PADRE ISLAND, Tx — Dr. Donna Shaver has stepped down from her role as Texas coordinator of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network after 37 years, a decision she described as coming with “devastating sadness” and not made by choice.
Shaver announced her departure in a social media post, marking the end of a decades-long tenure in which she oversaw the coordination of sea turtle response, research, and conservation efforts across Texas.
During that time, participants in the network documented tens of thousands of stranded sea turtles, with many rescued, rehabilitated, and released back into the wild.
Longtime Sea Turtle Coordinator Donna Shaver departs role after decades of conservation work
In her post, Shaver said data collected through the network helped link sea turtle strandings to shrimp trawling in Texas Gulf waters.
That research played a role in the implementation and refinement of Turtle Excluder Device regulations and the establishment of seasonal shrimping closures in nearshore South Texas waters.
Although Shaver is no longer serving as the Texas coordinator, she remains chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore. She said she could not answer questions about her departure but expressed gratitude to those who reported stranded turtles or participated in the network over the past 37 years.
Courtesy Photo
Woman scientist in her field for around 40 years
Jace Tunnell, director of community engagement at the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, said Shaver has been a central figure in sea turtle conservation for decades.
“Anybody who’s done any kind of work around the beach or with sea turtles knows of Doctor Donna Shaver,” Tunnell said.
Tunnell said Shaver coordinated sea turtle responses statewide and served as a key resource for researchers and organizations working throughout the Gulf of Mexico. He noted that her departure from the coordinator role could have temporary impacts due to the loss of institutional knowledge built over decades.
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“All the science that she has done over the years is really institutional knowledge,” Tunnell said. “That’s what’s going to be lost with her not being in this position.”
In response to Shaver’s announcement, numerous individuals shared messages online recognizing her career and contributions, describing her work as influential to sea turtle conservation efforts in Texas and beyond.
Shaver added, serving as Texas coordinator of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network was “one of the greatest honors of her life.”
In order to speak with Dr. Shaver, KRIS 6 News had to fill out a formal request that will be sent to Washington, D.C. for review. As of this reporting, no response to that request has been given.
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