Lectures begin Wednesday, Jan 24 and continue every other Wednesday through March 20. The doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the one-hour lectures begin at 9 a.m.

Advance registration is required as space is limited. Please call the education office at 772=465-3271 or email SMSEducation@si.edu to reserve your seat for one lecture or join us for the full series. Lectures are free with paid aquarium admission ($3.25 for seniors 55+, $4.25 for adults, and $3.25 for children under 18 years old). One-year memberships, which include free admission, are available starting at just $15.

Wednesday, March 6

Inter- and post-nesting movement patterns of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting in southeastern Florida, USA with Derek Aoki, PhD Candidate at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Associate Researcher with Upwell Turtles, and Nesting Technician with Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Derek’s research focuses on the movement patterns of the southeastern Florida aggregation of leatherback sea turtle using satellite and acoustic telemetry. The goal of this project is to describe high-use inter- and post-nesting habitats throughout the north Atlantic Ocean and identify potential natural or anthropogenic factors influencing their distribution.