Bertarelli-Annual-Report-2024-LR - Flipbook - Page 18
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Bertarelli Foundation
Sea Turtle Conservation
where over 300 hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys
imbricata) nest annually, and Red Sea Project in the
southern Egyptian Red Sea, a foraging site for the
highest density of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in
the region.
Lead Investigator: Prof. Graeme Hays,
Deakin University
The sea turtle researchers were focused on the
themes of nesting ecology, foraging behaviour, and
seagrass ecosystems in 2023. Fieldwork in the Chagos
Archipelago continued long running data sets; tracking
population census of nesting females and juveniles
(both green and hawksbills), using satellite tracking to
better understand movements and dive behaviour, and
conducting surveys to improve understanding of the
effect of environmental drivers on nest temperatures.
Results from this work are also being integrated into
wider knowledge of sea turtles both in the Western
Indian Ocean and globally. Partnerships have been
developed at two new study sites for regional PhD
studies: Fregate Island Foundation in Seychelles
Green turtle © Liam McGuire
Published work has highlighted the value of turtle
movement ecology to the identification of significant
habitats: reporting on relatively small green turtle
home ranges at sites across the Western Indian Ocean
suggesting good quality of seagrass habitat in the
region and highlighting use of deep (35-60 metres
depth) mesophotic systems by post-nesting hawksbills
in the remote MPA around the Chagos Archipelago.
