Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – Hofstra Biology Professor Russell Burke and one of his graduate students are featured in a new National Park Service video about their work with turtles in Jamaica Bay, Gateway National Recreation Area.

The video is one of a series of podcasts produced by the National Park Service on the national parks of New York Harbor, including Jamaica Bay. It was filmed last summer.

Dr. Burke and Liz Reif, one of his graduate students, are interviewed as "citizen scientists" who research the turtle population. According to Dr. Burke in the podcast, over the 12 years he’s been studying turtles in Jamaica Bay, the population has decreased by about 30 percent, with the number of nesting females down significantly. Volunteers, including high school and college students, observe and tag the turtles to make them easier to study.

The podcast, "Citizen scientists look out for Jamaica Bay’s turtles," is available at http://www.nps.gov/npnh/photosmultimedia/multimedia.htm

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 140 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students’ interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations