Flatback turtle tracking
A state of the art turtle tracking program in Australia's remote far north is providing valuable information about one of the country's least studied turtle species.
Satellite tracking methods, similar to those used in the olive ridley turtle tracking earlier this year, have been employed by WWF-Australia and the Lianthawirriyarra Sea Rangers to provide a rare insight into the world of the flatback turtle.
By attaching satellite transmitters to the shells of three female flatbacks, WWF and the Lianthawirriyarra Sea Rangers can view the movements of the turtles daily and gather information that will help protect the species.
The flatback turtle is found only in Australia and is classified as vulnerable under the EPBC Act 1999.
Flatback turtles face various threats including entanglement in large discarded fishing nets that wash into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The study will track the turtles from their nesting beaches on the Sir Edward Pellew Islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria to their feeding grounds, which are currently unknown.
The study will provide information about how the turtles behave offshore and how they make use of different habitat and depth. It will help determine which sorts of areas are important to flatback turtles and what kinds of threats are likely to impact on them in these areas.
WWF Program Officer, Turtles and Marine Management, Dr Scott Whiting said a basic understanding of the turtles' biology, range of movement, habitat use and behaviour was needed to inspire interest in the turtles and effectively manage their population.
"Satellite tracking not only provides a tool for learning about the biology of the turtles, but provokes interest within the local community and amongst those people helping with the research," he said.
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a shallow sea between Australia and Papua New Guinea. It lies in a remote part of Australia with few settlements and townships. Approximately 85 per cent of the area's coastal region is owned by aboriginal people.
The Indigenous Lianthawirriyarra Sea Rangers, who are working in conjunction with WWF on the tracking program, are based in the township of Borroloola on the banks of the mighty McArthur River.
The turtles' progress can be viewed at SeaTurtle.org.
