Port Stephens Marine Park turtle monitoring and research
A project of NSW Marine Parks in conjunction with the partners and sponsors detailed below.
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| Name | Species | Life Stage | Release Date | Last Location | Days Transmitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracey | Green Turtle | Sub-Adult | 2011-05-26 | 2011-08-31 | 97 |
| Lucy | Loggerhead | Adult | 2011-11-04 | 2011-12-29 | 55 |
| Crabby | Green Turtle | Sub-Adult | 2011-08-19 | 2013-02-26 | 557 |
| Max | Green Turtle | Adult | 2011-12-20 | 2012-10-07 | 292 |
| Jodie | Hawksbill | Adult | 2012-05-22 | 2013-05-18 | 361 |
Click on an animal's name for maps and more information.
Introduction
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The Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park (PSGLMP) is the largest marine park in New South Wales covering an area of 98,000 hectares from Forster to Port Stephens. It is a little known fact that the PSGLMP is an important region for marine turtles as they can be found in many locations across the park however there has been no research conducted on these marine turtles to date.
There are 3 species of turtles that are known to reside in the park, with loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles being frequently seen by divers and waterway users.
Unfortunately, the PSGLMP turtles are under threat in the marine park from various impacts, these primarily being boat strike and incidental capture in fishing traps. Since the PSGLMP came into operation in 2005, there are approximately 5-10 turtles annually being found dead as a result of propeller damage from boat strike or through drowning by becoming entangled in fish and crab traps.
This project proposes to implement a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of using satellite tags on turtles within a temperate water marine park. It is hoped from tracking the turtles, the MPA will enhance current understanding of the importance of PSGLMP to the life-cycle of these species.
