Costa Rica News – Jairo Mora lost his life saving turtles. He is an environmentalist hero and now a team of biologists are taking up his dream to protect turtles in Moin.
They will be accompanied by security forces from the Public Police Force with a K9 force, as well.
APM Terminals is financially supporting their study that will lead to bettered conservation of the species in the area, including the leatherbacks. The leatherback is the most threatened as well as the largest sea turtle.
The biologists taking over Mora’s project are from the Tropical Science Center. The scientists collected data along 18 kilometers of beach last year and this is now the second year, in which they will compare the quantity of sea turtles and compare it to the baseline from last year.
Additionally, the scientists rescue nests, relocating them safely into a nursery that is heat controlled (a turtle’s sex is determined by the temperature of the egg, whether in sun or shade) and away from predators, including humans looking to sell the eggs. The local community is being taught that instead of charging $1 for an egg it can charge tourists $20 to see a live turtle.
When an adult turtle is spotted coming up to nest, its shell is measured and condition checked while it is in the trance of egg laying. Data such as the date, time, tide, and turtle’s position and injuries, if any, are recorded. Lastly, they are tagged so that their migration routes and habitat use can be tracked.
