Bertarelli-Annual-Report-2024-FULL - Flipbook - Page 20
Bertarelli Foundation
resulting collaboration with research teams around the
world, led to the seminal discovery of how diverse taxa
(turtles, penguins, whales) all swim a little way below the
surface during travel to minimise drag and so optimise
swim efficiency.
Conservation of Green
and Hawksbill Sea Turtles
in Chagos and the Western
Indian Ocean
The team continue to place sea turtle trends in
abundance from the Chagos Archipelago into a global
perspective which is highlighting the success of sea
turtle conservation measures and so helping to drive
conservation globally as well as informing South West
Indian Ocean IUCN Red List assessments. Holly Stokes
successfully completed her PhD including landmark
studies that provided a holistic understanding of
predators of turtle nests and the process of nest site
selection in sea turtles, not only on Diego Garcia but
more broadly around the world. Nicole Esteban’s work
was recognised through the prestigious ZSL Marsh Award
for Marine Conservation.
Lead Investigator: Prof. Graeme Hays, Deakin University
Successful satellite tracking uncovered the importance
of deep (30 – 150 m) mesophotic foraging habitats for
adult hawksbills on the Great Chagos Bank, Pitt Bank
and Centurion Bank in the Chagos Archipelago. This
discovery was totally unexpected and has led to a much
better appreciation of the high conservation importance
of these little studied areas. The ongoing success of
satellite tag deployments on adult green turtles and the
Hawksbill turtle, Chagos © Leila Scheltema
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