Cayman Islands 2003: Loggerhead & Green Turtles (aggregated per 1-degree cell)

Janice Blumenthal

doi:10.15468/rr479c

Cayman Islands 2003: Loggerhead & Green Turtles (aggregated per 1-degree cell)

Citation

Blumenthal J. 2021. Cayman Islands 2003: Loggerhead & Green Turtles. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/349) on yyyy-mm-dd originated from Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (STAT; http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?project_id=3). https://doi.org/10.15468/rr479c accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-13.

Description

Original provider: Cayman Islands Department of Environment Dataset credits: Data provider Marine Turtle Research Group Originating data center Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (STAT) Project partner This project represents a collaborative effort between the Cayman Islands Department of Environment and the Marine Turtle Research Group. Project sponsor or sponsor description The Department of Environment and MTRG would like to thank Erika and Jacob Olde for their sponsorship of ?Samia? and Year 7 and 8 students of St. Ignatius High School for their sponsorship of Shelby and Myles. St. Ignatius students received generous donations from Rotary International, Bank of Butterfield, Tortuga Rum Company, and the Final Touch. This research is also supported by Cayman Wildlife Connection, and a grant from the Natural Environment Research Council to MTRG. Finally, Sirtrack Inc made this project possible by providing custom-build KiwiSat 101 PTTs almost immediately after St. Ignatius students completed their fund-raising and an order was placed. Abstract: When Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands in 1503, he named them Las Tortugas (the turtles). Ferdinand Columbus recounted that the islands were ?full of tortoises, as was all the sea about, insomuch as that they looked like little rocks? The green turtle population was estimated at over 6.5 million turtles at the time of the discovery, and turtle fishing (turtling) came to form the basis of the economy and culture of the Cayman Islands. This historical importance is memorialized in our Coat of Arms and currency, but by the beginning of the 19th century, commercial exploitation had driven the immense green turtle nesting population in the Cayman Islands to the brink of extinction.
Wild turtles continue have a central place in the memories and experiences of many of our citizens, but today, only a few dozen nesting sea turtles remain. Where do these endangered greens and loggerheads go after they leave our beaches? With the help of schools and the community, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment and the Marine Turtle Research Group have begun a satellite telemetry project to track our historically and culturally important sea turtles for the first time. Supplemental information: Visit STAT's project page for additional information. This dataset is a summarized representation of the telemetry locations aggregated per species per 1-degree cell.

Purpose

Not available

Sampling Description

Study Extent

NA

Sampling

NA

Method steps

NA

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Chelonia mydas
common name: Green Sea Turtle rank: species
Caretta caretta
common name: Loggerhead Sea Turtle rank: species

Geographic Coverages

Oceans

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Janice Blumenthal
originator
position: Primary contact
Marine Turtle Research Group
email: jblumenthal@seaturtle.org

OBIS-SEAMAP
metadata author
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

OBIS-SEAMAP
distributor
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

Janice Blumenthal
owner
position: Primary contact
Marine Turtle Research Group
email: jblumenthal@seaturtle.org

Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool
originator
seaturtle.org
email: mcoyne@seaturtle.org
homepage: http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/

Janice Blumenthal
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Marine Turtle Research Group
email: jblumenthal@seaturtle.org