About This Project

I am studying the health of the hawksbill sea turtle population in Puerto Rico to help conserve this critically endangered species. This study will be largely based at Mona Island, PR, the largest rookery for the species in the Caribbean. Findings will be used to establish health parameters for the region, help develop treatment plans, compare other populations, and address disease occurrence.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Sea turtles are long-lived, highly migratory species with slow maturation and low reproductive success; hence endangered populations are unlikely to recover quickly. Understanding female health and hatchling production is critical for conservation. Targeting nesting areas and rookeries brings an overview of population trends, and affords the opportunity to collect data and examine trends that can further conservation.

Health assessments are critical to assess populations and are affected by a variety of factors that make it necessary to establish baseline health parameters for distinct geographic regions and populations. Understanding hatch success and hatchling pathology enables researchers to address and minimize disease occurrence.

What is the significance of this project?

Previous assessments of hawksbill populations in the region outlined a downward trend in hawksbill nesting and nesting females, while findings from subsequent research confirm the critically endangered status. Our proposed study site in Mona Island has one of the longest-running hawksbill sea turtle programs in the Caribbean and supports the largest hawksbill nesting ground in the region.
Information on hatch success and health of hawksbill embryos and hatchlings is limited. Data collected will contribute to health studies in the region and address hatchling diseases. The objectives of this study are critical for management and essential for hawksbill population recovery efforts in Puerto Rico which are currently needed.

What are the goals of the project?

We will examine female health and the hatching success of associated nests in Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Forty individual females will undergo health assessments and late-stage dead embryos and hatchlings will be examined for pathology. The hatching success of nests laid by the forty females will be analyzed in relation to temperature, humidity, female health, fertilization, and hatchling pathology. Twenty nests will be outfitted with data loggers that will record temperature and humidity throughout the incubation process. Finally, data collected will be used to establish female health parameters for this region and an understanding of embryo and hatchling pathology at nesting sites in Puerto Rico will be reported, which can then be used by clinicians and researchers.