Sea turtles around the world are threatened with extinction, largely due to human activities. To better protect sea turtles, we need to improve our understanding of the activities that threaten them. However, we often do not know the cause of sea turtle deaths, making it difficult to help protect them. This is the case in the Chesapeake Bay, USA, where hundreds of dead sea turtles are found washed up on beaches each year. In this study, researchers investigated these events, known as sea turtle strandings, to better understand why sea turtles in this region are dying. First, they carried out experiments to predict when and where sea turtles died at sea. This information was then used to identify potential causes of sea turtle mortality. The results of the study suggest that high sea turtle mortality occurs at the entrance of the Bay, where many human activities take place.