An all-time record number of 141 nesting green sea turtles were observed coming ashore to lay eggs on Itu Aba (Taiping Island, 太平島) last year, which could yield up to 35,000 hatchlings, the Ocean Affairs Council said today.
From June to September last year, the council joined with the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium to carry out the first systematic study into the sea turtle ecology of Itu Aba, it said in a news release.
Located 1,600km from Taiwan’s main island in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), Itu Aba sees the most hatchlings of any site in Taiwan, the council said.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Affairs Council
Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) in Pingtung County and Wangan Township (望安) in Penghu County are also important breeding sites for green sea turtles, usually observing 10 brooding turtles per year, it said.
Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) sees 10 to 20, resulting in fewer than 40 nests per year, it added.
Researchers observed 221 nests in Itu Aba within the four months, the council said.
As each turtle lays about 70 eggs at a time, up to 50,000 eggs could have been laid this nesting season, it said.
Green sea turtle eggs have a 70 percent hatch rate, so this year could see up to 35,000 hatchlings, although the survival rate is low with just one to two turtles per 1,000 eggs surviving to adulthood, it added.
Since adult females return to their birthplace to nest, researchers estimate that in 20 years, the island could see 36 of the turtles hatched this year return to lay their eggs, it added.
Last year, researchers on Itu Aba found the smallest nesting female turtle ever recorded in Taiwan, measuring just 84cm in length, meaning that this year is most likely the first egg-laying year for many young turtles, it said.
Researchers also observed multiple mating events close to the shore, showing that the island is not only an important nesting site, but a critical habitat for the entire breeding cycle of the green sea turtle, it added.
The results would be included in a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, putting Taiwan on the map for environmental conservation and marking Itu Aba an important ecological observation site not only for Taiwan, but for the world, it said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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