Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Sea turtles are a charismatic, ecologically important, yet imperiled group of marine reptiles. Their recovery and conservation require an understanding of their biology and ecology to be successful. This course introduces students to these fascinating and complex animals through lectures and class discussions. Topics include life histories, physiological adaptations to marine life, homing and navigation, nesting, ecological roles within the ecosystems, main threats, current conservation status, and methods to study them.
PREREQUISITES
None. This course is the recommended prerequisite course for our Sea Turtle Biology & Conservation field course.
Coordinator of the Sea Turtle Conservation Program at Pronatura Península de Yucatán
COURSE FORMATS, CREDITS, DATES, & PRICING
FORMAT: Reach out to your instructor for help with course materials as you work through prerecorded lectures. Instructor support includes instructor feedback in the form of email, online discussion forums, and live discussion. You will have access to course materials for the 3-month term.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: This course has been pre-approved for continuing education by (1) the Ecological Society of America for 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training, and (2) The Wildlife Society for 16 CEUs in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program. Participants must complete all exercises to pass the course (P/F) and receive a CWS certificate of course completion, which can be submitted to ESA and TWS for CEUs. See our Continuing Education Page for more details about CEUs with ESA and TWS.
ESA & TWS CERTIFICATION: Participants that earn a B- or better can use this 1-credit course to help meet the minimum education requirements (in Biological Sciences) to certify as a Professional Ecologist with ESA.
*** This version of the course can NOT be used to earn academic credit from your college or university. See the PREMIUM format below ***
DATES & PRICES:
Spring: March 4 - May 26, 2024: $550 professional / $450 student
Summer: May 20 - July 7 (early bird* ends May 6): $500 professional / $400 student
*Early bird saves $50
FORMAT: Reach out to your instructor for help with course materials as you work through prerecorded lectures. Instructor support includes instructor feedback in the form of email, online discussion forums, and live discussion. You will have access to course materials for the 3-month term.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: This course has been pre-approved for continuing education by (1) the Ecological Society of America for 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training, and (2) The Wildlife Society for 16 CEUs in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program. Participants must complete all exercises to pass the course (P/F) and receive a CWS certificate of course completion, which can be submitted to ESA and TWS for CEUs. See our Continuing Education Page for more details about CEUs with ESA and TWS.
ESA & TWS CERTIFICATION: Participants that earn a B- or better can use this 1-credit course to help meet the minimum education requirements (in Biological Sciences) to certify as a Professional Ecologist with ESA.
ACADEMIC CREDIT: This 1-credit course can be taken with pre-approval from an administrator at a your college or university. See our Academic Credit Page for details.
DATES & PRICES:
Spring: March 4 - May 26, 2024: $650 professional / $550 student
Summer: May 20 - July 7 (early bird* ends May 6): $600 professional / $500 student
*Early bird saves $50
Introduction to sea turtle biology and marine adaptations
Ecological roles and current conservation status
Feeding and diet
Nesting, migration and navigation
Methods to monitor sea turtle nesting
Conservation and management
SCHOLARSHIPS
Full scholarships are available to participants from countries designated as “lower income” and “lower middle income” in the World Bank List of Economies. Please see our CWS World Scholars Program page for details.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations 30 days or more before the start date are not subject to cancellation fees. Cancellations <30 days before the start date are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. No refunds once the course begins.