Link to poster PDF - Loma Linda University

ProTECTOR
ProTECTOR –– COORDINATING
COORDINATING SEA
SEA TURTLE
TURTLE RESEARCH
RESEARCH AND
AND CONSERVATION
CONSERVATION IN
IN HONDURAS
HONDURAS
1,2,3,* and
1,2,3,4
Stephen
Stephen G.
G. Dunbar
Dunbar1,2,3,*
and Lidia
Lidia Salinas
Salinas1,2,3,4
11Protective Turtle Ecology Center for Training, Outreach, and Research (ProTECTOR), Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350
Protective Turtle Ecology Center for Training, Outreach, and Research (ProTECTOR), Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350
22Turtle Awareness and Protection Studies (TAPS) Program, Reef House Resort, Oak Ridge, Roatan, Honduras
Turtle Awareness and Protection Studies (TAPS) Program, Reef House Resort, Oak Ridge, Roatan, Honduras
33Protective Turtle Ecology Center for Training, Outreach, and Research, Honduras, Edificio ADRA, frente al IHNFA Colonia El Prado, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Protective Turtle Ecology Center for Training, Outreach, and Research, Honduras, Edificio ADRA, frente al IHNFA Colonia El Prado, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
*sdunbar@llu.edu
*sdunbar@llu.edu
UTILA
ROATÁN
To find out more go to: www.turtleprotector.org
TAPS is the research program for
the Bay Islands region that
originated with ProTECTOR at the
Reef House Resort in 2006. In
Roatan, we are radio tracking
juvenile hawksbills, recording dive
sightings of hawksbill juveniles and
adults, and evaluating hawksbill
habitat for special protection.
Community development projects
include the Calitan Health and
Education program, and the
Bottles-2-Building project.
Initial work on Utila will begin with monitoring more that 12 km of nesting beaches
around the island. Results of satellite telemetry – never previously done in
Honduras - will provide information on where hawksbills migrate after nesting in
the Bay Islands.
Beach clean-ups are important
training and outreach tools for
children and adults
Reaching adults with the
message “Turtles are our
friends…”
Helping improve health education in the community is the aim of the Calitan
Project – a long-term dedication to communities involved with ProTECTOR
conservation efforts.
80
70
60
Number of Turtles
ProTECTOR has linked with
the Bay Islands
Conservation Association
(BICA) to begin an islandwide nesting beach and
foraging habitat monitoring
program. The program will
include capacity-building,
training assistants, and
outfitting nesting hawksbills
with satellite telemetry.
Another project will
investigate heavy metal
accumulation in sea turtles
in the area.
50
40
30
20
10
0
E
SE
SW
W
NW
NE
Dive Site Location
Number of E. imbricata
sighted during dives between
2007 and 2008.
Melissa Berube, LLU
Graduate Student,
tracks radio tagged
juvenile hawksbills.
Mapping potential turtle nesting beaches, and aerial survey routes
flown from 2007 – 2009.
CUERO Y SALADO WILDLIFE REFUGE
Converting
plastic bottle
waste to
valuable building
materials is one
way
local
beachesisof unsightly, harmful,
ProTECTOR
and toxictoplastic
working
rid garbage.
LA MOSQUITIA
In La Mosquitia, the MOPAWI project has continued since
1995. Still, little information has filtered out of the region, and
almost nothing is known on the status or population numbers
of leatherbacks and loggerheads nesting in the area.
ProTECTOR seeks to work with the communities of La
Mosquitia to integrate the information collected by the
communities into the overarching picture of sea turtle
conservation in Honduras.
Established in 1987, the refuge
has never had a program of
research or monitoring.
ProTECTOR will work with FUCSA
to begin monitoring turtles along
the reserves coastal zone.
GOLF OF FONSECA
ProTECTOR is
collaborating with The
Ocean Foundation,
ICAPO, FUNZEL, and
several other NGOs on the
Eastern Pacific Hawksbill
Initiative: Phase III. This
tri-national project seeks
to identify potential
hotspots for hawksbill
nesting, foraging, and
fisheries interactions within
the Golf of Fonseca.
CAYOS COCHINOS
The Golf of
Fonseca
of approximately 261 km of coastline, of
consists
which 153 km is in Honduras. Work
among El Salvador, Honduras, and
Nicaragua will shed light on Eastern
Pacific hawksbills.
Very little is known
about the Eastern
Pacific hawksbills
that nest and forage
along the Golf of
Fonseca. Our goal is
to increase
awareness, research,
and collaboration,
among the three
nations.
At El Venado,
ProTECTOR is working
with the community to
establish the newlyconstructed turtle
conservation center as
the hub of eco-tourism,
turtle conservation
efforts, and
environmental
education for the area.
The focus of this project
will be on sustaining
olive ridley populations
in the region.
EL VENADO
Discussing the
benefits of the new
sea turtle
conservation center
for the community
and the region.
Stephen Dunbar speaks with project leader,
Enrique Vigil (top). In the nearly-completed
center, Lidia Salinas and Samy Castellanos
work on plans with Mr. Vigil for the coming
nesting season. In early 2010, a toilet facility and hatchery area were
added to the center, as construction continued inside.
To more completely
monitor turtles of the
Bay Islands,
ProTECTOR is
working with the
Cayos Cochinos
Foundation to launch a
hawksbill tagging
program among the
cays in 2011.
PUNTA RATÓN
ProTECTOR has been working
with the community of Punta
Raton since 2007. Egg harvesting
has the heaviest impact on the
turtle population, with removal of
up to approximately 80,000 eggs
every season from this beach
alone. Initial projects began a
flipper tagging program and
population estimates for nesting
olive ridleys. In 2010 we plan to
launch several studies with the
assistance of the community,
including projects on physiology,
behavior, and population
genetics. We’re also working on a
multi-disciplinary approach to
community development, with
Punta Raton as a pilot site.
Projects at Cayos will include a systematic tagging
of juvenile and adult turtles, mentoring
undergraduate students, and community outreach
programs.
Photos from: www.cayoscochinos.org
Lidia Salinas (top L) and Stephen G. Dunbar (bottom L, R),
train community members and students as research
assistants.
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
Thanks to Larry and Carol Stevenson, Barry & Ashley Kennewell, Mike Pack, Melissa Berube,
Samaria Castellanos, Cecilia Calidonio, Hybur Shipping, Kelsey Warren, ADRA Honduras,
Romeo Silvestri, Patricia Steffan, Pamela Ortega, Justo Carcamo, Fernando Sotelo, Michael
Walcott, Patricia Thio, Sabine Dunbar
Camping out in the old
conservation facility (top L and
R). With input from central and
local governments, the new
building (middle and bottom) will
facilitate more research and
community development.
© ProTECTOR, 2010
The Loma Linda University multi-disciplinary team investigated
issues with both community members, and local government
representatives.