She holds a B.A. from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Florida. She also held postdoctoral appointments at the University of Utah and U.S. Geological Survey. The goal of Dr. Vander Zanden’s research is to address critical knowledge gaps about where sea turtles are most abundant in the Gulf of Mexico. Much of her research program relies on the use of intrinsic markers called stable isotopes, which are naturally occurring forms of elements that are integrated from the environment through an organism’s diet. By identifying where sea turtles forage via samples collected at the nesting beach, population hotspots can be identified and paired with information about threat severity and target restoration activities.