Traditional hunters keen to help lift turtle numbers

The Sea Turtle Foundation says it is confident turtle numbers will continue to grow, after educating traditional hunters on how to preserve the species.

David Row from the Townsville-based foundation has been visiting southern communities in Papua New Guinea with tips for turtle and dugong conservation.

He says hunters did not previously know a lot about the breading cycle of marine animals.

"Improve their understanding of their lifecycle, for example. When they start to understand, for example, that turtles may not start breeding until they are 40 years old, it really makes them understand the importance of protecting the breeding adults," he said.

Mr Row from says the communities are eager to learn new practices to save marine animal populations.

"Turtles and dugongs certainly provide an important source of protein for them. However, they have recognised that numbers are falling off and they have also recognised the importance of making changes that will help bring those numbers back," he said.

Behind the scenes at turtle hospital

JOY and heartbreak swim side by side at Reef HQ Aquarium's fledgling turtle hospital in Townsville.

Despite the best of intentions and staff skills, not all injured and sick turtles brought in will survive to be rehabilitated and released into the wild.

On a behind-the-scenes tour of the multi-million-dollar facility in North Queensland recently, staff were caring for five green sea turtles.

It was the morning after the night before for Reef HQ Aquarium director Fred Nucifora when he met our media group bright and early.

He had had only a few hours sleep after attending the North Queensland Tourism Awards at Townsville's Jupiters Casino, where the attraction won three from three award nominations (Major Tourist Attraction, Ecotourism and New Tourism Development for the turtle hospital).

But his unmistakable passion for his work, the Great Barrier Reef and the attraction's educational value shone through regardless.

Like a proud father, he introduced us to the sick turtles. We met “Bianca”, “Esmerelda”, “Porty” and “Timmy”, who were responding well to treatment.

Bianca, aged between 10 and 15, arrived at the hospital on July 11 from nearby Pallarenda Beach, where a collapsed lung was causing her buoyancy problems.

With antibiotics and a high-protein diet of squid and fish, she was almost back to normal and far from camera shy, lapping up all the human attention.

Fred said Reef HQ Aquarium was seeking permission to keep Bianca, who also suffered from the genetic condition leucism, which gave her a light-coloured shell, almost like an albino.

Rather than release her off Pallarenda Beach, where she would not only stand out like a beacon to predators but also be susceptible to sun legions, staff wanted to use Bianca for educational purposes.

Like great aunts, our group clucked around her and the other turtles like newborns.

Finally, we said goodbye and headed up a few steps to the last section of the hospital.

And then we saw her.

With a 114cm shell the size of a large oval coffee table, the 70-year-old turtle had jammed herself in beside the water inlet pipe, as if trying to hide from danger. When we realised something was drastically wrong, our collective hearts went out to this beautiful, helpless creature.

Like many of the turtles who come through the doors of the turtle hospital, she had floating syndrome.

And that's bad when you're a turtle. You want to dive down to the bottom of the sea floor to eat your food source, seagrass, but you can't stay down. You are forced to swim around the surface, where you are easy prey for sharks.

“We see a lot of it (floating syndrome), particularly after the winter period,” Fred said.

“Like humans, they get colds, pneumonia, and lung infections. We see lots of juveniles (with floating syndrome), not just old turtles.”

Fred said staff refrained from naming a “patient” until they were confident the creature could be rehabilitated. And this one would need long-term therapy and a little tender loving care before she reached that stage.

Since being opened by the then Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett in August last year, the turtle hospital has welcomed 30,000 visitors. The facility also acts as an invaluable teaching facility for James Cook University's new veterinary clinic, with students helping out with duties such as blood analysis.

Typically, four or five turtles are looked after at any one time but, as Fred said, “we sort of find it hard to say no” and up to 10 turtles could be accommodated.

Anyone finding sick or injured sea turtles should call the Marine Animal Stranding Hotline on 1300 130 372.

Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Services make an initial assessment and either has to euthanase the animal if deemed unlikely to survive, or bring it to the hospital for treatment and rehabilitation. The hospital also has its own four-wheel drive turtle ambulance for emergencies.

While Cairns had its own turtle rehabilitation centre, demand was growing in Townsville, Fred said, partly due to greater community awareness of the plight of all turtles.

He said the hospital planned to open a second wing soon.

