| MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin
Petrovsky
561-297-0007, kpetrovs@fau.edu FAU
Students Recognized At International Conference BOCA
RATON, FL (March 19, 2004) - Twenty students
and two professors from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College
of Science traveled last week to San Jose, Costa Rica to participate in the International
Sea Turtle Society's Annual Symposium. They were joined by more than 1,000 students
and scientists from around the world to share research and discuss the future
of the world's endangered sea turtle populations.
As
part of the symposium, competitions were held for graduate students in four categories:
Best Biology Poster, Best Biology Paper, Best Conservation Poster and Best Conservation
Paper. More than 100 master's and doctoral students participated in the competition.
Judy Gocke, an FAU master's student supervised by Michael Salmon in Biological
Sciences won Best Biology Poster for her work titled, "Visual Spectral Sensitivity
of Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) Hatchlings:
A Comparative Study." Lesley Stokes, an FAU master's student in Biological
Sciences supervised by Jeanette Wyneken, took second place in the biology poster
competition with her work titled, "Seasonal Latitudinal Assessment of Early
Growth Rates in Northern and Southeastern Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta)
From U.S. Beaches."
"We are
very proud of these students, especially since they excelled over several Ph.D.
students in the same category," said Dr. Jeanette Wyneken, assistant professor
of biological sciences. "This is not the first time that FAU students have
been recognized for their work at this international conference."
Dr.
Wyneken and Dr. Salmon are considered leading authorities in the United States
on sea turtle populations. The community can view some of the College's turtle
research at the FAU Marine Science Laboratory at Gumbo Limbo Environmental Center
in Boca Raton. Additional information can also be found on the College web site
at www.science.fau.edu.
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