Project to study Queensland turtles during lost years at sea
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
They set out from the east coast of Queensland, small and vulnerable, on sea journeys that last up to 16 years.
Nobody knows for certain where Queensland loggerhead turtles go, but it’s thought they travel as far as South America before returning to breed in Australian waters.
The loggerhead sea turtle is listed as an endangered species, and Queensland’s James Cook University (JCU) has launched a research project that aims to protect their future.
The project aims to reverse declining numbers and maximise the turtle’s chances of long-term survival in the wild.
JCU Turtle Health Research Centre Director, Ellen Ariel, said the turtles will be released with satellite tracking devices.
“This allows researchers to follow their movements through the ocean during the stage of life commonly referred to as the ‘lost years’.
“By learning more about them during this vulnerable life stage, we can help inform conservation management strategies that will benefit the entire population of Pacific loggerhead turtles.”
The turtles, currently housed at the Turtle Health Research Centre, were collected from Mon Repos, near Bundaberg, the largest loggerhead nesting beach in Queensland.
Natural resource company, Glencore, is providing $150,000 over three years to fund the research. Glencore’s Townsville Refinery and Port Operations Manager, Paul Taylor, said it’s important to help conserve endangered species and improve biodiversity.
“We are proud to support this important project with significant funding over the next three years to expand our knowledge about this fascinating and important marine animal.”
The loggerhead turtle is named for its large head which, seen from afar, looks like a floating log. That big head comes with powerful jaws, good for feeding on hard-shelled prey like crabs or conch.
An adult loggerhead can weigh up to 160 kilograms and have a shell up to one metre long. They have a lifespan of 70 to 80 years.
They occur in coral reefs, bays, and estuaries in tropical and warm waters off the coasts of Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, and New South Wales.
