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The Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, conducted every year by the International Sea Turtle Society (ISTS) is a unique event that draws participants from around the world, from across disciplines and cultures to a common platform: sea turtle conservation. The symposium encourages debate, discussion and the sharing of knowledge, research techniques and lessons in conservation to address questions in biology and conservation of sea turtles and their habitats.
The 32nd Annual Symposium will be held in Mexico for the third time, but will be its first visit to the beautiful state of Oaxaca, wonderful region with strong cultural relationships with sea turtles; Bahías de Huatulco, where the meeting is convened, is a paradise located in the southern coast of the Mexican Pacific, with nine bays of brilliant cobalt blue waters. Bahías de Huatulco offer natural settings that invite the visitors to alternative tourism, extreme sports and ecotourism activities. With the imposing South Sierra Madre as a background, 36 beaches compose this paradise isolated from the mainland by 21,000 hectares of dry forest that’s part of a natural protected area.
This time the Symposium will be focusing on innovative aspects of sea turtle conservation: new techniques, new approaches and new actors. For conservation and research groups in many countries, Mexico included, it is time to revisit the objectives and conservation strategies that have been in place for decades, and go a step beyond the routine; it’s time to open to a new generation of players with new ideas and new energy, to learn from difficulties of the past and to adopt and reinforce the successes. Year 2012 will be the “Time for Innovation”!
The Mini-Symposium “The Sea Turtles of Mexico” will celebrate the conservation and research about these species in this country, home of one of the oldest sea turtle conservation programs in Latin America. We’ll also host numerous thematic oral and poster sessions to discuss the main subjects regarding sea turtle biology. Prior to the main academic Program, we will host several regional meetings and workshops that will enrich our knowledge and complement our capacities for reaching our conservation goals. Additional special events include the Welcome Cocktail on Monday evening (12 March), the Live Auction on Thursday evening (15 March), and the Banquet on Friday evening (16 March).
Huatulco is an ideal destination that has something for everybody. Huatulco National Park offers from fantastic diving spots to mountain trails for bird watching. La Crucecita and Santa María Huatulco towns have all kinds of handcrafts shops and restaurants, where you can enjoy the great, world-renowned Oaxacan cuisine. So we encourage you to either arrive early or extend your visit, you’ll find it worthwhile! |
