TABLE OF CONTENTS A Helping Hand 4 What is a Marine Biologist 12 Mad as a Marine Biologist 20 Hanging Out with Otters 26 A Historical Rescue Project 32 A Whale of an Adventure 40 Custodian of the Sea 43 Citizen Scientist 45 Glossary 46 Index 47 Show What You Know 47 Websites to Visit 47 About the Author 48
A HELPING HAND Imagine strolling along a moonlit beach the sky filled with stars Suddenly you see a dinosaur lumbering out of the sea With extraordinary concentration she uses her flippers to dig a massive nest in the sand This is how marine biologist Jose Urteaga describes a leatherback turtle arriving to lay eggs on the shore Jose works in Nicaragua Central America The area is home to five of the world’s seven sea turtle species Nearly all of the turtle species are threatened The leatherback turtle is critically endangered 4 CENTRAL AMERICA NICARAGUA Leatherback Sea Turtle
Jose and his team watch the 1,000-pound 6 5-foot-long 450-kilogram 2-meter-long turtle as she slowly scrapes in the sand They know that when she is satisfied with the nest she is digging she will lay her eggs The team is ready When the eggs start to come they catch the eggs with a plastic bag The eggs will be taken to an area that is safe from poachers Sometimes they are taken to a special hatchery set up for the turtles 5
