Thank you for visiting my page! I would like to use this blog to introduce the type of research and conservation work that myself and colleagues do in Taiwan.

Taiwan is a small, subtropical island nation located approximately 200km off the east coast of China, and includes several offshore island territories. The seas surrounding Taiwan are home to several species of sea turtle, and certain southern Taiwanese islands are used predominantly by nesting green turtles.

The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is the most commonly seen nesting turtle, but other species can be observed through strandings and fisheries by-catch. These are (in order of abundance):

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Historically, green turtles nested throughout the main island of Taiwan. Over time however, the nesting populations were decimated due to egg collection and direct consumption of female turtles.

In 1992, Dr. I-Jiunn Cheng and his students at National Taiwan Ocean University began studying the sea turtles in Taiwan, and were able to design and implement protected areas in the offshore islands which sea turtles continue nest on. This is the team that I am proud to be a part of. I joined Dr. Cheng's sea turtle turtle research lab nearly two years ago.

Research is conducted by our team at the following rookeries; click for their profile:

WangAn Island – Located in the shallow seas of the Taiwan Strait, off the west coast of Taiwan. It bears several long, sweeping coral beaches and is home to the longest-running research program in the country.

Orchid Island (LanYu) – Formed by volcanic activity, Orchid Island is situated in the deep seas off the eastern coast of Taiwan. The lush green inactive volcanoes are reminiscent of some Hawaiian Islands, and it is home to black, volcanic beaches. 

XiaoLiuChiu Island – This island was formed by the emergence of an ancient coral reef. It has a small number of coral beaches suitable for nesting, and surrounded by lush, healthy coral reefs that host a relatively high number of sea turtles year-round.

TaiPing Island (NanSha) – A tiny, remote and military-controlled island in the Spratly Archipelago in the South China Sea.

The Pratas Islands (DongSha) – A remote, politically contested collection of three islands formed by a coral atoll, also controlled by the Taiwanese military. 

Volunteer research opportunity in Taiwan!

The marine turtle research team at National Taiwan Ocean University is seeking volunteer research assistants for 23rd year of studying green turtle nesting at WangAn Island, Taiwan. Follow the link for more information! http://seaturtle.org/jobs/index.shtml?view=943

Thank you for visiting my page! I would like to use this blog to introduce the type of research and conservation work that myself and colleagues do in Taiwan.

Taiwan is a small, subtropical island nation located approximately 200km off the east coast of China, and includes several offshore island territories. The seas surrounding Taiwan are home to several species of sea turtle, and certain southern Taiwanese islands are used predominantly by nesting green turtles.

The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is the most commonly seen nesting turtle, but other species can be observed through strandings and fisheries by-catch. These are (in order of abundance):

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Historically, green turtles nested throughout the main island of Taiwan. Over time however, the nesting populations were decimated due to egg collection and direct consumption of female turtles.

In 1992, Dr. I-Jiunn Cheng and his students at National Taiwan Ocean University began studying the sea turtles in Taiwan, and were able to design and implement protected areas in the offshore islands which sea turtles continue nest on. This is the team that I am proud to be a part of. I joined Dr. Cheng's sea turtle turtle research lab nearly two years ago.

Research is conducted by our team at the following rookeries; click for their profile:

WangAn Island – Located in the shallow seas of the Taiwan Strait, off the west coast of Taiwan. It bears several long, sweeping coral beaches and is home to the longest-running research program in the country.

Orchid Island (LanYu) – Formed by volcanic activity, Orchid Island is situated in the deep seas off the eastern coast of Taiwan. The lush green inactive volcanoes are reminiscent of some Hawaiian Islands, and it is home to black, volcanic beaches. 

XiaoLiuChiu Island – This island was formed by the emergence of an ancient coral reef. It has a small number of coral beaches suitable for nesting, and surrounded by lush, healthy coral reefs that host a relatively high number of sea turtles year-round.

TaiPing Island (NanSha) – A tiny, remote and military-controlled island in the Spratly Archipelago in the South China Sea.

The Pratas Islands (DongSha) – A remote, politically contested collection of three islands formed by a coral atoll, also controlled by the Taiwanese military. 

Research: Sea Turtle Stranding, By-Catch and Rehabilitation

Five species of turtle can be found stranded on beaches or incidentally captured by local fisheries throughout Taiwan. A hot-spot for sea turtle by-catch in pound net fisheries is DongAo, Northern Taiwan. It is thought that this area is an important migratory route for loggerhead and green turtles.

These include (in order of abundance):

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

When a turtle is found stranded or caught while fishing, the Taiwan Coast Guard administration notifies our team, and we travel to the turtle's location and determine what steps need to be taken based on the situation.

 With deceased turtles, if turtle condition permits:

- Collection of biometric information.
- Tissue sample collection.
- Necropsy to determine the cause of death.
- Analysis of stomach contents.

