Saving Sea Turtles is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Sponsors & Partners

Organizer

Sea Turtle Conservancy

It is the mission of the Sea Turtle Conservancy, formerly known as the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, to ensure the survival of sea turtles within the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific through research, education, training, advocacy and protection of the natural habitats upon which they depend. STC is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization based in Florida with offices and projects in several other locations. STC is the oldest sea turtle organization in the world. Since its founding in 1959, STC’s work has greatly improved the survival outlook for several species of sea turtles.

Our Wonderful Sponsors

Certina

Certina watches are known for their precision, reliability and sporty character. The sport watch brand has an international reputation built on quality Swiss workmanship, throughout its 125-year history. Water is the source of all life. Perhaps this is the reason why humans have always been so fascinated by this element. Certina also succumbed to the magic of the oceans long ago, dedicating a series of timepieces to life above and under water. Certina’s passion for the world’s oceans dates back to the 1960s, when the brand equipped two underwater projects that aroused international attention. Certina’s maritime models are the ideal companion on holiday, but they can also be much more than that. Thanks to their dynamic design they look great both at the conference table and at a smart dinner. They are reliable and elegant sport watches – and radiate a lust for life.

fahlo

At Fahlo, we partner with non-profit organizations to create cause-related bracelets that come with an animal to track, while helping give back to the various organizations actually doing the tracking and research. By combining a tangible bracelet and interactive tracking experience, our goal is to educate customers about wildlife and excite them about conservation.

Atlantis, Paradise Island

Atlantis, Paradise Island is a unique, ocean-themed destination located on Paradise Island, The Bahamas, and features a variety of accommodations, all built around a 141-acre waterscape comprised of over 20 million gallons of fresh and seawater lagoons, pools, and habitats. Home to the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, there are over 50,000 marine animals in lagoons and displays, including The Dig, a maze of underwater corridors and passageways providing a journey through ancient Atlantis. Atlantis supports multiple Bahamian and Caribbean marine conservation programs through the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation and has helped preserve over one million acres of marine habitat in The Bahamas. Learn more at BlueProjectAtlantis.

Turtle

Turtle (Formally Turtle & Hughes) has close to 100 years of market experience and ranks among the top 20 electrical distribution companies nationwide. With over 800 employees, it is an independent, woman-owned business that services the industrial, construction, commercial, electrical contracting, export and utility markets. It leads in sustainable products and solutions. Turtle Green is one of the industry’s first sustainable electrical/industrial e-commerce product catalogs. Turtle services Fortune 100 companies operating nationwide, and in Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. www.turtle.com

Supercell

Supercell is a game company based in Helsinki, Finland, with offices in San Francisco, Seoul and Shanghai. Since our launch in 2010, we’ve brought five games to the global market – Hay Day, Clash of Clans, Boom Beach, Clash Royale and Brawl Stars. Our dream is to create great games that as many people as possible play for years and that are remembered forever.

Disney Conservation Fund

The Disney Conservation Fund is committed to saving wildlife and building a diverse global community inspired to protect the magic of nature together. Since 1995, Disney Conservation has directed $125 million and the expertise of our dedicated teams to support organizations working with communities to save wildlife, inspire action, and protect the planet. (www.disney.com/conservation)

Gideon’s Bakehouse

Gideon’s Bakehouse began in a home kitchen with one goal: to create an extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookie. Fifteen years and thousands of tests later, the work was complete. Our Cookie isn’t a product. It is a history, the sweet and the salty, the thrill of a first kiss, and the solitude of a heartbreak. Our desserts are emotional, personal, and we want to share our journey with you. We stay true to the original process, cutting no corners, putting every handmade detail into the 20 hours required to prepare a single almost half pound Cookie or a tall slice of Cake. We offer up our best expressions to you with a full-hearted invitation to learn more about one another. It is an opportunity to create an experience to remember. That is our brand. https://gideonsbakehouse.com/

Disney Cruise Line

The Disney Cruise Line vacation is an experience of a lifetime and a voyage like no other. Cruising with Disney creates fun and adventures for every age group young and old. Disney Cruise Line promises to bring out your “kid at heart” and build memories of a lifetime. Disney Cruise Line gives its guests the opportunity to embrace the spirit of imagination with cruise entertainment for every member in the family. The journey begins here at Disney Cruise Line, the most exciting, magical cruise line in the world. There is nobody who creates magic like Disney.

