CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — The South Carolina Aquarium played a role in helping the Association of Zoos and Aquariums select recipients for its new SAFE Granting Program, which will provide about $240,000 to support five conservation projects.
One of the selected projects — AZA SAFE Lifeline for Critically Endangered Eastern Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtles — will receive $50,000. The AZA SAFE Sea Turtle program is also among the recipients. Recent changes at the federal level have halted funding for the program, and the SAFE Granting Program support will help sustain monitoring and protection of Eastern Pacific leatherback nesting beaches in Mexico.
Kelly Thorvalson, senior manager of conservation programs at the Aquarium and current lead of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Sea Turtle SAFE Program, released a statement regarding the newly funded project.
“The South Carolina Aquarium is an AZA-accredited institution deeply rooted in sea turtle conservation,” she said. “Our Sea Turtle Care Center™ allows us to rehabilitate sick and injured sea turtles here at home and Sea Turtle SAFE lets us scale that impact to protect global populations. This grant will directly support the protection of the Eastern Pacific leatherback, a critically endangered subpopulation nesting in Mexico, Central and South America. By supporting nest protection on primary EPL nesting beaches, we can help safeguard females and their eggs which is critical to population recovery.”
