Webinar: Saving Sea Turtles in a Changing Landscape

All four species of sea turtles in South Carolina are listed as threatened or endangered. While a lot of work has been done over the past 30 years to help populations rebound, growing issues surrounding coastal development and ocean conservation threaten populations. Join The Nature Conservancy and the South Carolina Aquarium to learn about how global and local conservation groups are working together to protect these endangered species and what you can do to help ensure that sea turtles have a future in our oceans!

KELLY THORVALSON, SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM Kelly Thorvalson, a native of Georgetown, SC, received her BS degree in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston and began working with the South Carolina Aquarium in 1999, a year before the Aquarium opened its doors. In addition to helping build the initial animal collection, Kelly managed the Sea Turtle Care Center for 12 years, greatly developing the program including a major expansion that opened in 2017. In Kelly’s current position as Conservation Programs Manager, she is working beyond the Aquarium’s walls to advance conservation initiatives in relation to sea turtles, plastic pollution and sea level rise.

JAY ODELL, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY Jay Odell leads The Nature Conservancy’s fisheries conservation work in the SE US and Gulf of Mexico. He’s worked for TNC since 2003, developing and implementing data driven solutions to address estuarine and marine restoration and conservation challenges at local, national and global scales. He received a BS degree in Biology from Evergreen State College in 1986 and a Master of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation from the Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2003. Prior to joining TNC, Jay worked for the Washington State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife for 13 years leading fisheries stock assessments, harvest management, and intergovernmental negotiations.