Gimme Snacks

Gimme is an eco-conscious choice. The entire product line is made with premium USDA Certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified seaweed sustainably cultivated and harvested. From our sustainable practices to our commitment to using the best ingredients, together we can help keep your diet and our environment healthy. We’re a family company with a real passion for creating healthy superfood snacks that taste great. Together, we founded gimMe to share our passion and love of healthy snacking with you and your family.

cinder & salt

cinder + salt is an eco friendly clothing brand, specializing in sustainable casual apparel for guys, ladies and kiddos. All of their original designs are silk-screened by hand in their zero-waste printshop, using reclaim inks & solar power. cinder + salt is on a mission to spread eco-optimism! They aim to foster happiness in nature & bring joy to your life through a focus on the natural world. All apparel & gifts are artist made + eco friendly.

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Sea Life Trust

SEA LIFE Orlando and SEA LIFE Arizona are proud to represent SEA LIFE, the world’s largest family of aquariums that deliver amazing discoveries around the world. From breath-taking underwater tunnels to incredible up-close encounters, guests can dive into the ocean world without getting wet. SEA LIFE has a vision of oceans that are healthy, protected, and full of diverse, wonderful animals and works together with its partner charity, the SEA LIFE TRUST. Their joint focus is to protect the world’s oceans and the amazing marine life within them. The SEA LIFE Trust owns and operates marine wildlife sanctuaries, runs inspiring conservation campaigns, and funds projects and education programs that champion the need for plastic-free oceans and an end to over-exploitation of marine life. For more information on the work SEA LIFE and the SEA LIFE Trust does in protecting our oceans, visit https://www.visitsealife.com/orlando, https://www.visitsealife.com/arizona, and www.sealifetrust.org.

The Turtle Hospital

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon in the Florida Keys opened its doors 1986 with four main goals: 1) rehab injured sea turtles and return them to their natural habitat, 2) educate the public through outreach programs and visit local schools, 3) conduct and assist with research aiding to sea turtles (in conjunction with state universities), and 4) work toward environmental legislation making the beaches and water safe and clean for sea turtles.

Four Seasons

Four Seasons is dedicated to perfecting the travel experience through continuous innovation and the highest standards of hospitality. The company’s guiding principle is the Golden Rule, and as such Four Seasons strives to have a long-lasting, positive influence on the communities where we operate and on the people we employ and serve around the world. We believe that this is integral to our success as a company. Four Seasons involves employees and guests in the common goal of preserving and protecting the planet. We engage in sustainable practices that conserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact. As importantly, sustainable tourism will enhance and protect the destinations where Four Seasons operates for generations to come.

Graft Cider

Graft was created by siblings Kyle & Sara Sherrer to develop a new kind of cider company. Their concept was two-fold: paying respect to old-world style of cider making while simultaneously experimenting with modern brewing techniques. All of Graft’s ciders employ century-old European traditions of using wild yeast and bacteria to ferment to dryness. They then harness the flavor profiles created from this style of natural cider and develop unique and innovative styles which take a nod from some of the best craft beer producers in the world. They are a small company with a big dream of bringing sour cider to the masses and have assembled an amazing team of people to help bring it to you!

Coastal Wildlife Club

Coastal Wildlife Club (CWC) is an entirely volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness about coastal areas and particularly the wildlife species which depend upon beach and dune habitats in southwest Florida. Our primary and most visible project is monitoring beaches for sea turtle activity in Charlotte and Sarasota counties on Manasota Key, where sea turtles nest in greater numbers than anywhere else on the Gulf coast, and on a small section of Knight Island south of Stump Pass. CWC also plans, implements and/or participates in multiple public outreach activities each year that help to increase awareness of our natural resources and to further our conservation efforts.  To learn more, visit https://coastalwildlifeclub.org/

Shark Reef Aquarium

Shark Reef is dedicated to establishing and maintaining the highest standards of animal care, to providing its visitors with an entertaining and educational experience, and to the practice of meaningful research and conservation initiatives. Several initiatives are taken by Shark Reef to encourage the message of conservation and preservation. Recycling facility water and implementing imitation coral into exhibits to preserve natural resources are just two ways Shark Reef sets the example..

