Nest Monitoring

 

During the nesting season (from April to January), STCB staff and volunteers patrol the beaches most used by turtles, recording signs of nesting and hatching, as well as monitoring the safety status of nests.

 

 

The research record yields important information over time about population status. By comparing nesting data from year to year, we will gradually see trends emerge. Because annual variation in nesting activity is normal in marine turtles, only data collected long-term (more than 10 years) will be truly indicative of how healthy these nesting turtle populations are. 

 

 

Determining the success rate of a hatch - photo STCB.

Mabel counts eggshells and hatchlings - photo Marlene Robinson

 

In an effort to understand how nest temperature is affecting the ratio of male to female hatchlings on Klein Bonaire, STCB is using temperature dataloggers deployed at nest depth to monitor sand temperature during the year.

This interesting study is based on our knowledge that for sea turtles, sex is not determined at fertilization. Instead, temperature plays an important role: eggs in warmer nests tend to develop into females, and cooler nests produce more males.

This study may give us insights not only into the relative numbers of males and females produced on Bonaire, but also into the long-term effects of climate change.


Click to view this season’s nest count.

Click to learn about sea turtle nesting.