[Coral-List] Turtle imprinting.

Helen the Reef helenthereef at gmail.com
Sat Jul 26 17:14:38 EDT 2014


What I mean is that there is no hard science behind the turtle release 
programme in Fiji.

As far as I know it is important for baby turtles to hatch and make 
their own way down the beach to the water without interference in order 
to imprint. I do not believe that there is any science to support the 
claim that the turtles imprint only once they hit the water, but I am 
ready to stand corrected if anyone can provide such evidence.

The other problem with the Fiji programme is that it has spawned other, 
even less scientifically based, imitators so that there are now baby 
turtles slowing dying in concrete and plastic tubs all over many island 
resorts, their main purpose being to amuse the tourists... for a while...

Helen




On 26-Jul-14 11:05 AM, Melbourne Briscoe wrote:
> I guess my previous post was not clear. On the island in Fiji, in 2014, I saw the captured turtles from several year-classes. They were held in small aquaria. It was not imaginary. The OP was a question about when they imprint their location, so they can return to it. I was told they imprint when they enter the water, not when they are born.
>
> On July 25, 2014 5:07:25 PM EDT, Walt Smith <walt at waltsmith.com> wrote:
>> Yes Helen that is what we see here also in the west. The few programs
>> that
>> were operational all seem to have died with Cyclone Evan 2012. However,
>> they
>> still talk about the program as if it exist but does not.
>> Walt
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>> [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Helen the
>> Reef
>> Sent: Friday, July 25, 2014 4:25 PM
>> To: Melbourne Briscoe; John Ware; Coral-List
>> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Turtle imprinting.
>>
>> I live in Fiji. They are making it up on the spot...
>>
>>
>> On 25-Jul-14 9:19 AM, Melbourne Briscoe wrote:
>>> I visited an island in Fiji that is doing the capturing, raising,
>> releasing. I asked this very question. They claimed the imprinting
>> occurred
>> when the turtles entered the water, not at birth.  They did not explain
>> how
>> they knew this, and I do not know if they were making it up on the
>> spot.
>>> - Mel
>>>
>>> On July 24, 2014 4:39:57 PM EDT, John Ware <jware at erols.com> wrote:
>>>> Dear List:
>>>>
>>>> Not really a coral reef topic, but related:
>>>>
>>>> Over the past few years we have seen several resorts in tropical
>>>> areas that stand guard over sea-turtle egge clutches.  Then, when
>>>> hatching occurs, the young turtles are put in pens and raised until
>>>> they are ~6 m to 1 y old and then released.
>>>>
>>>> I know that female turtles return to their natal place to lay their
>>>> eggs.  The question is: When do they imprint on that natal place?
>> If
>>>> the imprinting must occur soon after hatching, then the well meaning
>>>> people at the resorts are actually doing a disservice.
>>>>
>>>> Anybody with real knowledge out there that can comment on the
>> practice?
>>>> John
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>>      *************************************************************
>>>>      *                                                           *
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>>>>      *                         President                         *
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>>>>        
>>>>      *                                                           *
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