Research Area(s)
Marine turtle ecology and conservation biology, including population dynamics, diet, movements, and threats, and implications for protected species policy
Background
Erin Seney is an Associate Research Scientist and non-teaching faculty member with the Marine Turtle Research Group in the University of Central Florida’s Department of Biology. She holds a B.A. in Biology (University of Virginia), an M.S. in Marine Science (College of William and Mary), a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science (Texas A&M University), and a professional certificate in Geographic Information Systems (George Mason University). After receiving her Ph.D., Dr. Seney was an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow placed at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation, and she later ran her own consulting business.
Dr. Seney’s areas of expertise include marine turtle movement and diet research, conservation biology, fisheries, and policy. She has conducted marine turtle research and nesting, in-water, stranding, and rehabilitation activities in Virginia, Texas, and Florida and developed a satellite transmitter attachment method for small neritic Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. Dr. Seney has authored and co-authored publications on marine turtle diet, movement, distribution, and stock assessment; implications of climate change on Endangered Species Act decisions; and fishery bycatch. She is currently a member of the University’s Marine Turtle Research Group, and manages and participates in long-term monitoring and research at central Florida nesting beaches and in-water habitats. Dr. Seney leads research characterizing the diets of wild sea turtles and collaborates with Dr. Anna Forsman aimed at identifying sea turtle diet items and characterizing microbiome using DNA metabarcoding. She also collaborates with Marine Turtle Research Group graduate students and periodically mentors past undergraduate interns on ecology- and conservation-focused research projects.
Publications
Refereed Publications
Pilcher NJ, Kelly IK, Kondo S, Seney EE, Sacco AE. 2025. Green turlte, Chelonia mydas, Central West Pacific subpopulation. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T286119790A286125710.
Campbell CL, Evans D, Lagueux CJ, Mansfield KL, Sacco AE, Seney EE, Valverde R. 2025. Green turtle, Chelonia mydas, North Atlantic subpopulation. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T286119865A286127139.
Glassman AR, Zachariah TT, Patterson JL, Mansfield KL, Seney EE, Ramachandran A. 2024. Aerobic blood cultures and comparison to clinical findings of free ranging green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in East Central Florida. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 55(3):665-672 (doi: 10.1638/2023-0107).
Putman NF, Richards PM, Dufault SG, Scott-Denton E, McCarthy K, Beyea RT, Caillouet CW, Heyman WD, Seney EE, Mansfield KM, Gallaway BJ. 2023. Modeling juvenile sea turtle bycatch risk in commercial and recreational fisheries. iScience 26(2):105977 (doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.105977). Note: last three author positions indicated a senior author on this paper.
Sarkis CM, Hoenig BD, Seney EE, Gaspar SA, Forsman AM. 2022. Sea snacks from DNA tracks: using DNA metabarcoding to characterize the diet of green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Integrative and Comparative Biology 62(2):223-236 (doi: 10.1093/icb/icac080).
Kot CY, Åkesson S, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Amorocho Llanos DF, Antonopoulou M, Balazs GH, Baverstock WR, Blumenthal JM, Broderick AC, Bruno I, Canbolat AF, Casale P, Cejudo D, Coyne MS, Curtice C, DeLand S, DiMatteo A, Dodge K, Dunn DC, Esteban N, Formia A, Fuentes MMPB, Fujioka E, Garnier J, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, González Carman V, Harrison A, Hart CE, Hawkes LA, Hays GC, Hill N, Hochscheid S, Kaska Y, Levy Y, Ley-Quiñónez CP, Lockhart GG, López-Mendilaharsu M, Luschi P, Mangel JC, Margaritoulis D, Maxwell SM, McClellan CM, Metcalfe K, Mingozzi A, Moncada FG, Nichols WJ, Parker DM, Patel SH, Pilcher NJ, Poulin S, Read AJ, Rees AF, Robinson DP, Robinson NJ, Sandoval-Lugo AG, Schofield G, Seminoff JA, Seney EE, Snape RTE, Sözbilen D, Tomás J, Varo-Cruz N, Wallace BP, Wildermann NE, Witt MJ, Zavala-Norzagaray AA, Halpin PN. Network analysis of sea turtle movements and connectivity: a tool for conservation prioritization. Diversity and Distributions 28(4):810-829 (doi: 10.1111/ddi.13485).
Putman NF, Seney EE, Verley P, Shaver DJ, López‐Castro MC, Cook M, Guzmán V, Brost B, Ceriani SA, Mirón RGD, Peña LJ, Tzeek M, Valverde RA, Cantón CCG, Howell L, Ley JAR, Tumlin MC, Teas WG, Caillouet CW, Cuevas E, Gallaway BJ, Richards PM, Mansfield KL. 2020. Predicted distributions and abundances of the sea turtle ‘lost years’ in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Ecography (doi: 10.1111/ecog.04929).
Shamblin BM, Mansfield KL, Seney EE, Long CA, Bagley DA, Nairn CJ. 2018. Brazilian origin of a neritic juvenile green turtle x loggerhead turtle hybrid foraging in Florida. Marine Turtle Newsletter 155:4-7.
