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Race Founders
George Shillinger, PhD candidate at Stanford University and researcher at Tagging Of Pacific Predators (TOPP)
Race Organizers
TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Predators) seeks to better understand the North Pacific ecosystem by observing the biology and behavior of top-level marine predators in their oceanographic habitat. TOPP offers an organism's view of the open ocean environment, vastly increasing our knowledge of the Pacific Ocean and gathering data that will help policymakers and resource managers make wise decisions about ocean use.
The Leatherback Trust (TLT) is a non-profit foundation to save the leatherback turtle and other sea turtles from extinction. TLT scientists were instrumental in founding Las Baulas National Marine Park in Costa Rica, a protective haven for the most important leatherback nesting beaches in the Pacific Ocean.
Conservation International believes that Earth's natural heritage must be maintained if future generations are to thrive spiritually, culturally and economically. Its mission is to conserve the Earth's living heritage, our global biodiversity, and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature.
Minae is the Ministry of Energy and the Environment which governs and enforces the environmental laws in effect here in Costa Rica. Minae is entrusted with protecting ecosystems and species on behalf of all of Costa Ricans and can be called upon to file denuncias or legal charges in cases of environmental damage by Costa Ricans and foreigners alike. Indeed, in Costa Rica, Article 50 of the Constitution gives all humans the right to enjoy a healthy and balanced natural environment and provides that the state or government will guarantee and preserve ths right for all.
Race Sponsors
Yahoo! is a leading global internet brand and one of the most trafficked internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! seeks to provide online products and services essential to users' lives, and offers a full range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with internet users around the world.
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc., and its subsidiaries manufacture and distribute a full spectrum of ice cream and frozen dessert products including Grand Ice Cream, Slow Churned® Light Ice Cream, Slow Churned® Light Ice Cream Bars, Dibs®, Loaded, and Fruit Bars. The company’s products are marketed under the Dreyer’s brand name throughout the Western states and Texas, and under the Edy’s® brand name throughout the remainder of the United States.
GITI Tire is China’s largest manufacturer of top quality tires for automobiles, trucks and buses. GITI exports tires to 80 countries globally branded as GT Radial, Runway and PRIMEWELL. GITI is committed to the wise use and conservation of our world’s resources.
The mission of Life Sciences Secondary School is to ensure that its graduates are well prepared for higher education opportunities and to participate fully in a democratic society. Life Sciences Secondary School, in conjunction with Mt. Sinai Medical School, has as its primary mission to motivate our students to actively explore the field of health sciences.
Drexel University is a nationally ranked doctoral university that serves its students and society through comprehensive, integrated academic offerings enhanced by technology, cooperative education and clinical practice in an urban setting. Drexel has excellent programs in ecology, conservation, environmental science, biology, science, engineering, business, medicine and law.
Plantronics, Inc. introduced the first lightweight communications headset in 1962 and is today the world's leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of lightweight communications headset products.
West Marine, the country's favorite retailer of boating supplies and accessories, has nearly 400 stores in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Our catalog and web site www.westmarine.com offers customers over 50,000 products, and the convenience of being able to exchange catalog and Internet purchases at any West Marine store. For more information, or to start shopping, visit westmarine.com or call 1-800-BOATING.
Bullis Charter School, located in Los Altos, California, offers a collaborative, experiential learning environment that emphasizes individual student achievement and inspires children, faculty and staff to reach beyond themselves to achieve full potential. Using a global perspective to teach about the interconnectedness of communities and their environments, the BCS program nurtures mutual respect, civic responsibility and a lifelong love of learning.
Travelocity® is committed to being the traveler's champion – before, during and after the trip – and is the only online travel company that guarantees not just the price, but the entire travel experience – see http://www.travelocity.com/guarantee for details. This customer-driven focus, backed by 24/7 live phone support, great prices and powerful shopping technology has made Travelocity the sixth largest travel agency – booking $10.1 billion in travel worldwide in 2006.
The Offield Center for Billfish Studies is the world's largest research program dedicated to the study of billfish species. OCBS has deployed in excess of 400 satellite popup tags on billfish around the world to learn more about these magnificent fishes.
Race History
“That looks like a race!” Mark exclaimed. They began brainstorming: It could be a billionaire’s yacht race (trading flippers for skippers), a betting race (a la Las Vegas), a corporate sponsor race (like NASCAR). Without a doubt, it was an amazing race for survival!
