Sea turtles make their home at Ningaloo

An environmental research team says it has discovered that the Ningaloo Reef is home to the world's third largest Loggerhead sea turtle population.

The Environmental Systems Research Institute says it reached the conclusion after using mapping technology.

The Institute's WA manager Tom Gardner says loggerhead turtles are an endangered species which are rapidly declining in number.

He says the mapping technology has allowed researchers to observe the behaviour and nesting habits of the turtles in a bid to conserve the species.

"Using GIS [mapping technology] to understand more about loggerhead turtles is crucial to their existence," he said.

"Studies have revealed that due to predators and other threats, only about one in 10,000 sea turtle hatchlings survive to sexual maturity, making the survival of every hatchling crucial to the survival of the species.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-13/ningaloo-turtle-population/2896968

Sea Turtle Andre Dead, Three Weeks After Florida Release (Via HerpDigest)

Sea Turtle Andre Dead, Three Weeks After Florida Release

Posted by Kristeen Moore on August 27, 2011 11:04 AM



Sea turtle Andre was found dead on Wednesday, which was only three weeks after a team released the rehabilitated loggerhead back into the ocean, according to the Associated Press. Florida-based Loggerhead Marinelife Center had rescued Andre last June and rehabilitated the turtle before his release earlier this month.



Andre was located on Hutchinson Island, and was identified by a tag that the Center had placed on him prior to his release. David McClymont, president of the Loggerhead Marinelife Center told the Associated Press that the sea turtle was in such bad condition, that their staff could not determine the cause of death.



The green sea turtle was originally rescued by the Center on June 15, 2010, where he was found stranded on a sandbar. According to the Associated Press, two holes in Andre's shell from boat accidents resulted in the sea turtle carrying around three pounds of sand in his body, as well as a few crabs. Andre also suffered a collapsed lung, pneumonia, an exposed spine and an infection.

Veterinarians with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center recognized that the turtle had good neurological function, an indication that he could be rehabilitated. His rehabilitation marked new advancements in the search and rescue of subsequent sea turtles.



Andre was 177 pounds and approximately 25-years-old upon his release, according to the Associated Press.



Sea turtles are an endangered species. It is currently nesting season along the coasts of Florida. Hurricane Irene is thought to have disrupted the nests of some sea turtles along Florida's east coast.

Turtle washed up on Cornish beach has a scan after epilepsy fears

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Turtle-washed-Cornish-beach-scan-epilepsy-fears/story-12844454-detail/story.html

An epileptic turtle who keeps having fits underwater has been taken for an MRI scan to try to discover if a brain tumour is behind her health problems.

Snorkel, a loggerhead turtle, washed up on a Cornish beach in 1990 and has been living at the National Marine Aquarium (NMA) in Plymouth for more than ten years.

Read on...

Solving Turtle Life Mysteries (Lea Emery)

MSNBC (New York, New York) 12/14/10

The mystery surrounding what turtles do while offshore waiting to lay their clutch is one step closer to being cracked.

Rangers at the Mon Repos Conservation Park Research Station fixed a satellite tracking device to a loggerhead turtle yesterday in hope of find out more about what they did at sea.

Dr Col Limpus, chief scientist for marine biology and freshwater ecology with the Department of Environment and Resource Management, said the tracking device would send back information about where the turtle was between laying clutches.

"We know a lot about which beaches the turtles prefer and what they do on the beach but not much about what happens while they are out at sea," he said.

The turtle tagged has already laid two clutches this season and is expected to lay another one or two.

Dr Limpus said the tracking device would allow researchers to look at how artificial light on shore affected turtles while they were at sea.

"One of the issues for sea turtles is that they prefer dark beaches," he said.

"We have seen over the 30 or 40 years we have been studying them that their movement on the beaches has changed in parallel to the increase in light."

The cost of tracking a turtle with a satellite tag can be quite expensive with the device priced at $5000 and the cost of getting the information from the satellite about $3000.

"It is expensive but the quality of information we get is invaluable," he said.

Bundaberg Brewed Drinks has come on board to help out, officially sponsoring the tracking of the loggerhead.

This year researchers will be tracking two turtles with a satellite tracker and hope to trace another group with a new type of tracking device.

"The satellite device sends the data directly to us," Dr Limpus said. "But with the new device we cannot get the data until we get the tracker back off the turtle."

From: Herp Digest,
Volume # 10 Issue # 55

Solving Turtle Life Mysteries (Lea Emery)

MSNBC (New York, New York) 12/14/10

The mystery surrounding what turtles do while offshore waiting to lay their clutch is one step closer to being cracked.