Healthy turtle procedure:

- Biometric data is collected: curved carapace length and width, straight carapace length and width.
- Satellite transmitters are sometimes attached to by-caught and stranded turtles that have been fully rehabilitated.
- The health turtles is assessed, which includes determining the presence and/or degree of fibropapillomatosis, ectoparasite (sea turtle leech) assessment and collection, abnormality and injury assessment (boat trauma, entanglement trauma, shark bite, mating-related injuries, etc.).
- Blood and tissue samples are also collected.
- The turtle is tagged with Taiwanese inconel tags (TW####).
- Turtles are released promptly after data and samples are collected, occasionally with a satellite tracker.

Injured and/or unhealthy turtle procedure:

- All of the above, but turtles are first taken to a specialist vet at National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital for assessment, then rehabilitated at National Taiwan Ocean University as per the vet’s recommendations.

Here is a link to the story of a Japanese-tagged green turtle that stranded in Northern Taiwan, was rehabilitated and released with a satellite tracker:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/04/09/environment/japan-turtle-finds-haven-in-taiwan/#.U0aKevmSySo

Research: In-Water Studies

In XiaoLiuChiu Island, we conduct in-water research related to population estimates and habitat use year-round.

Snorkelling and scuba diving transects are strategically completed around the island’s coast. Turtles are photographed on both sides of the head if possible. The shape and number of postocular scales has proven very useful for identifying individual turtles for mark-recapture and population estimation.

The location and behaviour of turtles is also recorded.

This way, we can determine which habitats are being utilized by sea turtles, and what for (resting, mating, foraging, etc). This information is critical to the management of aquatic habitats in XiaoLiuChiu, which is important for the island’s growing tourism industry and the subsequent boat traffic, seafood demand, construction and other concerns that are linked with such growth. 

Research: Nesting Beaches

During the months of July and August, nightly patrols are carried out at WangAn Island, Orchid Island and XiaoLiuChiu by graduate students and volunteers, in search of nesting turtles. Each island has between 4 and 7 separate nesting beaches. Multiple teams are simultaneously dispatched to cover all the beaches throughout the night, between 8pm – 4am. Travel between the research stations and beaches are done by motorcycle or scooter. Constant radio communication is kept between the teams and the research station. 

During the night patrols, the following procedures are followed:

- Biometric data is collected: curved carapace length and width, straight carapace length and width.

- Satellite transmitters are sometimes attached to nesting female turtles.

- The health of nesting turtles is assessed, which includes determining the presence and/or degree of fibropapillomatosis, ectoparasite (sea turtle leach) assessment and collection, abnormality and injury assessment (boat trauma, entanglement trauma, shark bite, mating-related injuries, etc.).

- Biological samples are also collected from nesting turtles: blood samples, tissue samples.

- Nests are marked and protected from predation by feral dogs and two snake species that predate eggs and/or hatchlings.

- Data is collected from marked nests after the turtle has completed nesting: egg number, size and weight.

- Hatchling turtles are also studied prior to release:  checked for health and abnormalities, biometrics (same protocol as for nesting females) and weight.

Being the dedicated and hard-working team we are, there is very little time for rest at our stations. So during the daytime, an entirely different set of activities are carried out by our students and volunteers:

- Nest excavations are conducted, which includes determining hatching success, emergence success, nest success, failed embryo staging, embryo deformities and the collection of biometric data, assessment of health and deformity in any encountered hatchlings prior to release.

- Regular cleaning of nesting beaches involves removal of ghost nets, fishing line, and various forms of garbage ranging between plastic products and entire motorcycles. Fishing nets and lines are also removed from reefs through snorkelling or scuba diving.

- Educational presentations on sea turtle conservation and biology are provided for locals and tourists visiting the islands in Chinese, English or Spanish.

- In XiaoLiuChiu Island, we conduct in-water research related to population estimates and habitat use year-round.

Rookery Profile: Pratas Island

English name: Pratas Island (Dongsha)

Chinese name:  東沙群島 (Dong-Sha-Chu-Dao)

View Larger Map Location: 20.7167° N, 116.7000° E

Sand type: Coral

Studied since: 1994 (only occasional, short research trips)

Predominant species: Green turtle and hawksbill

Interesting facts:                                            
- The area is controlled by the military; between 300 and 500 marines live here.
- This island is also involved in a territorial dispute between Taiwan and China.
- The island is semicircular in shape, with a shallow lagoon in the middle, which serves as a “nursery” area for a large number of lemon sharks (Negapryon brevirostris).

Selected readings:

Cheng, I-J. 2007. The nesting ecology and post-nesting migration of sea turtles on Taipin Tao, Nansha Archipelago, South China Sea. Chelonia Conserv. Biol. 6(2): 277-282.

Cheng, I-J. 2000. Sea turtles at Dungsha Tao (Pratas Island) and Taipin Tao (Spratly Islands), South China Sea. in Pilcher, N. and G. Ismail (eds.) “Sea Turtles of the Indo-Pacific: Research, Management and Conservation” pp. 59-68. ASEAN Academic Press, London.