turtle researcher Erin Seney. “The nest numbers we now see on the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and elsewhere highlight the importance of conservation efforts that have occurred both in the water and on land.”

• Erin Seney