Jan 01 2025 60 mins
Join Brooke for a conversation with marine biologist Melania López-Castro as she shares her journey protecting endangered sea turtles in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. From tracking mysterious hatchling movements to implementing innovative conservation strategies, Melania discusses her work with Pronatura Peninsula de Yucatan to save critically endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles. Learn how local communities, scientists, and tourism operators are working together to protect these ancient mariners, and discover how you can support sea turtle conservation in one of their most important nesting grounds worldwide.
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Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Yucatan Peninsula and Sea Turtle Conservation
00:54 Meet Melania Lopez Castro: From Academia to Conservation
05:20 The Journey of Sea Turtles: From Birth to Maturity
10:35 Challenges and Innovations in Sea Turtle Conservation
12:43 The Role of Pronatura in Sea Turtle Conservation
22:48 Tourism and Conservation: Balancing Act in the Yucatan
29:45 Switching from Fishing to Tourism
30:46 Collaborations for Conservation
31:57 Threats from Feral Dogs and Raccoons
37:00 Challenges of Coastal Development
38:40 Environmental Policy in Mexico
45:09 Efforts in Sea Turtle Conservation
51:25 How You Can Help
56:14 Connecting with Nature