COMPLEMENTING EASTERN PACIFIC GREEN TURTLE POPULATION MONITORING WITH LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE: BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF Chelonia mydas SURROUNDING PARQUE NACIONAL ZONA MARINA FROM THE ARCHIPIÉLAGO ESPÍRITU SANTO, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO

To improve analysis of the current Eastern Pacific Green (EPG) turtle population status, a spatial assessment is needed on their presence and frequency in their frequented habitats. This study aims to develop a framework from which a baseline study could be undertaken focused on EPG turtles surrounding the waters of Parque Nacional Zona Marina from the Archipiélago Espíritu Santo. Two years of data and a research survey focused on Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) from ecotourism guides operating out of La Paz, BCS, México were used. Due to the University of California’s Institutional Review Board’s (IRB) protocol and small sample size of survey participants, survey data may not be used to extrapolate to the population of ecotourism operators in La Paz. Although past studies have integrated LEK from fishers, this is the first study to introduce LEK from the ecotourism sector to inform EPG turtle conservation efforts in México. The results from this project will contribute to a better understanding and further insight of how this species utilizes this area.