The turtle hospital was the final stop on our special behind-the-scenes tour, which can be booked at the world's largest living coral reef aquarium.

This was my second tour of the attraction, having visited with my family nearly 15 years ago.

The fascinating underwater world – home to 200 of the 1500 fish species of the Great Barrier Reef – brought back happy memories of snorkelling all over the Pacific, but what impressed me most this time was how nature could be so meticulously presented.

Fred outlined the painstaking processes involved including coral collection, monitoring, propagating, cultivating and “planting”.

To create the facility 23 years ago, 700 tonnes of limestone rock and 20 tonnes of coral sand had to be trucked in, with water barged in from the reef. A total of 200,000 litres of water must be replenished each month from the tidal creek next to the complex, which is fed by Cleveland Bay. The attraction has no roof, allowing natural sunlight to stream into the coral, and a wave machine on the right-hand wall creates the wave action of a reef break.

While Reef HQ Aquarium had a permit to collect coral for display, Fred said the long-term goal was to become self-sufficient coral “gardeners”.

FOOTNOTE: Bianca has since been released into the 750,000-litre predator tank to stretch her flippers and grow.

REEF HQ

Reef HQ is open from 9.30am to 5pm, seven days a week, every day of the year except Christmas Day.

The Townsville aquarium at 2-68 Flinders Street welcomes 200,000 visitors a year.

Phone 4750 0800.

Visit www.reefHQ.com.au.

Donations can be made to the turtle hospital: visit the website or email info@reefhq.com.au.

Of course, baby turtles were heading for water

“LINNAEUS,” (Latin name for Carl von Linne) a Swedish botanist, established the system of binomial nomenclature and has been credited with naming the common snapping turtle in 1758. That was during the period when Linne was naming all the known species of animals.

This particular reptile was inquired of by one of our long-time Stratham readers who wrote, in part, on Oct. 10: “Last weekend we were taking a ‘backyard stroll’ when our daughter suddenly stopped and exclaimed, ‘Look, a baby turtle.’ Sure enough, it was a baby snapper. It was about as big as a quarter, but when I picked it up, it stretched its legs and clawed at my fingers. It was surprisingly strong, considering its size. We carried it to the edge of our pond and it quickly headed for the water and swam away.

“As we continued our walk, later in the day, we found four more babies, all headed in the same direction — to the pond. We did bring them inside and our daughter dug some earthworms but they were more interested in escaping. They struggled to climb out of the box — stepping on one another’s backs. So feeling sorry for them, we carried them outside and set them free. Again, they all headed in the same direction — to the pond.

“So tiny — will they survive the freezing pond and ice of winter?”

My answer is yes, and they may live to be over a hundred years of age. The snapping turtle, (Chelydra Serpentina) is the largest of the seven species of turtles found in New Hampshire and can weigh up to 40 pounds, according to my long-time friend Hilbert “Bandy” Siegler in his book, “New Hampshire Nature Notes.” In June and July female snappers are often seen attempting to cross our roads and highways searching for a suitable place to lay their eggs.

The turtle uses its hind feet to dig a suitable hole, lays her eggs, covers them up and leaves the scene as she has completed her reproductive duty.

Our reader’s baby turtles were doing just what they were supposed to do, head for water, where they spend most of their lives. Their feet are webbed so they are good swimmers.

Having no internal heating system means that they are “cold blooded animals” and they can only stay alive when temperatures approximate the air, earth or water surrounding them. Their lack of control of temperature means that they must hibernate during winter and seek shade when out of water to avoid direct rays of a very hot sun. Snapping turtles spend most of their time feeding on the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers. They eat vegetation as well as fish, small marine creatures, crustaceans, young ducks and geese, as well as carrion of all sorts.

A Manchester reader asked: “I have 26 birdhouses that are always full — never a vacancy.

Do I have to clean them out each year as they have to rebuild the insides?”

No, but an annual cleaning removes parasites and soiled material. Removing all material and hand washing the inside with bleach water as a disinfectant will help future nesters .

A Pembroke reader wrote, in part: “I have a question I wonder if you can answer.

We have a hummingbird feeder right outside our kitchen window. We enjoy watching the hummingbirds which have been abundant all summer. However, neither my husband nor I have seen a male hummingbird. The ruby throats are easy to spot so I know I have not seen any male birds. I believe in New Hampshire the ruby-throated hummers are the only species to be seen. Our birds are shades of green and vary in size. Any help you can give would be appreciated.”

