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Leatherback Turtles

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SPREP Marine Species Programme

Archie Carr Centre for Sea Turtle Research (ACCSTR) Sea Turtle Tag Inventory

SPREP satellite tagging maps

2006 Pacific Year of the Sea Turtle

Why does SPREP tag turtles?

There are many reasons why we tag turtles. By tagging turtles with small numbered titanium or inconel flipper tags, we can study their migration patterns, distribution and growth rates. We also learn where turtles nest and where they forage.

The information collected from tagging can be used to plan how to best monitor and manage the conservation of sea turtles in the Pacific region.

There are two primary types of tagging operations undertaken by SPREP: flipper tagging and satellite tagging.

Applying a flipper tag to a satellite-tagged green turtle Chelonia mydas in French Polynesia. Photo: Amanda Mirran.

Flipper tagging

Flipper tagging is by far the most common type of tagging carried out in the region. With this method, SPREP provides titanium and inconel flipper tags to member countries and territories for their national turtle tagging programmes.

Map of selected SPREP flipper taggings and recoveries.

Each flipper tag has a one-letter (for titanium tags) or two-letter (for inconel tags) prefix and a series of up to five numbers on one side and the return address on the other side so that recovered tags can be reported back to SPREP. When attached to a turtle, this tag number identifies that individual turtle and provides us important information about the turtle, like when it was tagged, the country in which it was released, its size and even which organisation or individual conducted the tagging.

Satellite tagging

Satellite tagging is the other type of tagging undertaken, but is less common than flipper tagging mainly due to the high costs involved.

Satellite tags are radio transmitters that are attached to the carapace (shell) of the turtle. The current programme targets nesting female turtles, as they often migrate to foraging areas far away from the nesting site.

Lady Vini's satellite tag plotting.

A turtle with a satellite tag attached will transmit a signal to satellites orbiting earth within a certain time interval. Information generated from satellite tags include location, dive time and other parameters. The information from the satellite is relayed to scientists carrying out the research who then plot this information to produce maps showing the migration route of a satellite tagged turtle.

In all cases, turtles receiving satellite tags also have flipper tags applied as flipper tags will remain longer on a turtle than will the transmitter.

Given the high costs, satellite tagging is only carried out when funding is available and where warranted. The current turtle satellite programme is a collaborative undertaking by SPREP, the Marine Turtle Research Program (NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Centre, Hawaii), and member countries.

What do we learn from tagging?

The SPREP regional turtle tagging programme started in 1991 using titanium flipper tags. In 2007 inconel tags were also introduced. Both remain in use today. When a tagged turtle is recaptured, the tag number will make it possible to trace back information concerning a particular turtle to where and when it was first tagged. Thus, researchers will be able to know its migration and growth patterns and its foraging and nesting areas (if caught nesting or foraging).

Satellite tagging provides immediate and detailed information on movement of the tagged turtle, showing the actual route taken to foraging areas by adult sea turtles after nesting. Flipper tags only provide information if the turtle is captured. They are also unable to provide information on routes taken by a turtle or its behaviour.

The Story of Two Tagged Turtles

In late November 2006, Popora, an adult green turtle, was satellite tagged and released off the coast of Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Popora had a Curved Carapace (Shell) Length (CCL) of 93 cm and was caught off Tupai Island. In all, he travelled 5,428 kilometres through the Exclusive Economic Zones of seven countries and territories, including two separate passes through the EEZ of Vanuatu.

Poropora is tagged and ready for release in French Polynesia.

Also in 2006, Lady Vini, a nesting hawksbill turtle was tagged and released from Satitoa Aleipata in Samoa. Her name derives from that fact that she was caught on Vini Island. In the seven months (228 days) when the satellite tag was transmitting signals, Lady Vini travelled a total of 4,743 km through the EEZs of 7 countries/territories. She spent between 9-85% of her time underwater, averaging 50%. Much to the delight of scientists, Vini proved to be a “living pelagic” turtle rather than an individual which travelled directly from nesting area to benthic foraging area (as normally occurs for post-nesting hawksbill and green turtles).

Turtle Research & Monitoring Database System (TREDS)

Information generated from the the Turtle Research and Monitoring Database System (TREDS) allows Pacific island countries and territories to better understand and thus manage their turtle resources, and enables researchers to learn more about turtle nesting and foraging sites. TREDS can be used to collate data from strandings, tagging, nesting, emergence and beach surveys, as well as other biological data on turtles.

First established in 2003, upgrading and updating the regional database continues to be an important component of the SPREP Marine Turtle Action Plan 2008-2012. TREDS is currently being used in Samoa, American Samoa, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Tonga, Kiribati and Tuvalu.

TREDS was developed through a collaborative effort by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, NOAA Fisheries, Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency, South-East Asia Fisheries Development Centre and the Marine Research Foundation.

What should I do if I find a flipper-tagged turtle?

The most important thing to remember if you find or catch a live tagged turtle is do not remove the tags from its flippers! Aside from causing the turtle pain, losing these tags means that the next time this turtle is sighted, we won’t know it’s history and will therefore lose a lot of valuable information.

If you find a dead turtle, please remove the tag and return it to SPREP.

If you do find or catch a tagged turtle, make sure you write down the following information: 1) the tag number; 2) the date; 3) the location caught; 4) how it was caught; and 5) what happened to the turtle.

Once you have these details please inform SPREP and notify your local fisheries or environment office.

SPREP Tag Details

The flipper tags SPREP uses are either titanium supplied by Stockbrands in Australia or inconel (nickel-based superalloy) supplied by National Band and Tag Company in the US.

SPREP's current tag series are numbered as follows.

Titanium tags:

• RMTP001 - RMTP1000
• R1001 - R44600
• 9200 - 9450

Inconel 681 tags:

• RI00001 - RI02000

Tracking tagged turtles on the Internet

The movements of Popora, Lady Vini and others as they are tracked via satellite signal and charted on a series of maps are posted on the SPREP site here.

The entire SPREP tag series can be viewed in the Archie Carr Centre for Sea Turtle Research (ACCSTR) Sea Turtle Tag Inventory along with all other flippers tags used globally by turtle researchers.