HPU'S 5TH ANNUAL SEA TURTLE WORKSHOP EXPLORES THE 'AMAZING TRANSPACIFIC WORLD' OF LOGGERHEAD TURTLES

The 5^th Annual Sea Turtle Workshop, hosted by Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU) on October 9-10, 2025, continued the university’s tradition of uniting researchers, students, and the community to advance sea turtle conservation. This year’s event, “Loggerheads of the North Pacific,” dove into the incredible and mysterious transpacific journey of these turtles, highlighting the “STRETCH” project (Sea Turtle Research Experiment on the Thermal Corridor Hypothesis), a multinational effort dedicated to tracking and understanding the migration of these endangered creatures.

The two-day event brought together scientists, educators, and conservationists from Japan, Mexico, and the United States. The first day served as a critical midpoint team meeting for the STRETCH project, where researchers discussed project successes and future plans. The second day, held at HPU’s Aloha Tower Marketplace, was a free public workshop offered both in-person and virtually, sharing the team’s findings with the world.

A confluence of science and ‘ohana

The event began in true HPU ‘ohana style with a ceremonial Hawaiian blessing led by Kahu Hanai Danny Akaka, Jr. and Anna Akaka. Acting HPU Provost Brenda Jensen, Ph.D.,  delivered the opening remarks, welcoming the international participants and highlighting HPU’s commitment to marine science and conservation.

"It was truly an honor to host the international scholars of the STRETCH project and highlight a Hawaiian sea turtle species, the North Pacific Loggerhead,  that resides in our waters but does not come to shore except as bycatch from fisheries interactions,” said Jensen following the event’s conclusion. “The results shared revealed an exciting conservation science story of resilience and adaptation that inspires both concern and hope."

This year’s workshop was also dedicated to the memory of two giants in the field: Itaru Uchida, Ph.D., the Founding Director of the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, and Wallace J. Nichols, Ph.D., a celebrated champion of Baja’s Japanese loggerheads.

Unraveling a transpacific mystery

For decades, the North Pacific loggerhead was an enigma. Known as Umigame in Japan where they nest, and Tortuga caguamo in Mexico where they forage, their transpacific migration was only a theory until a tagged turtle confirmed the connection in 1987.

“We knew for years that these turtles were making an incredible journey from Japan to Mexico, but how they navigate that vast ocean is the critical question,” said George Balazs, a global independent sea turtle scientist and key workshop participant. “The STRETCH project is our way of asking the turtles themselves. By tracking them, we’re learning what ocean ‘highways’ they use, which is vital for protecting them from threats like fishery bycatch.”

The STRETCH project is a multi-year collaboration between researchers in Japan, the U.S., and Mexico. From 2023 to 2026, the team is releasing 100 satellite-tagged, juvenile loggerheads that were reared at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium to monitor their movements in relation to ocean conditions. The project is made possible by key partners, including Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), which provides ships to transport the turtles for their release on the high seas.

The public workshop featured 16 presentations from the project’s premier scientists. Topics ranged from satellite telemetry data analysis and nesting biology in Japan to loggerhead genetics, health, and the project’s educational outreach efforts.

A unique platform for conservation

The 5^th annual workshop again proved to be a vital platform for students and the public to engage directly with world-class researchers.

“HPU has become the ‘piko,’ the center, for this North Pacific loggerhead ‘ohana,” Balazs said. “Bringing the STRETCH team from Japan, Mexico, and the U.S. together with the local Hawaiʻi community creates a powerful synergy. It’s this spirit of aloha and open collaboration that fuels real conservation progress.”

Several HPU students interested in the team’s efforts attended the sessions to learn more about the turtles and their corresponding research.

Naomi Jones, ‘29, shared how meaningful the experience was to her personally and academically. “I’m really interested in marine research with mammals and sea turtles. I thought this would be a great experience for me to see real research presented right here on campus,” she said. “It means a lot that HPU is dedicated to this research because of the possibilities that can be opened for students to learn how to get involved, and see what else there is out there. It is also important to see how connections around the world help learn more about the world we live in.”

Continuing the legacy

While three presentations by NOAA scientists were unfortunately cancelled due to the U.S. government furlough, plans for those talks include recording them and sharing them at a later date.

For those who missed the event or want to rewatch presentations from Day 2 of the workshop, a full recording is now available for viewing on YouTube, thanks to the efforts of the STRETCH team and HPU’s IT department.

Mahalo to all presenters, organizers, and attendees who helped make the 5^th Annual Sea Turtle Workshop a success. With continued collaboration, innovation, and aloha, the journey to protect the North Pacific’s loggerheads is well underway.

“Each turtle we track tells a story of endurance, adaptation, and connection,” Balazs noted. “When we learn from them, we learn something about ourselves and the world’s changing environment.”