Sea Turtle Migrates 2,472 miles

Researchers from Swansea University have said that a green sea turtle migrated a staggering 3,979 km (2,472 miles) in a year.

An aerial was attached to the back of eight turtles by scientists using satellite technology to monitor the species’ habits.

The project found one travelled from the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to the coast of Somalia in east Africa.

It is thought to be the furthest green sea turtle migration ever recorded.

The Swansea scientists, who were collaborating with colleagues in Australia and the Seychelles, were investigating the effectiveness of marine protected areas which have been set up by governments around the world over the last decade to improve conservation and protect species and biodiversity from disturbance and damage.

Published in the latest issue of Conservation Biology, the research team found that:

• Seven of the eight tracked turtles migrated to foraging grounds which lay outside a protected boundary around the Chagos Islands
• Only one of the eight tracked turtles remained inside the protected area after the breeding season had finished

The study focused on the green sea turtles which breed on the Chagos Islands in the Chagos Archipelago, which according to Prof Graeme Hays from the College of Science at Swansea University became a protected area in 2010.

“The message from this research is that networks of small protected areas need to be developed alongside larger ones so species which migrate over long distances can stay in safe zones for as much time as possible,” he said.

Nicole Esteban, a Swansea University researcher who has worked on the project, said: “Green sea turtles are an iconic species and their welfare tells us a lot about the health of our oceans.

“They forage in seagrass meadows which are being depleted because of pollution and other man-made causes.

“Our study helps determine the location of these important habitats, and also highlights the need to protect seagrass meadows, and make a network of small marine protected areas (MPAs).”

The Welsh government withdrew plans for 10 marine conservation zones last year in favour of exploring changes to 125 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that cover 36% of Welsh seas.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news