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September 1, 2000 — As part of an international effort to transfer technology and expertise to Caribbean nations, NOAA Fisheries sea turtle biologists Barbara Schroeder and George Balazs traveled to Tortuguero, Costa Rica, to train scientists from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Belize in tracking endangered hawksbill turtles using NOAA satellites. A previous capacity-building workshop, also convened by these two NOAA scientists, brought together participants from Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Grenada is also participating in the project.

(NOAA photos: Click images for larger view.)

Satellite transmitters, about the size of a Sony walkman, are attached to the carapace of the turtles and will automatically send information about the turtle's movements for up to two years. The tags are attached in such a way that they will fall off the turtle, harmlessly, within about the same time period.

The hawksbill has been listed on the Endangered Species list since 1970 and can be found mainly in tropical and subtropical seas of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Populations of hawksbills have been greatly reduced throughout the globe in recent times, as a result of directed killing for their shells, from which tortoiseshell items (jewelry, decorative items, or whole stuffed turtles) were made. The tortoiseshell trade has diminished, but illegal trade and legal domestic harvest continues in some nations. The species is also impacted through poaching and degradation of its favored habitat—coral reef communities—and from adverse development impacts along nesting beaches.

The U.S. is teaming up with Caribbean countries to gather data on the migratory habits of hawksbill turtles after they leave their nesting beaches. The hope is that a better understanding of the species will lead to improved recovery and conservation programs.

"One of the essential goals of the international research project is to clarify the extent to which adult females inhabit foraging areas away from their nesting beaches," said Schroeder. This information is crucial to a scientific assessment of the merits of any management regimes developed for the species, and will contribute to conservation, recovery, and sound management for hawksbill turtles. The project also aims to serve as an educational tool to enrich the understanding of the hawksbill as a shared resource, among many nations, including the U.S.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries Hawksbill Sea Turtles

NOAA Fisheries Sea Turtles

NOAA's Office of Protected Resources

NOAA's Coral Reef

NOAA Satellites

Media Contact:
Stephanie Dorezas, NOAA Fisheries, (301) 713-2370 ext. 144.