CCRC | Cook Islands Turtle Survey

Turtle nesting survey at Palmerston
In response to concerns of Palmerston Islanders, CCRC launched a community-based turtle conservation project at Palmerston Atoll at the beginning of the 2000-1 nesting season. The project is providing the people of Palmerston with the skills and information necessary to conserve the Palmerston turtle population and to manage it as a potential ecotourism attraction and a sustainable supplementary source of food.

Measuring, tagging, and labelling turtles.
Researchers pictured (L to R): Hoyt, Bill, Lehi Marsters, Nooroa James, Hoyt

Researchers Hoyt Peckham and Bill Tuakana Marsters, with the enthusiastic help of 12 Palmerston research assistants, conducted a consecutive 25-night survey of the nesting beaches of Cook's Islet, Palmerston Atoll in November, 2000. The survey involved genetic sampling, flipper tagging, counting, measuring and health screening of nesting green turtles. Weekly surveys of all nesting beaches on the atoll commenced in early November and will be continued through the end of the 2000-1 nesting season (March 2001).

Tagging and biopsying nesting turtles.

Project Objectives
to conserve the Palmerston turtle population by:

determining the status of Palmerston turtles by obtaining an annual index of their nesting abundance
training the Palmerston Islanders to monitor the rookery through annual surveys
informing the Palmerston community of survey results
proposing a turtle management plan, including harvesting guidelines, to the Palmerston government
determining the migratory routes of the Palmerston turtles
identifying the turtle population genetically

Scenes from the nocturnal survey (all photos were taken after the turtles nested). Researchers pictured (L to R): Bill, Andrew, Taia, Bill, Bob, Muna Koa, Carl, Alex, and Bill.

Methodology

Nocturnal nesting survey
Tagging
Genetics
Satellite Tracking
Capacity Building
Outreach / Community Involvement

NOTE: for detailed methods, please request a full report by email