TORSOOI - GIS Database of Sea Turtles in the South West Indian Ocean

 

Marine turtles are migratory species with delayed sexual maturity and occupy different habitats, spread over a broad geographical area, at different times in their life cycles (beaches, sea, mangroves, reef flats, seagrass beds, etc.). The populations of the five species of sea turtles found in the southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO) (green, hawksbill, loggerhead, olive ridley and leatherback turtles) are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, and benefit from conservation measures as part of the international convention CITES-CMS (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - Migratory Species Convention) IOSEA-MoU and a regional agreement (Indian Ocean - East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding). Populations of these five fragile species are distributed across several countries, between which they travel during breeding migrations. Their survival, therefore, depends on the application of conservation measures over a wide area, to include all the marine and coastal habitats that they occupy during their life cycle. By protecting these species and the environments in which they live, much of the biodiversity of the communities will also benefit from this conservation effort. While the environment has an impact on the biology and behaviour of sea turtles, the turtles also play an important role in the balance of the ecosystems they spend time in. Green turtles, for example, are herbivorous in adulthood and graze in seagrass beds and seaweed; thereby playing a vital role in maintaining the structure and species diversity of seagrasses, and biodiversity of associated species. By maintaining the variety of habitats in these meadows, green turtles promote overall biodiversity of the ecosystem.

The SWIO is an area with a large amount of habitat suitable for breeding and development of sea turtles, and several studies conducted by Ifremer and Kélonia have already demonstrated that the area hosts large populations of green and hawksbill turtles. It is notably an exceptional area for genetic exchange between green turtles from the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. This region is, therefore, essential for the conservation of marine turtles and their habitats. Data collected as part of bilateral cooperation programs for monitoring sea turtles illustrates the advantages offered by spatialized data in a Geographic Information System (GIS) for improving regional understanding of the biology of these species and for educating the public, managers and decision-makers in management of turtles and their habitats. In this context, we want to develop a project to improve knowledge of the ranges and specific sites of primary interest for the conservation of marine turtles and their habitats, both locally and across the SWIO, by setting up a regional database and a dedicated GIS. The use of these advanced tools in many areas is now essential in order to optimize the conservation of these species at regional and local levels.

This project will be run like a consortium, involving Kélonia, Ifremer Réunion, and the laboratories IREMIA (Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science - Institut de Recherche en Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées ) and CREGUR (Centre for Research and Studies in Geography - Centre de Recherche et d’Etudes en Géographie at the Université de la Réunion). Kélonia will be the organiser and manager of this project. Ifremer, which founded the sea turtle monitoring programs in 1972 and has provided scientific support to Kélonia since 1997, will offer its expertise and experience (data and methodology) in population monitoring. The Université de la Réunion will provide support and scientific expertise in the use of the various tools (database, GIS and Web interfaces) developed in this project.

For more information:
- Download the pdf: application/pdf MEMORANDUM D'ENTENTE SUR LA CONSERVATION ET LA GESTION DES TORTUES MARINES ET DE LEURS HABITATS DE L'OCEAN INDIEN ET DE L'ASIE DU SUD-EST 
- Download the pdf of the leaflet: application/pdf Dépliant TORSOOI 

Top 

Objective, aims, expected results and indicators

Objective

Marine turtles have been studied in the SWIO since 1972 (Ifremer and Kélonia). More studies are now being conducted in the Seychelles, South Africa and Madagascar, led by other organisations and research institutes. This work has increased our knowledge about the distribution of turtle species, their biology and behaviour. However, these studies have often been conducted separately and the protocols are very heterogeneous. A large amount of data currently exists on marine turtles in the SWIO, but these are scattered and their heterogeneity does not provide an overall regional picture of the conservation status of these species. These data cannot, therefore, be used to propose priorities for a comprehensive global strategy for sea turtle preservation. Ongoing studies and future programs will be done to provide additional knowledge on marine turtles and develop the database created during the present project. This is particularly true of the genetics program started in 2004 by Ifremer and Kélonia, which was the topic of a European-funded preliminary study and a thesis on green turtles in the region and will now continue on the hawksbill turtle as part of another study. The ‘SWIOFP (South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project)-Sea Turtle’ component, led by Ifremer and Kélonia, will make a regional study of turtle movements in the ocean by deploying hundreds of Argos tags (2008-2011), thus contributing to improving knowledge on the migration of sea turtles.

Given the current context, it is essential to develop decision-making tools that will bring together teams working on marine turtles and thus strengthen the existing regional exchange network. It is through this sharing of information and strong partnerships that we can find out the exact status of these species in the region, so as to propose priorities for sea turtle conservation strategy. Two necessary and complementary tools are needed to achieve this:

  1. The shared database that will centralise all data collected by Ifremer and Kélonia on French territories in the Indian Ocean. It could also include the data from programs by teams across the region as a whole, and thus homogenise them. These data concern key indicators of the health status of marine turtles (track counts and nests, and tagging and recapture data, aerial surveys to count individuals along the shore, deaths, etc.). The database will be constructed to allow the addition of new partners in the future and, in the long term, will aim to centralize existing data on marine turtles in the entire SWIO area. It should be compatible with other databases (ETIC Environment Tropical Island - Information Technology and Communication), IOSEA ...), as part of knowledge networking on the biodiversity of Indian Ocean ecosystems, as well as with SINPmer (System d’information sur la nature et les paysages).
  2. The multi-scale GIS will be an important synthesis and decision-making tool. Through the spatialization of biological data in the environmental context of their habitats on both local and regional scales, it will compare the monitoring methods and be used to identify priority conservation areas for these species, which will be taken into account in planning decisions (marine and terrestrial ZNIEFF: Natural Areas of Faunal and Floral Ecological Interest - Zones Naturelles d’Intérêt Ecologique Faunistique et Floristique). This tool will therefore provide a summary and images that may be used in management to monitor the impact of conservation actions and add value to the knowledge acquired. This GIS will use local data repositories to remain consistent with different on-going programs in Réunion and a possible integration of data into an overall GIS for Réunion or the region.

