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Ningaloo Turtle Program annual report 2007-2008
| Title | Ningaloo Turtle Program annual report 2007-2008 |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Year of Publication | 2008 |
| Authors | Markovina, K |
| Tertiary Authors | Lewis, A, Irvine L, Mau R, Simpson T, Hughes M |
| Pagination | 1-121 |
| Date Published | 06/2008 |
| Institution | Ningaloo Turtle Program |
| City | Exmouth |
| Report Number | Annual report 2007-2008 |
| Keywords | biodiversity, Ningaloo, turtles |
| Abstract | The Ningaloo Turtle Program (NTP) was established in 2002 as a collaboration
between the Cape Conservation Group (CCG), the Department of Environment and
Conservation (DEC) Exmouth District Office and WWF-Australia.
During the 2007-08 season the NTP involved the morning monitoring aspect of the
Ningaloo Community Monitoring Turtle Program but excluded the night time
observation aspect at the Jurabi Turtle Centre, resulting in a slight reduction in
volunteer numbers and hours contributed to the program. The North West Cape,
Bundera and Coral Bay divisions were monitored in the Ningaloo region between the
1st of December 2007 and the 28th of February 2008.
Over the six seasons of operation since its commencement in 2002 the NTP has
continued to collect data as part of the process to determine long term trends in
marine turtle nesting and estimated turtle population numbers in the Ningaloo region.
A total of 6277 nests and 14230 false crawls were recorded in the 2007-08 NTP
season, of which 5,596 nests and 13,427 false crawls were recorded in the North West
Cape division, 610 nests and 749 false crawls were recorded in the Bundera division
and 71 nests and 54 false crawls were recorded in the Coral Bay division. In addition
to the highest abundance of turtle nesting, the North West Cape division also
experienced the highest nesting density (followed by the Bundera division and then
the Coral Bay division) according to the collected data. Green turtles were responsible
for 18394 activities (nests and false crawls), loggerhead turtles for 1746 activities and
hawksbill turtles for 292 turtle activities. Green turtles have consistently been
recorded to produce the majority of nests in the Ningaloo region over all seasons, with
the exception of the 2004-05 season in which loggerhead turtle activity levels were
similar to that of green turtles.
Based on several assumptions and basic estimates, the turtle nesting numbers recorded
this season equate to approximately 1843 - 2669 green, 70 – 104 loggerhead and 44 –
64 hawksbill nesting female turtles in the North West Cape division during the 2007-
08 season. Based on the same assumptions and method of calculation for other
seasons there has been a general increase in the number of turtles recorded since the
commencement of the NTP. This same upward trend applies for green and hawksbill
turtles but loggerhead numbers have been more variable and have decreased since a
peak in the 2005-06 season. The total level of turtle activity recorded per unit effort
decreased between 2003 and 2005, possibly due to ENSO-related events affecting
food quality and quantity. |
| URL | http://www.ningalooturtles.org.au/media_reports.html |
| Refereed Designation | Unknown |
