Sea Sense satellite tracked green sea turtles from Tanzania 2012 under SWIOFP
Citation
West L, Bourjea J, Dalleau M, OBIS-SEAMAP (2021). Sea Sense satellite tracked green sea turtles from Tanzania 2012 under SWIOFP. OBIS-SEAMAP. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/266fcc accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-07-11.Description
Original provider: Sea Sense Dataset credits: Sea Sense Institut Français pour L'Exploitation de la Mer Kélonia Abstract: Satellite tags were deployed on three nesting green turtles (Chelonia mydas) between March and July 2012 to address data gaps concerning the spatial dynamics of green turtle nesting populations in Tanzania. Tags were deployed in Temeke District which supports one of the largest green turtle rookeries in Tanzania. Tag durations ranged from 24 to 36 days. All three individuals went on to lay further clutches of eggs after tag deployment which provided valuable data on inter-nesting behaviour. Two individuals spent their inter-nesting periods at the same location, 30km south of the nesting grounds. Two of the tags failed before post-nesting migrations commenced. One of the turtles was tracked during a post nesting migration to a foraging ground on the north-west coast of Pemba Island (Tanzania).This was the first sea turtle satellite telemetry project ever to be carried out in Tanzania and has confirmed the location of an important foraging ground in Pemba Island and a site utilised by gravid females during inter-nesting periods. Purpose: The purpose of the satellite tracking project under SWIOFP was to facilitate the development of effective and sustainable management recommendations for protecting sea turtles at foraging and nesting sites and during migratory periods. In Tanzania specifically, little is understood about the spatial dynamics of sea turtles which periodically move hundreds of kilometres between feeding grounds and nesting sites. There is a paucity of data concerning the location of important foraging habitats and migratory corridors and the true extent of fisheries interactions during various stages of the turtle life cycle. Lack of basic data is proving to be a major obstacle to the development and implementation of specific conservation and management actions in the wider western Indian Ocean region.
Purpose
The purpose of the satellite tracking project under SWIOFP was to facilitate the development of effective and sustainable management recommendations for protecting sea turtles at foraging and nesting sites and during migratory periods. In Tanzania specifically, little is understood about the spatial dynamics of sea turtles which periodically move hundreds of kilometres between feeding grounds and nesting sites. There is a paucity of data concerning the location of important foraging habitats and migratory corridors and the true extent of fisheries interactions during various stages of the turtle life cycle. Lack of basic data is proving to be a major obstacle to the development and implementation of specific conservation and management actions in the wider western Indian Ocean region.
Sampling Description
Study Extent
NASampling
NAMethod steps
- NA
Additional info
marine, harvested by iOBISTaxonomic Coverages
Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
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Chelonia mydascommon name: Green Sea Turtle rank: species
Geographic Coverages
Tanzania,East Africa,Western Indian Ocean
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
Lindsey Westoriginator
position: Primary contact
Sea Sense
email: lindsey@seasense.org
homepage: http://www.seasense.org/
Jérôme Bourjea
originator
position: Secondary contact
IFREMER
email: jerome.bourjea@ifremer.fr
homepage: http://www.ifremer.fr/lareunion
Mayeul Dalleau
originator
position: Secondary contact
CEDTM
email: mayeuldalleau@cedtm-asso.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
Lindsey West
owner
position: Primary contact
Sea Sense
email: lindsey@seasense.org
homepage: http://www.seasense.org/
Jérôme Bourjea
originator
position: Secondary contact
IFREMER
email: jerome.bourjea@ifremer.fr
homepage: http://www.ifremer.fr/lareunion
Mayeul Dalleau
originator
position: Secondary contact
CEDTM
email: mayeuldalleau@cedtm-asso.org
Lindsey West
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Sea Sense
email: lindsey@seasense.org
homepage: http://www.seasense.org/