Conservationists Get a Surprise, Finding Two-Headed Turtle on a South Carolina Beach goodnewsnetwork.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from goodnewsnetwork.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The findings give clues to the health and status of the threatened species.
By Robert Wells
|
July 8, 2021
Becky Klipin, a graduate of UCF’s Department of Biology, measures a turtle using calipers as part of UCF’s Marine Turtle Research Group’s sea turtle monitoring program. Photo credit: Gustavo Stahelin, UCF MTRG. Permit: FL MTP-171
A new University of Central Florida study indicates that smaller loggerhead and green sea turtles are nesting on Florida beaches than in the past; however, researchers aren’t sure why.
The findings, published this month in the journal
Ecosphere, give clues to the status of the turtles, which is important to researchers who are monitoring the population health of the threatened species.
In honor of World Sea Turtle Day, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Coastal Wildlife Director Kelly Sloan presented details of a research initiative on Ju
Premium Content
Subscriber only Residents are being urged to be on the lookout for baby turtles washing up on Coast beaches due to exhaustion and plastic consumption as hatching season draws to an end. Sea Life Sunshine Coast s Kate Willson said four loggerhead hatchlings had been brought to the aquarium s turtle rehabilitation centre in the 2020/21 nesting season, but only two had survived. Pesto, a recently hatched loggerhead turtle, was taken to the facility in early March after being found in Castaways Beach. But he was unable to be saved. Hatchling Pesto was found on Castaways Beach near Noosa but died after consuming microplastics. Picture: Sea Life Sunshine Coast
Pet owners are being urged to take more responsibility with their animals after an incident where two pet dogs killed 20 turtle hatchlings in Hervey Bay. Turtle Research and Conservation volunteer Lesley Bradley said she was disappointed at the news and said it was critical to protect turtle hatchlings as only 1 in 1000 returned to lay eggs for the next generation. She said loggerhead turtles nested along the beaches of Hervey Bay and green turtles lived in the Great Sandy Strait. A green turtle. Photo: Alistair Brightman / File Our program uses aluminium security grills on the nests … the dogs have attacked when the turtles were outside the security grills. It s not nice, Mrs Bradley said.