Sabrina Mashburn, Executive DirectorSabrina has been a life-long lover of reptiles and the ocean, so sea turtles were a natural fit right from the start. After encountering these fascinating marine reptiles at the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation in New York, as well as the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Madagascar, she decided to make sea turtle science her career. Sabrina moved to San Diego to attend UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2015. As part of her Master's capstone project research, Sabrina surveyed hundreds of boaters, fishers, and other marine enthusiasts about their knowledge of California's sea turtles. The results of this survey showed that most recreational boaters and fishers did not know that there were sea turtles in California at all! Commercial boaters and fishers had more awareness, but most of them did not know that our green sea turtles can be found near shore and in our bays, harbors, and estuaries year-round. Sabrina began designing and distributing outreach materials and giving talks to angling and boating clubs about our local sea turtles soon after graduation, and she hasn't stopped! As the executive director of SoCal Sea Turtles Inc., Sabrina's main areas of focus are communicating directly with the public through in-person and online lectures, classes, events, and social media, as well as developing outreach materials and educational programs for SoCal Sea Turtles and other organizations, including NOAA and the US Navy. Sabrina is a Certified Biology Teacher (7-12) in both California and New York State. She holds a Master's in Secondary Science Education from the NY Teaching Fellows at CUNY, as well as a Master's in Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity & Conservation from UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography. If you are interested in having Sabrina speak to your group about Southern California's sea turtles in-person or online, or to work with Sabrina on an outreach or education project, please email her directly using the button below. |
Sabrina with an adult green sea turtle in San Diego Bay. Photo: NMFS Permit #16803 
Sabrina participating in a radiated tortoise survey in Madagascar. Photo: WWF
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