Following the introduction of these tools, the use of centralized data will produce a regional overview of:

  • The health status of marine turtle populations currently monitored in partner countries on different spatial and temporal scales
  • The spatial variation of genetic and functional biodiversity, which will highlight the marine turtle "hot spots" in the SWIO
  • Temporal variation in turtle frequentation of habitats
  • The impact of human activities and natural disturbances on populations of marine turtles and their habitats
  • The impact of promotion and protection of marine turtles and their habitats

This synthesis will lead to a review of the status of marine turtles in the partner countries and across the SWIO in order to propose areas of conservation priority for policy makers, and develop and communicate the results to the general public, improving awareness and responsibility concerning biodiversity issues. These data can be integrated into "global" GIS systems through the use of compatible software. By looking at the “big picture” and the information provided, we can contribute to the harmonious development of human activities and conservation of marine turtles and their habitats.
Through this project, the partnerships undertaken by Kélonia and Ifremer in the region (Madagascar, Mayotte, Comoros and Seychelles) will be strengthened through the networking of these tools via the Internet. Réunion is well placed in the centre of this study network of marine turtles in the SWIO, favouring the influence of its science and technology in the region.

A feasibility study, co-funded by Kélonia and the program ETIC (IREMIA-CREGUR Université de la Réunion), was conducted to prepare the specifications for the regional database and GIS and to put them online. Two engineers were employed for a total period of 6 months, and researchers from various agencies involved in the project made some of their working time available for this preliminary study. In addition, extensive work was done in collaboration with the company AxeDesign to precisely define the stages of creating the database and applications best suited for its adapted functions. This study allowed the development of these tools to be planned and guided so as to optimize their use by all partners, their effectiveness in the study and conservation of marine turtles, and their integration into present and future programs on Réunion.

Objectives

The overall project goal is to direct and coordinate programs to monitor sea turtles in the SWIO by establishing management tools and communications adapted to marine turtle issues and the regional context. From a scientific perspective, this project aims to improve knowledge about these species, their habitats, their ranges, and priority conservation areas, with a view to establishing a conservation strategy that will be operational on both local and regional scales.

This will involve:

Homogenising the collection methods, data acquisition and analysis, and determining, among the data amassed in Réunion (Réunion, Eparse Islands, Mayotte, Moheli, Madagascar), the best indicators of the conservation status of marine turtles and their habitats and which studies to perpetuate and improve

  1. Spatializing information through development of tools for synthesis and innovative decision-making in the field of marine turtles, and helping to visualize the issues addressed
  2. Developing a functional study network for the coherent long-term study of marine turtles in the region that will assert the role of Réunion as a centre of expertise
  3. Developing educational tools for communication and promotion of scientific results to the general public
  4. Encouraging, through this project, new regional partnerships for the development of these tools to expand the network of biodiversity protection
  5. Supplying information systems with data on the environment and biodiversity

On the local level, this project integrates several objectives of the Réunion strategy for biodiversity:

  • To continue implementation of existing conservation plans and develop conservation plans to preserve the most endangered species (terrestrial, marine and freshwater) maintaining or restoring the status of viable population numbers and ensuring their monitoring
  • To define a strategy to protect habitats and species within a functional network of protected areas
  • To understanding the functionality and vulnerability of ecosystems to prioritize management actions

Also, as part of the local and regional objectives of the Action Plan IFRECOR (French Initiative for Coral Reefs Initiative française pour les récifs coralliens):

  • To establish a network for monitoring the impact of human activities on marine ecosystems;
  • To make summaries of knowledge to better promote and disseminate them in the information system;
  • To educate the people of Réunion and tourists about the importance of everyday actions and responsibility of citizens to contribute to the preservation of the marine environment.

In addition, this project fits into the regional Plan for Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles established under the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and of Southeast Asia (IOSEA-MoU), which aims to protect, conserve and restore populations of marine turtles and their habitats, based on the best scientific data available, taking into account the environmental and the socio-economic and cultural character of the signatory states. This meets two objectives defined in the plan of conservation and management:

  • Improve understanding of the ecology and populations of sea turtle through research, monitoring and exchange of information
  • Increase public awareness of threats to marine turtles and their habitats and increase public participation in conservation activities
Expected Results

At the local level the tools developed for the protection and promotion of sea turtles will put Réunion at the heart of the marine turtle study network in the SWIO, and confirm its role as a regional centre of excellence. On a broader scale, results expected from this project concern several complementary themes (ecology, technology, management, communication, promotion) whose recognition is essential for optimizing the management and conservation of marine turtles and their habitats, namely:

  • Making Réunion the leader of the regional "marine turtle" network
  • An operational regional network established through the development of common tools – the regional database and GIS – in the context of common issues
  • Establishment of effective working tools to facilitate exchange between the teams of scientists working on marine turtles in the SWIO
  • Use of spatial analysis as a tool for decision making and support for managers
  • Summary of knowledge on the biology and conservation status of protected species and their habitats
  • Promotion through the dissemination of knowledge, enhancing public awareness of the natural and cultural heritage associated with sea turtles, and development of ecotourism
  • Sustainability of the means of promoting sea turtles and their habitats
  • Presentations to other countries with which there are not yet collaborations, with a view to their integration into regional centres of excellence and the coordinated development of the Indian Ocean region

Top