Kathryn Price

Kathryn Price

Biology Major, Class of 2022

For one of my internships, I was a part of the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Fla. We devoted every morning to walking 35+ miles of beach to look for sea turtle activity. The program’s main goal is to help protect sea turtle nests from all human activity and land predators, if possible. When coming across sea turtle activity, I took data and measurements, and looked for eggs to verify turtle nests. After checking on each nest for an average incubation period of 55 days, we helped make sure as many baby hatchlings made it safely out to sea as possible— either by excavating monitored nests or just watching them go into the ocean without a problem.

This internship helped me realize how incredibly important conservation programs are. Many people do not realize how quickly our marine ecosystem is dying and the effects that can have on the human population and the environment. Through my internship I have learned the ins and outs of a conservation program, and realized what I would like to pursue a career in— marine ecology. Climate change and the conservation of the marine ecosystem go hand-in-hand, and one day I would love to do my part to help preserve the ocean and all animals that live in it.