Sea Turtle Research Internship
Author: Jordan Hamby
Faculty Supervisor: C. Tate Holbrook, Ph.D.
Abstract:
This past summer I worked as a research intern with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) focusing mainly on the endangered loggerhead sea turtle. I helped with identification and tagging of loggerhead females and with the management and excavation of loggerhead nests on Jekyll Island. This internship allowed me to gain experience collecting data, observing wild creatures, and working in the field. This experience was important, not just for me but for the community. This internship allowed me to gain experience with collecting data, observing wild creatures, and working in the field. This experience was important, not just for me but for the community. By educating the people that I encountered while conducting my patrols, I played a role in getting the word out about conservation of these creatures and even inspiring kids to become the next generation of scientists. During this internship, I implemented much of what I have learned in classes, from data collection techniques to how to teach people about science. The data I collected will be used by GSTC and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to create new policies and strategies for sea turtle research and protection in the future. This internship taught me how to be a scientist, not just the glamorous, “you’re the people that save turtles,” part but also the dirty, often stinky, part. The experiences gained from this summer reaffirmed how much I wanted to be a scientist and how much I love educating people about things I love.