Wildermann NE, Gredzens C, Avens L, Barrios-Garrido HA, Bell I, Blumenthal J, Bolten AB, Braun McNeill J, Casale P, Di Domenico M, Domit C, Epperly SP, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, González-Carman V, Hamann M, Hart KM, Ishihara T, Mansfield KL, Metz TL, Miller JD, Pilcher NJ, Read MA, Sasso C, Seminoff JA, Seney EE, Willard AS, Tomás J, Vélez-Rubio GM, Ware M, Williams JL, Wyneken J, Fuentes MMP. 2018. Informing research priorities for immature sea turtles through expert elicitation. Endangered Species Research 37:55-76 (doi: 10.3354/esr00916).
Caillouet CW, Putman NF, Shaver DJ, Valverde RA, Seney EE, Lohmann KJ, Mansfield KL, Gallaway BJ, Flanagan JP, Godfrey MH. 2016. A call for evaluation of the contribution made by rescue, resuscitation, rehabilitation, and release translocations to Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) population recovery. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 11:486-496.
Seney EE. 2016. Diet of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles incidentally caught on recreational fishing gear in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 15:132-137 (doi: 10.2744/CCB-1191.1).
Benaka LR, Seney EE. 2015. Highlights from the First Update to the National Bycatch Report. In: Kruse GH, An H, DiCosimo J, Eischens CA, Gislason GS, McBride DN, Rose CS, Siddon CE (editors), 29th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium: Fisheries Bycatch: Global Issues and Creative Solutions. NOAA Sea Grant (doi: 10.4027/fbgics.2015.13).
McClure MM, Alexander M, Borggaard D, Boughton D, Crozier L, Griffis R, Jorgensen JC, Lindley ST, Nye J, Rowland MJ, Seney EE, Snover A, Toole C, Van Houtan K. 2013. Incorporating climate science in applications of the U.S. Endangered Species Act for aquatic species. Conservation Biology 27:1222-1233 (doi: 10.1111/cobi.12166).
Seney EE, Rowland MJ, Lowery RA, Griffis RB, McClure MM. 2013. Climate change, marine environments, and the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Conservation Biology 27:1138-1146 (doi: 10.1111/cobi.12167).
Seney EE, Landry AM. 2011. Movement patterns of immature and adult female Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Marine Ecology Progress Series 440:241-254 (doi:10.3354/meps09380).
Seney EE, Higgins BM, Landry AM. 2010. Interactions between platform terminal transmitters and turtle excluder devices. Marine Fisheries Review 72:44-47.
Seney EE, Higgins BM, Landry AM. 2010. Satellite transmitter attachment techniques for small juvenile sea turtles. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 384:61-67 (doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2010.01.002).
Seney EE, Landry AM. 2008. Movements of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles nesting on the upper Texas coast: implications for management. Endangered Species Research 4:73-84. (doi: 10.3354/esr00077)
Seney EE, Musick JA. 2007. Historical diet analysis of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in Virginia. Copeia 2007:278-289.
Seney EE, Musick JA. 2005. Diet analysis of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in Virginia. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4:864-871.
________________________________________________________________________________ Selected Non-Refereed Publications and Reports
Seminoff JA, Allen CD, Balazs GH, Dutton PH, Eguchi T, Haas HL, Hargrove SA, Jensen MP, Klemm DL, Lauritsen AM, MacPherson SL, Opay P, Possardt EE, Pultz SL, Seney E, Van Houtan KS, Waples RS. 2015. Status review of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NOAA-NMFS-SWFSC-539, 571 p.
Ballance LT, Barre L, Bengtson J, Bettridge S, Bisack K, Brown S, Fahy C, Ford M, Garrison L, LeBouef N, LeRoux R, Parrish F, Seney E, Simpkins M, Srinivasan M, VanAtta L, Vardi T. 2014. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Protected Resources Science Investment and Planning Process (PRSIPP): Highlights and significant outcomes of the September 2013 Steering Committee Meeting. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/SPO-140, 13 p.
Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification [editor]. 2014. Strategic plan for federal research and monitoring of ocean acidification. National Science and Technology Council, 86 p.
National Marine Fisheries Service. 2013. U.S. National Bycatch Report First Edition Update 1 [Benaka LR, Rilling C, Seney EE, Winarsoo H, Editors]. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 57 p.
National Marine Fisheries Service [writing team member]. 2013. Sea turtle assessment status and research needs. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/SPO-131, 52 p.
Simpkins M, Srinivasan M (editors) [with contributions by Ballance L, Bengtson J, Bisack K, Brown SK, Ford M, LeBoeuf N, Parrish F, Richards P, Seney E]. 2013. Report of the Protected Resources Science Investment Plan Workshop. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/SPO-130, 34 p.
Education
- B.A., Biology, University of Virginia, 2000
- M.S., Marine Sciences, College of William and Mary, 2003
- Ph.D., Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2008
- Science and Technology Policy Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2009-11
- Professional Certificate, Geographic Information Systems, George Mason University, 2014
