Marine Turtle

Monitoring and Conservation

Hand-in-Hand:
A three year review from Playa Norte,
Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Stephanny Arroyo Arce, Wing Tsui, Diogo Verissimo, Julie Jackson,

James Lewis, David Aneurin Jones and Rebeca Chaverri

Email: costarica@gviworld.com
Global Vision International Costa Rica,
Apartado Postal 78-7209, Cariari de Pococí, Limón, Costa Rica.
 Study Site

Maps: MINAET & googlemaps

 Study Site

Maps: MINAET & googlemaps

 Study Site

Maps: MINAET & googlemaps

 Project Aims
General
Monitor the dynamics of the marine turtle populations of Playa Norte and mitigate the
impact of human activities on their conservation status through filed research, active
outreach and cooperation with local stakeholders.
Conservation
Reduce poaching rates by maintaining a presence on the beach and by disguising and
relocating nests
Educate the local community and tourists about marine turtle conservation
Manage the beach habitat to increase availability of nesting sites
Investigate the impact of development on the marine turtle population
Scientific
Gather biometric data on nesting marine turtles
Record the spatial and temporal distribution of nesting activity
Monitor the number of nesting emergences
Determine the poaching level of nests and turtles
Record nest survivorship and hatching rates
Monitor the apparent health of nesting females
Track re-emergences and migrations between nesting beaches
Monitor the impact of tourism on the turtle population
 Work Conducted
Night walks: Nesting Seasons (Mar-Oct)
Spatial & temporal distribution of nests
Biometric information
Nest marking
Tagging nesting females
Nest relocation*
 Work Conducted
Night walks: Nesting Seasons (Mar-Oct)
Spatial & temporal distribution of nests
Biometric information
Nest marking
Tagging nesting females
Nest relocation*
Morning Census: Year Round
Record new tracks of nesting turtles
Erase all tracks
Camouflage nests
Determine the status nest laid in past two days
 Work Conducted
Night walks: Nesting Seasons (Mar-Oct)
Spatial & temporal distribution of nests
Biometric information
Nest marking
Tagging nesting females
Nest relocation*
Morning Census: Year Round
Record new tracks of nesting turtles
Erase all tracks
Camouflage nests
Determine the status nest laid in past two days

Excavations: Hatchling Season (Jun-Dec)

Work Conducted continued...

Habitat Management:
Year Round

Educational Classes & Events:

Year Round
Results

Playa Norte receives up to four species

of marine turtles…
 Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)

A L L Y
TIC
CR I G E R E D
A N
E ND
Photo seaturtle.org
 Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

E R E D
A NG
E ND

Photo seaturtle.org
 Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)

A L L Y
TIC
CR I G E R E D
A N
E ND
Photo seaturtle.org
 Loggerhead* (Caretta caretta)

E R E D
A NG
*Incidentally recorded
E ND

Photo seaturtle.org
 Nests 2007-2009

NB: All data presented for 2009 is correct until October 7th

Table 1. Number of nests recorded for 2007 to 2009, Playa Norte, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Nesting Season
Species
2007 2008 2009

C. mydas 803 442 154

D. coriacea 50 88 70

E. imbricata 16 27 19
Temporal distribution:
Dermochelys coriacea
2007 2008 2009

10

8
Number of nests

0
8

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27
Week of the year
Figure 1. Temporal distribution of leatherback nests during the nesting season 2007 to 2009
at Playa Norte, Tortuguero, Costa Rica.
 Temporal distribution:
Chelonia mydas

2007 2008 2009

120

100
Number of nests

80

60

40

20

0
8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

42
Week of the year

Figure 2. Temporal distribution of green nests during the nesting season 2007 to 2009 at Playa
Norte, Tortuguero, Costa Rica.
Temporal distribution:
Eremochelys imbricata
2007 2008 2009

4
Number of nests

0
8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32
Week of the year

Figure 3. Temporal distribution of hawksbill nests during the nesting season 2007 to 2009 at
Playa Norte, Tortuguero, Costa Rica.
Encounter times

2007 2008 2009

140
120
Nu m b er o f tracks

100
80
60
40
20
0
19:00
19:30
20:00
20:30
21:00
21:30
22:00
22:30
23:00
23:30
00:00
00:30
01:30
02:00
02:30
03:00
03:30
04:00
04:30
05:00
05:30
06:00
06:30
07:00
Encounter time

Figure 4. Peak of activity during the nesting season 2007 to 2009 at Playa Norte, Tortuguero,
Costa Rica
 Tagging
Table 2. Turtles newly tag during the nesting season 2007 to 2009 at Playa Norte,
Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Nesting Season
Species
2007 2008 2009

C. mydas 106 79 30
D. coriacea 8 10 11
E. imbricata 4 4 7

Returning address Dept. Biol.UF, Gainesville, FL, USA

Tag Series: Inconel CP0000 & Monel VA0000

Hatching information

For the nesting season 2008, the success rate for leatherbacks nests
was 75%, for green nests 85%, and for hawksbill nests 64%

Table 3. Number of hatched nests and hatchlings, 2007-2009, Playa Norte,

Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Number of hatched Number of

Species
nests hatchlings

C. mydas 254 25,151

D. coriacea 62 2,624

E. imbricata 18 2,203
Spatial distribution

2007 2008 2009

120

100
Number of nests

80

60

40

20

0
1/8

3/8

5/8

7/8

1 1/8

1 3/8

1 5/8

1 7/8

2 1/8

2 3/8

2 5/8

2 7/8

3 1/8
Beach sector

Figure 5. Spatial distribution of sea turtles during the nesting season 2007 to 2009 at Playa
Norte, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Nest poaching
Poached Nest

1000
Num ber of nests

800

600

400

200

0
2007 2008 2009
Nesting season
Figure 6. Poaching rate of nest after two days that the eggs were laid, during the nesting
season 2007 to 2009 at Playa Norte, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Poaching of adult turtles

14 turtle carcasses were recorded

2007 – 3 Cm
2008 – 6 Cm; 1 Ei
2009 – 4 Cm
(one nested)

18 additional signs of poaching

were recorded (lifted turtles)
2007 – 3 Cm
2008 – 8 Cm; 1 Ei
2009 – 6 Cm; 1 Ei
(seven nested)
 On two occasions turtles were found alive in the
vegetation during morning census and released

Picture taken from Turning the turtle; BBC Wildlife, May 2009
The Future...?
The Future...?
The Future...?

-- 14% poaching
from excavation
data available
until October 7,
2009
The Future...?
Thanks
Volunteers and staff

Project partner With financial support from

With institutional support from