Global Crossroad: 25 Million Turtles Hatch in Brazil

Image: Turtle Hatching. 1 of every thousand baby turtles are expected to survive to adulthood.

If you do not know TAMAR and you like Ocean Turtles then you should definitely take up the trip down to Brazil where they work. TAMAR is the largest Turtle organization in Brazil and works 1.1 thousands kilometers of beautiful coastlines and beaches. There they reached a milestone in conservation.  

On March 14 TAMAR reported on the advances made in Global Marine Turtle Conservation during the 36th International Marine Turtle Symposium in Lima Peru. More than 800 Turtle Experts from 70 Countries participated in the meetings. 

For two intensive days Turtle experts in Lima capital Focused on this year's Turtle Haiku: Crossroads. 

“Is our day and age a critical time for Global Marine Turtle Conservation?” Experts stated during the meeting. 

“Did you know that in just one night, in the peak of the summer, the Coasts of Brazil produce approximately 25 million hatchlings of marine turtles? This number was impossible to imagine during the early 80s! Driven by the natural process of life of these species just one or two of every thousand of those baby turtles will survive,” Oceanographer Guy Marcovaldi -Founder and Coordinator of TAMAR Project said during the celebrations of the milestone in conservation event in Brazil. 

TAMAR with 35 years of experience working with five Ocean Turtles which take to Brazil -all threatened with extinction announced with celebrations that 25 million hatchlings now occurr every summer in Brazil. 

TAMAR assure that they work to protect every one of these 25 million baby turtles.

Threatened Species which call Brazil home include the Green Turtle -Chelonia mydas, Loggerhead Turtle -Caretta caretta, Leatherback Turtle -Dermochelys coriacea, Hawksbill Sea Turtle -Eretmochelys imbricata and the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle -Lepidochelys olivacea. 

During the celebrations in Brazil TAMAR organized release of turtles, revealed new turtles being born, others rehabilitated and combined science with celebrations across the coasts bordering the powerful Atlantic Ocean. 

“Nothing will be like it used to be because we have much more Turtles at Sea!” the Founder of TAMAR stated. The organization added that today it is scientifically proved that in hands of this new generation of ocean turtles the national population of Turtles in Brazil is on the initiation of the recovery. In the past 30  years Turtles in Brazil increased hatchings in 86.7%. 

But the work is not done, in fact TAMAR and other International Turtle Researchers agree that the work is just beginning. 

Shortly after TAMAR celebrated the 25 million hatchlings environment their researchers took a short flight to Peru to be present at the 36th International Marine Turtle Symposium. 

“This was the first time that the Symposium was realized in South America. With a view to the Pacific, the city of Lima was chosen, because it is considered an important feeding area for five species of marine turtles,” TAMAR explained. 

Surrounded by breathtaking views and friendly turtle environment which Lima hospitably presented researchers from around the World got to work hard during inspiring workshops.

The International Sea Turtle Society detailed workshops taken by experts which include Conservationists and Fishermen Workshops, Health, Eastern Pacific Leatherback Recovery, Photo ID, Shark, Survey and Water Capture Workshops and others. 

At the International Symposium Researchers shared knowledge to understand and develop cooperative studies, increase research capacities and reduce Turtle bycatch -when a Turtle is entangled in operating fishing nets. 

Turtle experts at the International Meeting chose to meet with fishermen and fisheries representatives to explore ways to protect Global Turtle populations. From laws to install bycatch returns and limit zones to new systems and innovations scientists and fishermen interacted and explored the issue. 

Another specie which suffers under bycatch and under illegal fishing are sharks. At the Shark Workshop researchers presented data to correctly identify shark species even just by taking a look at their fins. Researchers also urged for more data on shark catch and shared shark knowledge. 

During the Eastern Pacific Leatherback Workshop the LaudOPO Network was revealed. LaudOPO was the first network to create a regional plan of action to stabilize and recover the population of Leatherback Turtles. The network through integrated regional efforts works to reduce threats, increase hatchling production, and strengthen regional coordination. 

LaudOPO members discussed the advances made in the road to meeting specific goals which they outlined in the regional action plan. Members also compared nesting and nest temperature data and worked on a future plan of action.

“Most scientific studies of sea turtles are conducted on nesting beaches where females come ashore to lay their eggs. However, the number of research and conservation projects based in feeding and growing areas are increasing. The study of sea turtles in their marine habitats becomes essential to understand the biology and their life cycle. Nowadays, the Scientific and Intentional Capture of Sea Turtles is considered one of the most useful and successful field techniques to achieve these goals,” experts stated during the Water Capture Workshop at Lima which also had special interventions on Survey and how to make them effective. 

TAMAR spoke at the Symposium during the presentation “International Capture of Sea Turtles” on intentional captures of turtles which occur in the waters of the paradise island of Fernando de Noronha as well as approached the use of data during the “Connecting Sea Turtle Information to Achieve Better Conservation Outcomes in Brazil” and discussed the main challenges and threats of Rio de Janeiro´s Loggerhead Turtle Nesting. 

TAMAR also spoke about Stranded Turtles and how to learn from then, took on Turtle health issues in Green Juvenile Turtles focusing on the fatal Citrobacter -a coliform bacteria found in contaminated waters and worked extensively with local fishermen both to educate as well as skill and create new behaviours that benefit turtles. 

Awards for Lifetime Achievements and other recognitions were granted at the meeting in Lima. 

Next year, 2017 the International Turtle Symposium will be hosted in Las Vegas and TAMAR contributed 20 thousand dollars for students who will participate in the International Symposium 2017. Funds were sourced from TAMAR Gift shops which are found in every recovery scientific center open to the public which they operate in Brazil. 

Until Las Vegas 2017 and until they meet again there is much work at hand and TAMAR sleeves up back again in their Turtle homeland where 25 million baby turtles hatch and make the dangerous way with courage into the wide open Atlantic Ocean. One at a time they keep heading out into the deep blue.