Eden’s “salt water people” are encouraged to help with an important research project observing and recording sea turtles, to help further understanding of this elusive marine creature.
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James Cook University PhD researcher Rochelle Ferris has launched an online survey to document turtle sightings, and is calling on Eden’s budding citizen scientists to get involved.
“We think subtropical reefs could provide refuges for numerous tropical reef species that may become displaced from damaged reef systems,” Ms Ferris said on Monday.
“But sea turtle data in NSW is lacking and covering a large area is expensive and time consuming.”
Ms Ferris’ sea turtle survey covers the subtropical waters of Australia – including NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia – and she said Eden’s waters are known to host green and hawksbill turtles, as well as the rarer loggerhead and leatherback turtles.
“On shallow reefs and sea-grass beds you’re likely to see the greens and hawksbills, and scuba divers at deeper depths – around 20 metres or more – may see the loggerheads as they feed on crustaceans on the sandy ocean floor,” Ms Ferris said.
“Leatherbacks are seen less frequently because they’re so rare, and they’re also pelagic and oceanic, so they’re mostly spotted in much deeper waters by commercial fishing vessels.”
Ms Ferris said virtually nothing is known about sea turtles in NSW.
“No one has ever researched sea turtles in NSW before. We have no idea where they are, where they’re feeding or nesting,” Ms Ferris said.
“We know a little bit about rescued turtles - stranded turtles and turtles that go into hospitals – but nothing about the healthy ones.”
Ms Ferris said the online database is an easily accessible resource for anyone who makes a turtle sighting, with results of the survey helping establish the extent of sea turtle populations and “better prepare us to measure and respond to changes in those factors into the future”.
“I’m hoping to recruit fishers, surfers, divers and anyone else who spends time in, on, or around the ocean, especially now it’s school holidays,” Ms Ferris said.
“Keep your eyes open!”
She encourages anyone who has come across a turtle to use the following link:
