Satellite Tracking of Hawksbill Turtles

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Lack of data hampers conservation efforts

For decades, efforts to save the hawksbills have focused primarily on safeguarding the eggs and ensuring that hatchlings survive and grow to eventually form a viable population. No one knows where these ancient mariners go after the nesting season, or where they forage as juveniles and adults.

Research elsewhere have shown that whilst some populations of hawksbills nest on nearby beaches fringing coral reefs, others migrate hundreds to thousands of kilometres in search of sponges at distant foraging grounds. Where do hawksbills that nest on Melaka’s shores swim off to after nesting?  Where do they feed? Do they forage in Malaysian waters or migrate to distant coral reefs in neighbouring waters to live?

This lack of information hampers efforts to plan for turtle conservation. Satellite tracking of Melaka’s hawksbills using transmitters is one of the ways that will enable us to find out more about these gentle and beautiful mariners to effectively conserve them for our future generations.

Tracking Hawksbills by satellite

WWF-Malaysia is using satellite telemetry to track hawksbills on the journey back to their feeding grounds. Marine turtles are only dependent on the beach for egg incubation and spend most of their lifetime in coastal waters, feeding in coral reefs. Results from this research are crucial for a better understanding of their post-nesting movement and habitat use.

The project is tracking hawksbills to:

• establish the migration route and feeding ground of the hawksbills to facilitate the protection of their habitat;
• communicate migration routes and distant foraging grounds of hawksbills to relevant regional Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Agreements so as to enhance regional marine turtle conservation strategies and partnerships (e.g. Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Marine Turtle MoU and MoU on ASEAN Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection); and
• educate and create awareness among local schoolchildren in the coastal areas, based on satellite telemetry of turtles.