Kate Mansfield
Question
In less than 200 words, what main research questions are you working on? Please make sure to first include a brief context and background to your research, articulate your question(s) and conclude with why you think it’s important to study the them (i.e., the potential broader impacts).
Answer
My research examines questions related to sea turtle biology, ecology, behavior, and conservation across all life stages of sea turtle—from eggs to adults. Techniques I use include field-based nesting beach monitoring; satellite and acoustic telemetry of yearlings, juveniles, and adults; genetic analyses; and ocean circulation or habitat modeling. Recent projects include testing small-scale, solar powered satellite tags on young, oceanic stage (“lost years”) sea turtles with the goal of describing early sea turtle dispersal and habitat use. We know little about the in-water behavior of sea turtles during their first years in the open ocean. The timing and locations of sea turtle habitat shifts from early oceanic to older coastal stage juveniles are poorly understood, leaving many unanswered questions—how far do hatchlings disperse from natal rookeries? What genetic mechanisms trigger the transition from oceanic to coastal habitats? Do turtles behave the same way in different ocean basins? Are these young animals active swimmers or do they passively drift with ocean currents? Answering these questions will fill key management data gaps needed to better understand and protect imperiled sea turtles. @UCFTurtleLab (twitter); www.facebook.com/ucfmtrg