Friends of the Loxahatchee River - August Meeting

   
Event Info
August 1st, 2014 ~ 12pm
The River Center 
805 N US Highway 1 
Jupiter, Fl 33477

Join us for an insightful presentation on beach nourishment and its effects on sea turtles.  Learn what beach nourishment is, how we monitor impacts to turtles, and the typical results of monitoring. Niki will also touch on coastal development, with a focus on beachfront lighting impacts to turtles, and talk about ways coastal residents can help to improve conditions for sea turtle nesting. 

Come hungry, as a light lunch will be provided. Contact the River Center to RSVP at 561-743-7123 or
RiverCenter@Loxahatcheeriver.org.

 
Ms. Desjardin has a diverse background in biology, including the study of tropical marine systems, animal behavior and ecology, and resource management. She graduated from the University of Richmond with a BS in Biology, and obtained a Masters degree in Marine Biology from Florida Atlantic University.  Her graduate studies in marine science were focused on the habitat use and migratory overlap of leatherback sea turtles and ocean sunfishes.  In 2005 she presented the findings of her graduate research at the International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation.  Ms. Desjardin also spent seven summers studying the behavior and movements of nesting leatherback sea turtles in the Juno Beach area.  For the last nine years she has served as a Project Manager at Ecological Associates, Inc. in Jensen Beach, managing field operations and data collection for the firm's sea turtle and shorebird monitoring programs in Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie Counties.  During and after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Ms. Desjardin was responsible for implementing sea turtle nest protection measures for all sea turtle nesting beaches in the western Florida panhandle. In her spare time, she loves adventure running, bird watching, and snorkeling.