By Leanne McGrath
Published Sep 12, 2014 at 4:05 pm (Updated Sep 12, 2014 at 4:05 pm)

(Photo credit: S. Westhead) Getting better: This juvenile green sea turtle lost its flipper
after it was found struggling with fishing line tightly wrapped around it, cutting off
circulation to the limb. He continues to recover and will be released in the future.

Vital efforts to conserve and protect turtles received a much-welcome boost thanks to a generous donation, the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) has said.

The funding for the Bermuda Turtle Project is aiding research into the life cycle of marine turtles, innovative ways to track their travels throughout the Atlantic and promote protection of the reptiles, both locally and internationally.

The one-off donation of $10,000 came from Global Indemnity Re just before the start of the project’s annual in-water course and the gift was allocated to its ongoing work.

Eleven people, including five from overseas, took part in the two-week course in August.

Human negligence is one of the greatest dangers to Bermuda’s population of sea turtles, according to BZS. During the course participants studied the bodies of 13 different animals that died in Bermuda, including 11 juvenile green turtles and two juvenile hawksbills.

Several showed scarring from boat strikes, while another died after swallowing three fishhooks.

This followed the rescue of another injured juvenile green turtle, which had fishing line wrapped so tightly around one of its flippers that the circulation had been cut off and the flipper had to be amputated.

The turtle is being cared for by BAMZ staff and is on track to be released into the wild when he is fully healed.

“We regularly receive turtles that require rehabilitation resulting from boat strikes or entanglement with fishing line,” said Dr Ian Walker principal curator at Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ). “Thankfully, the turtle that had its flipper amputated is doing extremely well and is slated for release as soon as the surgical wound heals completely.”

“All of the international participants are returning to their homes with additional knowledge and skills.

“This, in turn, will help sea turtles in their countries, some of which will one day migrate to Bermuda waters.

“Our sea turtles are all visitors to the Island and to help save them here, we must protect them regionally.

“The Bermuda Turtle Project course continues to spread knowledge and help build conservation capacity in other countries that we are linked to by the migration pathways of these amazing creatures.”

Dr Walker added: “The BZS is extremely grateful to Global Indemnity Re for their generous and timely donation.

“It provided much-needed support for the programme, which was a huge success this year.”

Global Indemnity’s chief operating officer MJ Chapleau praised the “important” work of BZS.

“Global Indemnity Re is pleased to be able to give to the Bermuda Zoological Society for their continued efforts in environment conservation,” she said. “We believe that their work is very important, especially due to the fast-evolving environmental conditions that we are currently seeing.”

The Bermuda Turtle Project was launched in 1968 by Dr HC Frick, then as a part of the Caribbean Conservation Programme.

More than four decades later, it continues to set a global standard in its research and practices.

The annual in-water course is a key component of the Bermuda Turtle Project. It brings students and scientists from around the world to Bermuda to study the pelagic and juvenile phases of the marine turtle life cycle, turtle biology and conservation through observation of the animals in their marine habitat, necropsies, and a capture-tag-release study.

This year’s course was led by visiting scientists, Drs Anne and Peter Meylan, and course coordinator Jennifer Grey. They were assisted by Dr Emma Harrison, scientific director of the Sea Turtle Conservancy; Robert Hardy, a satellite telemetry expert; and BZS’s Camilla Stringer.

The five international participants wereDogan Sozbilen, of Turkey; Patricia Huerta, of Mexico; Alice Mockford, of Costa Rica; Leonardo Espinosa, of Cuba; and Joan Tridade, of Mozambique.

While the six participants from Bermuda were Cameron Bridgewater, Nick Coelho, Lianna Aggarwal, Michaela Ratteray, Gaelle Roth, and Leandra Stracquandanio.