Frank Paladino, Ph.D., is a marine turtle biologist and Professor of Biology at Purdue University who has spent decades studying leatherback sea turtles on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. His work centers on understanding why these turtles continue to decline, even on beaches where nesting habitat is protected.

In the early 1990s, Dr. Paladino helped launch the Costa Rican Sea Turtles project with Earthwatch, building one of the longest-running research efforts on leatherbacks in the world. His research takes place on nesting beaches at night, where female turtles emerge from the ocean to lay their eggs. By tracking when they arrive, how often they nest and how environmental conditions affect reproduction, he has built a detailed record of how these populations are changing over time. That long-term dataset has helped document major declines in Eastern Pacific leatherbacks and has contributed to crucial conservation action.

Dr. Paladino's work played a role in the establishment of Las Baulas National Marine Park, protecting one of the most important nesting sites for this species. By connecting what happens on the beach with changing conditions in the ocean, his research links individual turtle behavior to wider population trends. These insights continue to guide conservation strategies aimed at protecting critical habitat and improving survival for leatherbacks over time.