When George and Mark examined the data more closely, they found all the elements for a race: close migration times, record-setting dives, intermittent speeds as leatherbacks stopped to eat jellyfish, and dramatic personalities of the turtles -- young versus old, small versus large, known turtles versus unknown. And in the racetrack, the vast and changing expanse of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, they saw numerous challenges for the turtles: strong currents and human pressures, including miles of hooks, countless nets, and floating plastics that resembled lunch. This course was not for beginners!
The idea was to transform the data into a race that could benefit three groups of people:
Other important figures in developing the race were:» “Good citizen” corporations, who would pay for the publicity of a sponsorship;
» The general public, whose members would get excited, share with friends, and donate to save the turtles;
» And, most importantly, the leatherbacks, who had been on Earth for 100 million years, but, according to research, were threatened with extinction in the next 10 years. These animals would benefit from the awareness of their urgent situation and donations to preserve their nesting areas and protect them in the water.
» Jim Spotila, chairman of the Leatherback Trust. He said, simply, “Let’s do it!”
» Murray Gaylord, then Yahoo!, now NYTimes.com marketing guru. He said: “This is a good cause, let’s try it.”
» Rod Mast, vice president of Conservation International and co-chair of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group. He said, “We would love to help.”
» Barb Block, Stanford University professor and one of the principle investigators of Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP). She joined with great enthusiasm, providing TOPP’s resources, including TOPP PI and journalist Jane Stevens and graphic designer Valerie Krist to assist with site design, content development, and data integration.
Thankfully, McCann Erickson in Salt Lake City contributed pro bono marketing and imagery, our wonderful sponsors appeared, and significant Web resources were contributed by TOPP, Conservation International, and Yahoo!.
We hope you enjoy the race and will join us in acting to save the leatherbacks. Remember, they are going faster than you think!
Race Founders,
Mark Breier and George Shillinger
Special Thanks
» Barbara Block, Charles and Elizabeth Prothro professor of marine sciences at Stanford University, TOPP principle investigator
» Jenn Sramek
» Dan Robinson
Earthwatch volunteers
Scott Eckert, Director of Science at the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network at Duke University
Murray Gaylord
John Hollingsworth, Esq. and GCA Law Partners LLP
Mandy Kirsten
Paxson Offield
McCann Erickson of Salt Lake City» Lori Steele
» Jaimi Nielson
» Jake Osborne
» Adam Hancock
» Lance Oscarson
» Ted Tsandes
» Ann Ford
» Mack Jolley
» Brian Mullen
Frank Paladino, professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne , turtle researcher
Student researchers of Drexel, Monash and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne universities
Bryan Wallace, post-doctoral fellow at Duke University
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
National Oceanographic Partnership Program
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Sea Turtle Restoration Project
Mike Delapa, DeLapa Consulting
Johnny Glidden
Tami Ransom
Peter Schireson, Schireson and Associates
The park rangers, guides, and staff of Parque Nacional Las Baulas, Costa Rica
Roteny Piedra, director, Parque Nacional Las Baulas, MINAE, Costa Rica
Credits
Roderic Mast, vice president of Conservation International, co-chair of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group
George Shillinger, PhD candidate at Stanford University and researcher at Tagging Of Pacific Predators (TOPP)
James R. Spotila, president of the Leatherback Trust and Betz Chair professor of environmental science at Drexel University
Brooke Berrett, McCann Erickson
Brooke Glidden, turtle advocate and Johnny’s mom
Randy Ksar, associate marketing manager, Yahoo!
Valerie Krist, TOPP web designer
Jessica Larigan, Yahoo!
Tim Noviello, a ssociate at Conservation International
Jane Stevens, editorial director of Oceans Now and TOPP
Vinnie Wishrad, senior director at Conservation International
Rachael Ahrens, Conservation International
Jason Bradley, freelance nature and marine photographer
James Ganong, TOPP research programmer
Don Kohrs, TOPP manager
Sam Lerner, Flash master, Civic Actions
Diane Richards, freelance writer
Jennifer Shatwell, Conservation International
Jacob Singh, tech lead, Civic Actions
Glenn Strout, TOPP database manager
Alan Swithenbank, TOPP research programmer
Brian Vargish, designer/Flash programmer, Beaconfire Consulting
Amy Weidberg, Beaconfire Consulting
TOPP-Tagging of Pacific Predators Conservation International The Leatherback Trust MINAE Costa Rica
RACE SPONSORS:
Yahoo!
Plantronics
Dreyer's Ice Cream
GITI Tires
Travelocity
West Marine
Offield Center for Billfish Studies
Bullis Charter School
Life Sciences Secondary School, NYC
Drexel University