The researchers managed to capture the migration of more than 64 endangered sea turtles, as they travel from Raine Island to Queensland.
A truly suggestive show that published by the Queensland government, the researchers with the aid of a drone managed to capture the migration of over 64 thousand endangered sea turtles, while from Raine Island, a northern island of the Great Barrier Reef they come just north of Queensland.
Magical Australia and in a crystal clear sea is the world's largest turtle colony that makes its way to the shore to lay its eggs. The nesting sites of this species are called rookery and along the coral reef there are 18 of them. Researchers have filmed their movements because as we said, this species is on the verge of extinction, even if the numbers could be deceiving. Unfortunately, these beautiful animals are increasingly the victim of fishermen and plastics. For years, researchers from Raine Island have been studying their movements and the results are surprising because there seems to be good hope for the survival of the species.
Posted by Queensland Government on Thursday, December 12, 2019
Andrew Dunstan of the Department of Environment and Science (DES) and lead author of the study explains that: "thanks to the new detection methods it is possible to carry out monitoring without disturbing the green turtles that were previously painted on the shell while they nested". However, we are talking about non-toxic paint that went away in a couple of days.
Look how wonderful:
This is some of the most spectacular vision you will ever see – our new eye in the sky has captured 64,000 turtles off the coast of Raine Island, north-west of Cairns.
More: https://t.co/76WPkfoRSG pic.twitter.com/HC7tZjVbZV
— Queensland Environment (@QldEnvironment) June 9, 2020
“From a small boat, we then counted painted and unpainted turtles, doing it was difficult and certainly the number is not accurate. But with the drone, the result was extraordinary, ”she says again.
The researchers then estimated the population to be 64. Thousands of them can be seen in the footage making their way across the ocean to the island's sandy shores. The species can face long migrations from their feeding sites to nesting grounds, with matings occurring every two to four years. Females often choose the same beach where their mothers nest, which may explain why Raine Island is home to so many green turtles. Females dig a hole in the sand with their fins before filling it with 100-200 eggs which hatch after about two months. The most dangerous time in their life is while traveling from the nest to the sea, as during that time it becomes an easy target for predators, such as crabs and flocks of seagulls. "This research is of primary importance for understanding and managing the vulnerable green sea turtle population," the researcher notes.
Fonte: Queensland governament
Read also:
- Without tourists, leatherback turtles return to nest on deserted beaches: this hasn't happened for at least 20 years
- Coronavirus, without tourists and poachers, turtles return en masse to nest undisturbed on Indian coasts
