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Marine Turtle Newsletter 73:7-8, © 1996

16th Annual Sea Turtle Symposium a Great Success!

Richard Byles
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P. O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, New México 87103 USA

The 16th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, held in February 1996 at Hilton Head Island (South Carolina), was hosted and aided by folks from the University of Central Florida, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida Atlantic University, University of Florida, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Mote Marine Lab, and many others. The Symposium brought together 650 participants from 42 nations. Sixty-three papers and 95 posters were presented. The quantity of quality submissions was outstanding. The Best Student Paper award was given to Nancy FitzSimmons for her work on multiple paternity in green turtles. Second place went to John Wang for his presentation of work on hatchling orientation in the surf zone. The Best Student Poster award went to Julie Rieder for her work on mating systems of the leatherback turtle, and second place went to Ray Carthy for position-physiological correlates of eggs in loggerhead nests. "Thank You" to Tom McFarland for the generous donation of a sculpture to the first place (Best Student Paper) winner.

The Auction, Tipplin' Turtle Bar, and T-shirt sales all made more money this year than during any previous Symposia. As a result, the Symposium will be able to offer travel assistance to more students and foreign colleagues in 1997 [see Eckert, following this article]. By the way, because of a mislaid box of T-shirts, we have some left. You may have been told that your favorite size or color wasn't available when it may have been. If you want to purchase a T-shirt (US$ 12.00 each, no size L, $15.00 for size XXL), please contact me. I'll send the best match to your request. Checks should be made payable to "Sea Turtle Symposium."

Everyone who registered for the 1996 Symposium will receive the Announcement for next year's meeting. If you did not attend but would like to receive information, please ask to be placed on the mailing list by writing Thelma Richardson, Sea Turtle Symposium Secretary, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 USA. Proceedings of the 1996 Symposium will be mailed to all registered participants. For those who were unable to attend, information on how to obtain the Proceedings will be provided in the Marine Turtle Newsletter later this year. Copies of the Symposium Program with preliminary abstracts are available free of charge from Dr. Pamela Plotkin, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.

Dr. Jeanette Wyneken (Florida Atlantic University) assumes the duties of President for the 17th Annual Sea Turtle Symposium. Ed Drane and Thelma Richardson were re-elected as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. Dr. Alberto Abreu (UNAM-Mazatlán, México) is the new President-Elect, and Colin Limpus (Australia) and Joáo Carlos Thomé (Brazil) were elected to the Board of Directors. The success of the Symposium was ensured by the efforts of the Committee Chairpersons and their many volunteers. Deepest thanks to all of you for your time and talents! And thanks to the participants, new and old. The Symposium was a success because it was your Symposium. You shared your experience, details of ongoing research, and conservation ideas and camaraderie. Nos veamos en el simposio del año proximo.