SATO report VII

Georgetown, Ascension Island 2009-05-09

Time to leave Ascension for this time. Field work has gone very well and we now have three out of five turtles on their way migrating to Brazil. Two is still in the waters near to Ascension Island, most probably waiting for another nesting attempt, so their first departure will be expected in two weeks time. We did have a bit of a size variation in the turtles we selected to deploy with transmitters, and the smallest one was the last one to be fitted with a transmitter and had a 109 cm long carapace. The largest ones were 10 cm longer, and had a very impressive size. Ascension Green turtles are the largest of its kind. The tracks are now visible at: seaturtle.org (search under Tracking – SATO South Atlantic Turtle Odyssey) and you may sign up to follow the turtles’ migration continuously while the transmitters are still working. Three of the turtles are now far in their migration, while two turtles still remain near the island. Probably these two turtles are re-nesting at least one more time before the migration will start.

/Susanne

SATO report VI

Georgetown, Ascension Island 2009-05-09

Brendan Godley and Annette Broderick and their co-workers have been studying the Ascension Island green turtles intensely for the last 10 years, and in collaboration with the local conservation office and volunteers at the Island (Jacquie) the breeding turtles have been monitored at some of the major beaches, and in particular at Long Beach. Interestingly the population of green turtles at Ascension Island is increasing in numbers – so very good news! Please, consult the following paper for more information: Broderick et al. (2006) Global Ecol. Biogeogr. 15, 21-26.


/Susanne

Ascension Island - SATO report V

Georgetown, Ascension Island 2009-05-08

This morning I saw many turtle eggs washed out of the sand on Long beach. The high water and rough sea has opened up the nests closest to the shore. The introduced myna starlings and the endemic Ascension frigate birds were foraging on what was left after the night’s turtle activities on the beach. The frigate birds mainly feed on the late hatchlings, either picking them on the beach or in the surface waters close to the beach. The myna starlings seem to be mainly foraging on the eggs, the yolk and some of the unhatched eggs. There is always some food to find on the beach for the birds.

Last night there were relatively few female green turtles nesting on the beach, and only one left covering her eggs at daybreak. She slowly moved to the shore and seemed to be rather tired after her hard work on land.

/Susanne