Sea Turtle Research at the 44th International Sea Turtle Symposium in Hawai‘i
Sea Turtle Research at the 44th International Sea Turtle Symposium in Hawai‘i
In late February, Sea Turtle Biologist Paul Hillbrand jetted off to Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, to attend the 44th Annual International Sea Turtle Symposium (ISTS). He was in attendance presenting two recent research projects on behalf of the BHI Conservancy’s Sea Turtle Protection Program (STPP).
During the opening weekend, Paul attended several workshops, including Epibiont Insights and Biologging for Conservation. Far from being simple lectures, these workshops served as forums for practical engagement, collaborative problem-solving, and skill development. They brought together experts from around the world to exchange field experience, explore new conservation technologies and methodologies, and build the connections needed to protect sea turtles worldwide. The Epibiont Insights workshop was a collaborative effort among researchers, managers, and students studying the organisms that live on sea turtles, primarily on their carapace and plastron. The group worked together to discuss sample collection protocols, data organization, and data sharing. The Biologging for Conservation workshop explored how biologging, such as satellite telemetry, can be used most effectively to advance conservation efforts for sea turtles and other marine species, while also identifying gaps in technology, management coordination, and interdisciplinary integration.
Paul outside of the Symposium
Once the symposium officially began, with keynote speakers, oral presentations, and poster sessions, Paul found himself fully immersed in sea turtle science and Hawaiian culture. The theme of the 44th ISTS was “Kaiāulu” (pronounced roughly “kai-ah-oo-loo”), a Hawaiian word meaning “community,” as well as “neighborhood” and “village.” The theme reflected the close-knit nature and camaraderie of the sea turtle community, celebrating the ways people support one another in advancing effective conservation strategies around the world. The opening ceremony began with elders Danny and Anna Akaka, who shared ʻike kupuna, or ancestral knowledge, wisdom, and traditions, through a traditional oli. The ceremony led into three and a half days of oral presentations and two evening poster sessions. In addition to attending talks, networking, and exploring potential collaborations, Paul focused on presenting two research posters based on studies conducted on Bald Head Island over the past few years.
During the first poster session, Paul presented his research, Insights from Satellite Telemetry on Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Use of Designated Offshore Wind Energy Areas Along the U.S. East Coast. The study examined how loggerhead sea turtles interact with Offshore Wind Energy Areas (OWEAs) along the eastern seaboard during their migrations to summer and winter foraging grounds after nesting on Bald Head Island. The findings showed that while post-nesting loggerheads regularly migrated through eight different OWEAs from North Carolina to New Jersey, their proportional exposure remained low, accounting for less than 7% of their total tracked time. Most interactions occurred during broader migratory movements rather than within core foraging areas, with the highest cumulative activity concentrated in the Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and Coastal Virginia OWEAs. Paul concluded that the tagged turtles primarily passed through the OWEAs rather than remained in them, highlighting the need for continued satellite tracking and dive-behavior analysis to help inform conservation strategies that balance renewable energy development with the protection of highly migratory marine species.
Paul and Emma’s Research Posters at the Symposium
The second poster session highlighted research conducted by Emma Phillips, who served as an intern in 2024 and a technician in 2025 with the STPP. Her study, What Horizon? A Two-Year Study on the Effect of Light Pollution on Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Hatchlings on Bald Head Island, NC, investigated how artificial light pollution, or skyglow, affects the sea-finding behavior of loggerhead hatchlings on Bald Head Island. Emma measured skyglow intensities across the island’s beaches during the 2024 and 2025 nesting seasons in an effort to determine the brightest sky direction and location. Her findings showed that the northern sky was the brightest, illuminated by Southport and the greater Wilmington area. She also found a strong correlation between this light pollution and hatchling behavior, with 98.5% of recorded misoriented hatchlings crawling northward across all beaches. West Beach was identified as the brightest overall location because it is exposed to multiple coastal communities, including Southport, Wilmington, and Oak Island, though it experiences the least misorientation due to very low nesting activity. South Beach had the highest observed misorientation rate because the skyglow there directly opposes the natural ocean horizon, which hatchlings use to orient themselves toward the water. Emma concluded that light pollution from mainland communities is a primary driver of hatchling misorientation.
Paul’s time at the 44th International Sea Turtle Symposium reflected not just the BHI Conservancy’s commitment to sea turtle conservation, but also the value of sharing ideas, learning from others, and building connections across the global research community. He returned home with new perspectives, practical takeaways, and a renewed appreciation for how much progress depends on collaboration. Experiences like this continue to shape and strengthen the work being done on Bald Head Island, helping ensure conservation efforts remain thoughtful, informed, and effective.