As far as I know the Rufous hummingbird is the only other species of hummingbird that is infrequently seen in New Hampshire. Severalyearsago, thanks to a Hopkinton reader, I was able to photograph a male Rufous in their garden.

It is true that the male ruby-throat has a beautiful red gorget (throat patch) but the light has to be just right to see it, otherwise it appears black.

Generally speaking, the male takes very little interest in its young. The female builds the nest, lays two white, pea bean size eggs, does all the brooding and teaches the young what they need to know to survive. Occasionally, a male ruby-throat will buzz about the brooding female on her nest, appearing to offer some protection from predators, but rarely.

Most males, after mating, take little or no interest in anything but themselves, move about a territory and even begin their fall migration. Fledged young ruby-throats look much like females, so many more hummers can be seen at feeders in fall.

33 endangered turtles released into waters of Gulf of Mexico

Rescuers on Thursday released 33 endangered young turtle into the waters of Gulf of Mexico; approximately 40 miles southwest of Grand Isle, Louisiana after a survey confirmed that the water is safe for creatures.

Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator, said in a press statement, “We are able to release these turtles because they’re now healthy and we’re seeing recovery in the surface habitats of the Gulf of Mexico.

“They are being released within federal waters off the coast of Louisiana that earlier this month, NOAA reopened to fishing. This was another important sign of improvement in the health of the Gulf of Mexico.”

These turtles had been rescued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Audubon Nature Institute, three months back from Louisiana, Florida and Georgia.

Then they were successfully rehabilitated at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, where scientists treated, cleaned and de-oiled them.

The turtles that were released in the waters on Thursday included species of green Kemp’s ridley, hawksbill and loggerhead sea turtles.

Rescue efforts paid off
Dubbed as the worst oil spill in the history of the United States, the spill began after an explosion on April 20 on the offshore drilling platform Deepwater Horizon took place, killing 11 men.

Within two days, the whole platform sank and oil started to take over Gulf waters, making everyone worried about the lives of sea creatures.

“They are being released within federal waters off the coast of Louisiana that earlier this month, NOAA reopened to fishing. This was another important sign of improvement in the health of the Gulf of Mexico,” stated Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

For the very first time scientists carried out a huge rescue mission to save the endangered sea species and managed to rescue over 500 turtles from the oil spill.

Around 400 of the rescued turtles were placed in rehabilitation as they were heavily oiled and need immediate treatment. However, those who did suffer much were released immediately (after running some tests) in other healthy habitats.

Rescuers not just started a mission to save rare endangered turtles but also began an unprecedented rescue mission to save thousands of rare turtles’ eggs.

On path to recovery
Many experts have welcomed agencies decision to release turtles into their natural habitat as it’s also an indication that Gulf waters is becoming safe.

"Returning this group of sea turtles to their home waters is ... a sign that Louisiana is on the path towards recovery," said Randy Pausina, an assistant secretary for Louisiana's office of fisheries.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to combat the residual oil left in the gulf waters, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has also started an initiative to build series of low lying sand islands in the Gulf of Mexico.

Endangered turtles sent to U.S. for new life

Los Angeles, Oct. 20 (CNA) A total of 50 rare yellow- headed temple turtles arrived in the U.S. city of Atlanta Wednesday for new life through a cooperative effort by Eva Airways, the Taipei Zoo and the U.S.-based Turtle Survival Alliance, according to airline officials. The Eva Airways flight carrying the turtles left Hong Kong Oct. 19 for Atlanta via Taipei. The animals will be sent to the Turtle Survival Alliance, which will arrange for them to be distributed among various shelters around the country. The officials said after being notified of the rescue mission through the zoo's Conservation and Research Center, the carrier agreed to help transport the 600-kg cargo for only a nominal fee. The turtles were among a haul of 1,300 smuggled freshwater turtles that were seized by Hong Kong marine police in February. The yellow-headed temple turtle, the largest freshwater turtle in Asia, is an endangered species. Without the assistance of EVA Air, the turtles would have been destroyed in Hong Kong because their origin could not be identified, the officials said. (By Leaf Jiang and Olivia Wang) ENDITEM/J

Coral Reef Studies - Turtle, dugongs 'at risk under climate change'

'Turtle and Dugong at risk' ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies ©

The 'turtle and dugong capital of the world', the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Torres Strait region, faces increased pressure under climate change from human actions such as fishing, hunting, onshore development and pollution.

