Earthwatch's Tracking Sea Turtles in the Bahamas

Thank you for supporting and following along with Earthwatch’s sea turtle conservation efforts in the Bahamas! Dr. Annabelle Brooks and her team will resume their research off Cape Eleuthera with the help of Earthwatch volunteers from June – November 2015. In the meantime, I’m pleased to share with you now some preliminary highlights from the data collected in 2014:

• 92 volunteers helped tag 172 turtles (including 88 NEW turtles) across 7 foraging locations. They also conducted 60 abundance surveys (plotting turtles using GPS), and 199 baited remote underwater video surveys (BRUVS).
  
  
• The BRUVS captured at least six different species of sharks, which are known to prey on turtles.
  
  
• Close to 1,000 data points were collected as part of a habitat mapping project, which will be used to create high resolution maps of all research sites.
  
  
• All turtles that had been captured before were captured in the same site as their first capture. Dr. Brooks says, “It has been remarkable to observe how attached they are to specific areas… This highlights how important it is to understand the dynamics within foraging grounds, and also how critical this habitat is for their survival.”

In addition to providing data for Dr. Brooks’ research, Tracking Sea Turtles in the Bahamas also contributes conservation-relevant data for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, which includes the endangered green turtle and the critically endangered hawksbill turtle.

None of this data collection would be possible without the ongoing support you provide as a concerned conservationist. On behalf of our scientists, volunteers and staff, thank you again for all that you do for Earthwatch and for sea turtle rescue. We look forward to sharing more results and updates after the 2015 fielding season begins in June!

Sincerely,

Heather Wilcox
Director of Annual Giving & Advancement Services

P.S. Remember, you don’t just have to read about this research from afar… you can participate in it directly as a volunteer! Our 2015 teams are still accepting volunteers. Visit Tracking Sea Turtles in the Bahamas to learn more about daily life on the ocean as a turtle biologist, or to take the plunge and reserve your spot as a volunteer today!

Links:

• Tracking Sea Turtles in the Bahamas