Turtle Navigates from Cocos to Galapagos to Change History

Image Source and Courtesy TIRN Expedition in Cocos Islands Costa Rica -tagging turtles.

A green turtle which recently travelled 720 kilometers from Costa Rica´s Islas de Cocos to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador navigating the treacherous Pacific Ocean in just 14 days has made history and may change the protection status of the waters it swam through. For years now marine and ocean investigators have been conducting studies and tagging diverse organisms such as sharks to prove the connection that exists between the two protected islands and the importance to create a marine protected corridor. The region is plagued by illegal fishing and industrial fishing due to its rich waters. Environmentalists urge for the protection of key areas and now evidence of a new study may be fundamental for decision making policies.

Costa Rica Hoy reported on June 22^nd that “Sanjay” the Green turtle managed to complete a migratory movement between the two islands groups and connected the two protected marine areas. “Sanjay´s” journey reached Galapagos on June 16^th, taking on the Pacific Ocean with just 53 kilograms of body weight.

The ancient specie which has evolved through centuries continues to enlighten human kind and inspire. Researchers of the Turtle Island Restoration Network TIRN and Program of Restoration of the Marine Turtle PRETOMA took to Cocos Island Costa Rica and tagged diverse green turtle individuals –obtaining information on “Sanjay” and connection between the East Pacific and migration routes.

“It is truly impressive. Sanjay knew very well were it was heading, it went directly from one marine reserve to the other. These protected areas are important points for threatened species like marine turtles but other migration routes must be considered,” Alex Hearn, Conservation Science Director of TIRN told the press.

TIRN described the expedition as “one normal migration for turtles, one giant discovery for humankind”. The expedition outlasted 10 days and used 4 thousand USD satellite tag. Biologists from the organizations were able to map Sanjay’s exact migration path.

Sanjay’s migration is the latest piece of evidence linking the green turtles of the Galapagos and Cocos Island, a link that biologists have long suspected due to the populations’ genetic similarities.

The marine turtle migration route is believed to be shared by diverse species including hammer sharks, sharks, Galapagos sharks and others. Species are protected both in Cocos Islands Costa Rica as in Galapagos Island Ecuador but once they are out of the reserve waters they face fishing zones packed with industrial fishing fleets. Organizations aim to recover sufficient scientific information of migration routes to establish a marine protected corridor for the species Official data is expected to be made public by the end of the year.

Ocean Life News in Brief

Ocean Level Increase Dropping Oceans Floor: International Press reported on December 5 on the findings of new research which assures that due to ocean level increase the ocean floor is sinking. The study published online in Geophysical Research Levels used mathematical equations to accurately measure the Ocean's floor impact driven by the increased of water volume weight. Using data from 1993 to 2014 researchers found that ocean level increase is causing the Ocean floor to drop globally by the milimeters. Ocean Dead Zones Up By Four: On January 8 New York Daily reported that Ocean Dead Zones have quadrupled.Researchers warned in a new study that oxygen-starved ocean dead zones, where animals and plants are struggling to survive, have increased fourfold and it may not be reversible. The new study was published in the Journal Science. The increase of Dead Zones was linked to climate change. La Niña´s Polar Wave Hitting Hard the US -Freezing Oceans: International Press reported on the Polar Wave hitting hard the US. The event is linked by experts to the influence of La Niña. “For the past couple of weeks, parts of North America have been chilling down to record temperatures, with massive snowfall and icy cold conditions putting life at a standstill for many,” media reported. The US East Coast has been particularly badly hit with the likes of Boston down to Philadelphia reaching bone-chilling lows of near 0°F , with icy winds making it feel closer to around -10°F to -20°F. Officially 18 were dead and 100 million affected. Government of Bali Declares a Garbage Emergency: On January 5 Ocean Conservancy reported on a New Waste Management Emergency in Bali. Massive amounts of ocean debri are affecting the island. The situation has reached its peak as the Government of Bali declared a “Garbage Emergency”. Clean up works have began. “Ivory Coast Village Swallowed by Ocean Increase,” Aljazeera Reports: On January 8 Al Jazeera reported that ocean increase levels are affecting infrastructure in the Ivory Coast. “Rising tides and more frequent, devastating storms are slowly destroying what is left of Lahou-Kpanda, the offshoot of what was once a major colonial town near the mouth of the Bandama River, the longest river in Ivory Coast,” Al Jazeera reported. Arctic Ocean Radioactive Levels on the Rise: IFL Science reported on January 3 on the findings of new report which assures that radioactive levels in the Arctic Ocean are on the rise. “Concentrations of radioactive radium-228 in the Arctic Ocean increased between 2007 and 2015,” the report reads. While levels have not yet reached a mark of concern the trend is worries experts. Lauren Kipp of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution addressed the issue. New World Wide Ocean Turtle Study Says 90% of Plastic Pollution Cases Result in Death: Earth Sky Org reported on January 7 that hundreds of marine turtles die every year after getting tangled in trash in oceans and on beaches. A research published in the journal Endangered Species Research took on a World-Wide Survey covering the major oceans where turtles live. They discovered that 91 % of the entangled turtles were found dead. They also suffered serious wounds from entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Double Whirlpools Discovered for First Time: December 4 Press reported that Double Eddies have been registered for the first time in History. Tangled up Double Eddies can travel great distances affecting ecology significantly. Eddies are a natural part of the ocean environment but double whirlpools had only been theorized by mathematicians.