Rangers at the Mon Repos Conservation Park Research Station fixed a satellite tracking device to a loggerhead turtle yesterday in hope of find out more about what they did at sea.

Dr Col Limpus, chief scientist for marine biology and freshwater ecology with the Department of Environment and Resource Management, said the tracking device would send back information about where the turtle was between laying clutches.

"We know a lot about which beaches the turtles prefer and what they do on the beach but not much about what happens while they are out at sea," he said.

The turtle tagged has already laid two clutches this season and is expected to lay another one or two.

Dr Limpus said the tracking device would allow researchers to look at how artificial light on shore affected turtles while they were at sea.

"One of the issues for sea turtles is that they prefer dark beaches," he said.

"We have seen over the 30 or 40 years we have been studying them that their movement on the beaches has changed in parallel to the increase in light."

The cost of tracking a turtle with a satellite tag can be quite expensive with the device priced at $5000 and the cost of getting the information from the satellite about $3000.

"It is expensive but the quality of information we get is invaluable," he said.

Bundaberg Brewed Drinks has come on board to help out, officially sponsoring the tracking of the loggerhead.

This year researchers will be tracking two turtles with a satellite tracker and hope to trace another group with a new type of tracking device.

"The satellite device sends the data directly to us," Dr Limpus said. "But with the new device we cannot get the data until we get the tracker back off the turtle."

From: Herp Digest,
Volume # 10 Issue # 55

Over 5,000 Turtles Destroyed Annually In Sri Lanka Due To Human Activities (Via HerpDigest)

Over 5,000 Turtles Destroyed Annually In Sri Lanka Due To Human Activities

COLOMBO, Friday 18 June 2010 (Bernama) -- More than 5,000 turtle are getting destroyed annually in Sri Lanka and are threatened with extinction due to callous human activities in the coastal belt, China's Xinhua news agency quoted Turtle Conservation Project Chairman Thushan Kapurusinghe as saying.

He said turtles and turtle eggs are also collected for human consumption, and most often the female turtles who come to lay eggs become victims in this way. "Due to this, a new turtle generation is not emerging. This has led to the speedy extinction of turtles," Xinhua cited him as saying to a local daily on Friday.

Kapurusinghe added that turtle deaths are also reported by swallowing polythene floating on the sea water, after being mistakenly identified as jelly fish. The flashes of light emanated by vehicles and hotels have turned back the female turtles who come to the beach to lay eggs, he said.

Besides human activities, Kapurusinghe said the large-scale coral destruction for lime production has deprived the sea turtles of their natural rich food areas in the sea. "The coastal erosion has also accelerated due to sand mining in the beaches. The loss of coastal belt has deprived the turtles of their natural breeding spots, and sometimes the turtle eggs get destroyed by washing away to the sea.

"A large number of turtles also get stuck on modern fishing nets and drown," he said. From the seven turtle species in the world, five are found in Sri Lanka, namely The Green Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Leatherback Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and Loggerhead Turtle.

Among them Leatherback and Hawksbill Turtles are highly endangered species. According to the Fauna and Flora Act of Sri Lanka, destruction, egg collection, possessing and transportation of turtles are offenses.

Places like Rekawa and Ussangoda-Godawaya are declared as Turtle Sanctuaries. A turtle conservation project is being conducted in Rekawa with the support of the community in the area.

Loggerhead Sea turtle rescued from intake pump

A loggerhead sea turtle survived a life-threatening situation, thanks to the quick work of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Lt. Rob Laubenberger and Officer Dale Twist responded to a call of a sea turtle trapped in an intake pump at the Florida Power and Light (FPL) Power Plant in Port.



Rescuing the trapped turtle was no easy task. There is a 15-foot drop to the water's edge within a small, concrete-enclosed compartment. Officers worked closely with FPL plant operators to retrieve the turtle. Using a mechanical rake, normally used to lift trash out of the holding area, officers carefully lifted the sea turtle up to the working platform.




The sea turtle was not hurt. Officers brought the turtle to a waiting FWC patrol vessel, which transported it a couple of miles offshore for a successful release back into the ocean.




"It was a great feeling to end up saving the life of an endangered sea turtle," Laubenberger said. "Usually we respond to calls where the situation is serious. But in this case, a bad scenario had a good outcome."








This loggerhead sea turtle was trapped in an intake pump at the FPL power plant in Port Everglades. Photo credit FWC




http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/loggerhead-rescue.html