Sea Turtle Ecology
Dr. Elizabeth Whitman, Assistant Teaching Professor
Florida International University
Dr. Elizabeth Whitman shares her research on sea turtle grazing habits and how these relate to environmental factors like invasive species and hurricanes.
Recorded Webinar:
Ocean Expert Exchange is a live educational webinar series featuring experts in marine science and technology, many of whom have participated in expeditions onboard R/V ANGARI. The 30-minute live events welcome audiences of all ages and include a presentation on the speaker’s area of expertise followed by Q&A with participants. The series is co-hosted by ANGARI Foundation and the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute’s Scientist in Every Florida School program.
PRESENTER BIO
Dr. Elizabeth Whitman is broadly interested in the foraging ecology and in-water behavior of marine turtles. In Abaco, Bahamas, she is studying the top-down and bottom-up factors that may affect green turtle (Chelonia mydas) distributions through surveys of habitat, food availability, predators like sharks, and green turtle densities. In the French Antilles (Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Martin) she investigates the role that green turtles may play in the spread of the invasive seagrass Halophila stipulate. Dr. Whitman works closely with nonprofit organizations such as Friends of the Environment on Abaco to share scientific knowledge with local communities and inspire future generations.