UGA Marine Education Center And Aquarium hosts Sea Turtle conservation talk

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTGS) — Nearly all species of sea turtles are now classified as endangered, with three of the seven species being critically endangered.

Thursday afternoon, the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant hosted a community talk about sea turtle research on the Georgia coast.

Family, friends, and guests were able to sit in and learn about sea turtles on the Georgia coast.

Each summer loggerhead sea turtles will lay their eggs on the state’s barrier islands. Two months later the eggs will hatch and baby sea turtles will crawl into the ocean. Although, educators say very few of them ever survive until adulthood.

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"I care about sea turtles because a lot of them are endangered. It is really important that we get together and protect them. Only 1 in a thousand make it (to an adult)," said Lindsey Thomas, a Marine Education Fellow at the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.

Guests were taken behind the scenes in the aquarium to feed the ambassador loggerhead turtle, Wiso.

The talk also featured how researchers have long-term monitoring and research of sea turtles at Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge. If you would like to attend a behind-the-scenes aquarium tour, you can click here.