Gabon 2009-10: Pongara, Leatherback Turtles (aggregated per 1-degree cell)

Keywords: Observation, Occurrence
Temporal coverage: 2009/2010

Original provider:
Marine Turtle Research Group / Seaturtle.org

Dataset credits:
Data provider
Marine Turtle Research Group
Originating data center
<a href="http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/">Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (STAT)</a>
Project partner
The partnerships' work in Gabon, which includes satellite telemetry of marine turtles (leatherback and <a href="http://www.wildlifetracking.org/index.shtml?project_id=146">olive ridley</a> turtles), training and capacity building in the use of fisheries <a href="http://www.fao.org/fishery/vms/1/en">vessel monitoring systems</a> and assessing the distribution and abundance of dolphins and whales is funded by the Darwin Initiative, which is financed by the <a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/">Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs</a> of the UK Government under the project <a href="http://darwin.defra.gov.uk/project/17005/">Darwin Marine Biodiversity Action Plan for Gabon</a>.Our work in Gabon is also supported by a range of additional funders, including the <a href="http://www.nerc.ac.uk">Natural Environment Research Council</a> (UK; Award NER/S/A/2004/12980), the <a href="http://www.largepelagics.unh.edu/">Large Pelagics Research Center</a>, funded through NOAA (US; Award NA04NMF4550391), the <a href="http://www.eaza.net/Pages/European%20Association%20of%20Zoos%20and%20Aquaria.aspx">European Association of Zoos and Aquaria</a>, through the <a href="http://www.biaza.org.uk/public/pages/campaignsNew/index.asp">Shellshock</a> campaign, and the <a href="http://www.esf.gov.uk/">European Social Fund</a>. The Gabon Turtle Partnership receives funding from the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund (US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior).


Abstract:
Since 2005, a partnership of <a href="http://www.seaturtle.org/mtrg/">conservation biologists</a> and Non-Governmental Organisations, lead by the <a href="http://www.ex.ac.uk">University of Exeter</a> &amp; <a href="http://www.seaturtle.org">Seaturtle.org</a>, <a href="http://www.seaturtle.org/groups/gabon/home.html">The Gabon Turtle Partnership</a>, Parcs Gabon and the <a href="http://www.wcs.org">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> have been fitting satellite transmitters to <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/6494/0">leatherback turtles</a> (<i>Dermochelys coriacea</i>) nesting in <a href="http://www.wcs.org/where-we-work/africa/gabon.aspx">Gabon</a> (Atlantic Coast, Central Africa), whose beaches host the worlds largest nesting aggregation of leatherback turtles, see <a href="http://www.wcs.org/new-and-noteworthy/turtle-trove-in-gabon.aspx">link</a>.This year's fieldwork is taking place in Pongara National Park, northwest Gabon, where the parternship has fitted 2 leatherback turtles with <a href="http://www.wildlifecomputers.com/">satellite tracking</a> devices. The two turtles have been named <a href="http://www.seaturtle.org/cgi-bin/imagelib/index.pl?photo=4797"> Darwinia</a>, after the projects funders (<a href="http://darwin.defra.gov.uk/">Darwin Initiative</a>), and <a href="http://www.seaturtle.org/cgi-bin/imagelib/index.pl?photo=4798"> Noelle</a> after the Christmas period. Threats faced by leatherback turtles on the nesting beaches, in the coastal zone and in the open-sea are numerous; satellite tracking enables us to build an understanding of their critical habitats, with the hope to inform plans to limit negative interactions with human activities.This years fieldwork follows the successes of last year, where females were tracked using Argos-linked GPS telemetry, see the <a href="http://www.wildlifetracking.org/index.shtml?project_id=340"> project page</a>. In previous nesting <a href="http://www.wildlifetracking.org/index.shtml?project_id=104">seasons</a> we have attached satellite transmitters to leatherback turtles nesting in <a href="http://mayumbanationalpark.com/welcome.htm"> Mayumba National Park</a>, in the southwest of Gabon.

Supplemental information:
<a href="http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?project_id=466">Visit STAT's project page</a> for additional information.

This dataset is a summarized representation of the telemetry locations aggregated per species per 1-degree cell.