Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

To improve analysis of the Eastern Pacific green sea turtle population's status, a spatial assessment is needed on their presence and abundance in their frequented habitats. This study aims to develop a framework from which a baseline study could be undertaken focused on Eastern Pacific green sea turtles surrounding the waters of Isla Espíritu Santo.

Two years of data collected from Health Assessments in Sea Turtles from Baja California Sur (BCS) and a research survey focused on Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) from ecotourism guides operating out of La Paz, BCS, México were used. Following the Institutional Review Board's (IRB) Protocol and due to the small number of survey participants, data data may not be used to extrapolate to the population of ecotourism operators in La Paz. Although past studies have integrated LEK from fishers, this is the first study to introduce LEK from theecotourism sector to inform Eastern Pacific green sea turtle conservation efforts in México. The results from this project will contribute to a better understanding and further insight of how this species utilizes this area.