Employees Participated as Volunteers in This Year's "Tanegashima Loggerhead Sea Turtle Survey," Examining Newly Spawned Turtles

The surveys of newly spawned turtles were conducted in two sessions between August 4 and August 8, with participants divided into two groups each visiting the site for three days (two nights). Each survey was performed at night by a total of 12 participants: 6 employee volunteers and 6 volunteers from the general public. First, the employee volunteers waited together with research staff next to nests where hatching was expected to occur. Then, when the newly spawned turtles began leaving the nests, the volunteers and staff weighed them and examined their shells, all while exercising great care not to disturb their behavior.

In all, a total of 123 young offspring were examined. The studies yielded some very important results relating to the ecology of loggerhead sea turtles. For example, an unexpectedly large number of young turtles had irregularities in their shell patterns. Also, it came to light that differences in young turtles' weight are related to the size of the mother turtle and to the temperature of the sand in which the spawning takes place.