'Depletion of turtle and dugong numbers increases their vulnerability to other threats and lowers their ability to cope with climate change,' Dr Mariana Fuentes of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University will tell the Coral Reef Symposium in Canberra today.

Dr Fuentes says that turtles in particular are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which include decreases in hatching success, loss of nesting areas and overheated beaches, which will decrease the turtles’ reproductive output and may significantly alter the sex ratio of their offspring.

Dr. Fuentes’ research into the green, hawksbill and flatback turtles and well as dugongs in the northern GBR and Torres Strait is seeking to establish priorities for the management of marine megafauna to increase their resilience to climate change.

'Managers face the challenge of addressing the direct effects of climate change, as well as ongoing threats that dugongs and sea turtles face throughout their geographic range,' she explains. 'For logistical, financial and political reasons, managers cannot address all threats simultaneously, and so need to prioritize their actions.

Of particular concern is the effect of climate change on the gender balance of turtle population, Dr Fuentes says: 'The temperature of the beach sand determines the gender of the hatchlings – warmer sand produces more females while cooler sand produces more males.'

'Under current conditions the nesting grounds are already producing more females. With an increasing temperature, these turtles are at risk of stretching out the ratio, though we can’t yet predict exactly when it will cause an unbalanced population.'

'While sea turtles have survived large climatic fluctuations during their evolutionary history, modern rates of climate change are much faster, and are coupled with additional human pressures,' says Dr Fuentes. 'We still do not know whether turtles can adapt to modern rates of climate change.'

Turtle and Dugong at risk - ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies © Click Here to view large photo

Dugongs may experience indirect effects of climate change and human activity through impacts on their main food source, seagrass. Seagrass diebacks are linked to lower reproduction, increased mortality and emigration of dugongs.
Dr Fuentes has been working closely with indigenous communities in the Torres Strait region and northern GBR to monitor turtle numbers and condition and to track the movements of dugongs.

She says it will be important to take a range of short-term and long-term measures to protect turtles and dugongs from climate change, including:

* reducing the negative stresses that they are currently subject to.
* actively trying to change the habitat they use (e.g. by shading nests, re-vegetating beaches, and replacing lost sand).
* protecting areas that seem to offer the best conditions as refuges in the future.

'Turtles and dugongs have numerous roles – apart from their cultural and spiritual significance to the indigenous community, they are important for the tourism industry. Being at the top of the food chain also means that they have high ecological significance.'

The loss of these species would have a huge impact on the northern Australian marine environment and on indigenous communities, she warns.

'There are still many uncertainties over how turtles and dugongs will be impacted by climate change. For the time being the best prospects for their survival are to mitigate climate change (by reducing carbon emissions) and to reduce negative pressure on turtles and dugongs from activities such as hunting and coastal development.'

'However, as the impacts of climate change become more extreme, more ‘active’ adaptation strategies may be necessary. The success of each adaptation option will depend on climatic impact and local social, economic and cultural conditions, and therefore needs to be considered on a case by case basis, and at a local scale,' Dr Fuentes explains.

Dr Fuentes will be presenting the results of her research on Friday the October 8th at 'Coral reefs in a changing environment', at the Academy of Science’s Shine Dome. Media are invited to attend the coral symposium and interview the scientists.

Gulf Turtle Egg Relocation Judged a Success

Finally some good news to report following the Deepwater Horizon summer. A massive effort to rescue thousands of turtle eggs appears to have worked. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is 14,676 hatchlings -- mostly loggerheads - from the roughly 25,000 sea turtles eggs that it moved to Florida's east coast from northern beaches.

With a hatching success rate over 50%, biologists have a lot to be happy about. Still, there remain concerns whether the egg transfer will impact the turtles later on in life. In particular, they still don't know which beaches the turtles will return to. As a report in Live Science noted, there's uncertainty about whether the relocation disrupted the process of imprinting, which allows female turtles to set up nests on the beach where they hatched. "Some think that imprinting occurs in the egg, others that it occurs as newly hatched turtles crawl towards the sea, and some believe that it may be a combination of the two. So it is unknown to which beaches turtles incubated primarily on northen Gulf beaches then released from beaches on the Atlantic Ocean will return."