Earthwatch Sea Turtle Expeditions

Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.

We believe that teaching and promoting scientific literacy is the best way to systematically approach and solve the many complex environmental and social issues facing society today.

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TRACKING BAJA'S BLACK SEA TURTLES

This project aims to research the feeding ecology of endangered sea turtles in a previously little studied part of their range. The black turtle (a subspecies of the green turtle) is endemic to the eastern Pacific Ocean, including Mexican waters. Specifically, the project will study black turtles that feed year-round in Laguna San Ignacio, on the west coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. SEE Turtles co-founder Dr. Wallace J. Nichols is a participating scientist on this trip. 

Expedition Contribution: $2,550 (includes food, lodging, on-site travel, and research costs; does not include airfare)

When:

2010: Jun 3 - 9 & Nov 25 - Dec 1

Volunteers will assist with the following tasks:

• Turtle capture, morphology and flipper tagging: Volunteers will work with staff to capture turtles using driftnets. Turtles will be brought aboard the research vessel, disentangled from the net, then measured and tagged. Volunteers will assist with landing the animals and holding them still as they’re tagged, and will then help release them back into the water.
• VHF tagging: Turtles will be captured and tagged as described above. Volunteers will assist with gluing the tags to the animals, and then with the deployment, ensuring the lines don’t get tangled as the turtle is released into the water.
• VHF/GPS tracking: Volunteers will work with staff to track tagged turtles from small boats.
• Sonar mapping: This task involves operating a boat at low speed along transect lines while the sonar is deployed over the side.

TRINIDAD'S LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLES

Leatherbacks arrive each year (March-August) to nest on the beaches of Trinidad. Activities conducted at Matura Beach by Nature Seekers and Earthwatch include nocturnal beach patrols, tagging of nesting turtles, collection of morphometric information, documentation of mortality sources, assessment of population trends and behavioral patterns, supervision of ecotourism, and education of the public.  

Expedition Contribution: US $2,450 (includes food, lodging, on-site travel, and research costs; does not include airfare)

When: The research season runs from the end of March to early August.

Each team will spend 10 full days at the field site and the better portion of two days in transit to and from Matura.

Volunteers will assist with the following tasks:

• Help tag, measure, and weigh leatherback turtles
• Nightly data collection and monitoring of the nesting beach Collect data on hatchling turtles (depending on timing)
• Work with project database
• Participate in hikes to see monkeys and swim in local rivers

Click here to see all of EarthWatch's turtle volunteer projects.