The Sea Turtle Conservancy was founded in 1959 (then known as the Caribbean Conservation Corporation) by Archie Carr, a professor at the University of Florida, after he witnessed an unsustainable amount of consumption of turtles while visiting Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Since then, the Sea Turtle Conservancy has dedicated it’s mission to research, education and advocacy of sea turtles in various locations around the world.
Each year, the SeaTurtle Conservancy in Tortuguero selects 8 research assistants for each turtle ‘program.’ March-May is the first program, focusing on the Leatherback turtle (or tortuga baula in Spanish), while June-August and August-October both focus on the Green turtle (or tortuga verde). The area occasionally receives Hawksbill turtles (tortuga carey), but the numbers are so small they do not focus on that species (although they still collect Hawksbill data).
The research assistants conduct nest surveys/excavations, monitor the beach looking for signs of turtles, tag female turtles and collect biometric data for use in research. They also educate the local children on the importance of turtle conservation while forming positive relationships with the local community. You can find more information on the research program here.
Tortuguero Traveler 