Marine Turtle Evolution and Phylogeography

Juvenile loggerhead turtle in the California Current. Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Paula A. Olson

In collaboration with numerous international partners, the MTGP conducts global surveys of genetic variation for sea turtles in order to examine and define stock structure and identify management units for conservation. These studies provide a comprehensive analysis of the global phylogeography and population structure using mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) and nDNA (nuclear DNA) and provided the basis for the distinct population segment (DPS) designation of globally distributed sea turtle species under the Endangered Species Act.