Waterline Villas and Marina

Waterline Villas & Marina, Autograph Collection®, is the only full-service resort on Anna Maria Island, Florida. The boutique waterfront hotel offers exclusive amenities, distinctive services and numerous opportunities for guests to enjoy the authentic, laidback, beach town vibe of Anna Maria Island. The resort features 37 stylish two-bedroom villa-condos with gourmet kitchens; a 50-slip marina offering a variety of water activities; the French-inspired signature restaurant, The Chateau Anna Maria; and a resort style swimming pool with oversized sun deck extending into the marina. Through a partnership with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring, the resort supports efforts to maintain a suitable habitat for sea turtles, shorebirds and the island ecosystem through special guest programs, promotions and messaging. Learn more at WaterlineResort.com.

Event Sponsor

E2 Homes

E2 Homes is a modern, forward-thinking custom builders. Founded in 2005 in Orlando, FL, E2 Homes is owned and managed by Rob Smith, CGC and LEED AP. A native of Central Florida, Smith has a B.S.in Economics and a Master in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. His wife Denise Smith is the firm’s licensed Registered Landscape Artist (RLA). A graduate of Purdue University, she is also LEED AP. An award-winning firm with a diverse team, we specialize in distinguished residential and commercial construction, remodeling and green building.

Turtle Lady Art

Susan grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and was always in the process of painting or creating something. While studying art in college, her love of travel took her to the Bahamas and while vacationing there, she met her future husband. The crystal clear waters of the Bahamas soon became her new home and its teeming tropical life her new canvas. Susan’s art studies continued by attending weekly painting workshops under the guidance and in the studios of well-known local artists. Although Susan is relatively new on the commercial art scene, her work is in private collections both stateside and abroad. Susan’s hope is that in visually sharing what she sees, with her style of realism and use of color, she has captured images of the amazing world that surrounds us and that you are as moved and excited by what you see as she is. If you have never been beneath the waves, you can now ‘feel’ as though you actually are!

Research Partners

Florida Leatherbacks Inc.

Leatherback sea turtles are an endangered species. They are very vulnerable to fisheries bycatch, marine pollution and coastal development. In Florida, their nest counts and the number of individual nesting turtles are increasing. Florida Leatherbacks Inc. conducts an intensive night time study utilizing mark recapture, satellite tracking, and genetic studies to unravel the mystery of the leatherback sea turtle. By tagging individual turtles and documenting every encounter, we can better understand the size and health of the population as well as basic parameters like nest frequency, individual size, migratory patterns, and survival rates.

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring

For 30+ years Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch (AMITW) has coordinated conservation efforts for 12 miles of Manatee County shoreline. In three decades, we monitored 7339 turtle activities, protected 4454 nests, 301, 694 turtle eggs, and watched 271,680 hatchlings depart to become a future generation of loggerheads that will return to the region as they reach maturity.

The University of Central Florida Sea Turtle Research Program

The Marine Turtle Research Group is a group of UCF professional scientists and student volunteers dedicated to undertaking fundamental and applied research on marine turtles whilst supporting local capacity building and environmental awareness efforts necessary for successful conservation. The group of UCF graduate and undergraduate students study sea turtles along the Atlantic shores as the females return to the beach to nest and juvenile green turtles gather in the nearby Indian River Lagoon.

The Nevis Turtle Group

The Nevis Turtle Group (NTG) is dedicated to the development of a Sea Turtle Conservation Program for Nevis that involves local communities, and ensures that sea turtles will be there for the use of present and future generations. NTG was formed in 2003 by Lemuel Pemberton. Once formed, NTG gathered together a number of concerned volunteers to help monitoring the nesting beaches on Nevis. NTG volunteers work at night on beaches around Nevis to tag sea turtles and collect information about the nesting and movement of Nevis’ sea turtles. Additional information, such as levels of nest predation and poaching are collected during morning surveys. NTG also gives presentations about sea turtles at local schools and works to involve children in sea turtle related activities.