Tracking of sea turtles in Cleveland Bay using sonic transmitters

David Roe, Sea Turtle Foundation Project Manager is pleased to announce an exciting new research project in 2010 with scientists from James Cook University to study the movements of the turtle population of Cleveland Bay, Australia in a project funded by the ‘yes’ Optus Shop in Townsville.

Sonic transmitters will be fitted to 10 turtles living in Cleveland Bay and their movements will be recorded through an existing network of sonic receivers. Over the course of the year researchers will learn valuable information about the sea turtle’s movements such as areas of the Bay most heavily visited. This information will provide valuable data for the creation of management plans to protect the Bay’s resident turtles.

A further refinement to this research will be to fit rehabilitated turtles with sonic transmitters as they are released from the Turtle Hospital at Reef HQ. This project will provide valuable information about the movements of previously sick or injured sea turtles after they have recovered. Throughout the year Reef HQ will be reporting on the progress of this project during tours of the Turtle Hospital.

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Project Sponsors and Partners
The ‘yes’ Optus Shop in Townsville donated equipment and funding to Sea Turtle Foundation to make this project possible. Tracking of sea turtles in Cleveland Bay using sonic transmitters is a collaboration between Sea Turtle Foundation, James Cook University, Reef HQ Aquarium and the QLD Dept of Environment and Resource Management.