Two leatherback experts from Florida Leatherbacks Inc. will kick off this year’s Evenings at the Homestead programs.

Leatherback sea turtles are one of the rarest species of marine turtle on the planet, and their population in Florida remained somewhat of a mystery in this area until recently. Kelly Martin and Chris Johnson, from Florida Leatherbacks Inc., will discuss their ongoing research on leatherback sea turtles in this engaging presentation.

By conducting nightly surveys to tag and identify each individual, biologists with Florida Leatherbacks Inc. have been able to define important population and biological parameters. This study incorporates basic morphometrics, satellite tracking, and genetic analysis to help better describe this local population and work toward conservation efforts. The rarest of the three species that regularly nest in Florida, more than 1,000 unique individual leatherbacks have been identified, important nesting parameters have been defined, and migratory patterns are better understood.