The 30th International Annual Symposium on Sea Turtles Biology and Conservation
Every year, the International Sea Turtle Society holds its Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. This year, the 30th Annual symposium was organized in Goa, India and it was the first time that the symposium came to the South Asian region.
This event was jointly hosted and organized by sea turtle conservation groups and research organizations as well as institutions that work on marine environment issues across India and South Asia. Based on previous Annual Symposia of the ISTS, we were expecting up to 700 participants, from as many as 50 countries across the world. The ISTS Annual Symposium is truly unique, drawing an enormous number and diversity of people interested in these intriguing animals and their habitats.
Theme: The world of turtles (from the symposium website)
Sea turtles inhabit the land and the sea. They connect the shallow nearshore waters to the open sea, cold temperate to warm tropical waters. They migrate across ocean basins. And through several thousands of years, they have connected us ecologically and culturally to the sea. The thirtieth annual symposium on sea turtle biology and conservation will seek to explore these connections and focus on the world they live in. The world of coral reefs, seagrass meadows, open seas and sandy beaches. The world of people, living and working on the coast or at sea; of fishing cultures and livelihoods. All connected by sea turtles and by us.
In keeping with the theme of the symposium, the programme attempts to draw attention to marine and coastal habitats, fisheries and other livelihoods related issues, environmental impacts, and much, much more, within the context of sea turtle biology and conservation.
The actual symposium ran from the 27th to the 29th of April but a lot of other meetings are scheduled before and after.
On the 24th we decided to get up early and follow the first 2 workshops. The one on statistics was intensive and very practical. This will hopefully allow us a better understanding of our data. The second one on invasive species gave us a better insight on the modification of our environment whether they are human related or natural. The way to deal with those changes was also elaborated.
On the 25th I decided to follow the Fisheries Forum in the morning to see how issues with fisheries are addressed in other areas. The interaction between conservation, livelihood and sustainability are sometimes difficult to combine. The collaboration with local communities seems to be the key to positive achievements.
In the afternoon I joined the Indian Ocean and South East Asia Regional Meeting. I have worked in Asia and wanted to have some updates on the situation. It also gave different approaches to similar problems.
On the 26th the discussion was enlarged to other animals with a session about conservation of Marine Turtles and Dugongs: Shared Synergies and Opportunities. It was interesting to learn about animals that have a close interaction with turtles. It was clearly shown how conservation groups can collaborate to achieve better information beneficial to both species.
Never the less the Mediterranean Meeting, has become a wonderful opportunity to exchange information and meet with people that share common targets. An update was given with the presentation of the latest Mediterranean Sea Turtle Report, a sum of all information available on a regional level. The Mediterranean Conference planned to be in 2011 was confirmed.
A special edition on the Marine Turtle Newsletter about the Mediterranean regional was also announced. More collaboration is necessary with a Mediterranean section on the MTSG website (Marine Turtle Specialist Group).
Also the idea to publish a Mediterranean nesting and stranding database on seaturtle.org was suggested.
Between the 27th and the 29th of April, a large number of talks were given covering a wide number of topics from nesting to fisheries bycatch. Several of those were given by members of ARCHELON.
“ANOTHER DECLINING LOGGERHEAD POPULATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: BAY OF CHANIA, GREECE” by Dimitris Margaritoulis, Alan F. Rees, Christopher Dean, and Aliki Panagopoulou.
“FIELD EXPERIMENT TO ASSESS LOGGERHEAD HATCHLING ORIENTATION DISRUPTION BY ARTIFICIAL LIGHT OF DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS by Nikos Vallianos, John R. Speakman and Dimitris Margaritoulis
“EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE PROTECTION OF LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES ON THE ISLAND OF CRETE, GREECE” by Aliki Panagopoulou, Maria Stravaridou and Dimitris Margaritoulis
A poster was presented named “THE PERCEPTIONS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES TOWARDS MARINE PROTECTED AREAS AND THE CONSERVATION OF THE LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE; THE CASE STUDY OF THE BAY OF KYPARISSIA” by Niki Diogou, Ross J. Clifford, D. Dimopoulos and R. Perkins.
Another talk was given by Alan Rees called “SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO: OLIVE RIDLEY POST-NESTING MIGRATIONS” Alan F. Rees, Salim Al Saadi, Nancy Papathanasopoulou, Michael S. Coyne, Annette C. Broderick, and Brendan J. Godley
My main impression about this symposium was very positive because of the importance given to human interactions in the conservation process. It targeted especially local communities and fishermen. This brings around the table all different parties to participate actively in creating solutions for all interests. (Pavlos Tsaros)
Peak Nesting of Endangered Sea Turtles Threatened by Oil Spill
The World of Turtles awards the lifetime achievement of Dimitris Margaritoulis
RECENT NEWS
- OUR NEWS15/07/2024
Ecotourism in Peloponnese and Crete: Explore a Loggerhead sea turtle nesting beach
ARCHELON offers a unique ecological experience for the lucky and aware travelers who will find themselves this summer on important Loggerhead sea turtle nesting beaches that the Association protects.
- OUR NEWS26/06/2024
Sea Turtles Surprise us: if you see tracks on the beach, help ARCHELON's research!
Not all beaches on Greece's extensive coastline are suitable for sea turtle nesting, but sometimes these marine reptiles surprise us! This summer, ARCHELON is asking for your help to investigate a phenomenon called "sporadic nesting".
- OUR NEWS17/06/2024
ATTENTION! Sea turtles are not pets: Do not touch them or feed them!
In areas where a sea turtle associates human presence with food, it’s behavior changes. The turtle treats humans as well as other turtles as competitors in its feeding grounds and tries to drive them away with bites.
- OUR NEWS16/06/2024
30 Years of Hope: The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre of ARCHELON Celebrates World Sea Turtle Day
Every year on June 16th, we celebrate World Sea Turtle Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about these magnificent creatures and the threats they face. This year is particularly important for ARCHELON, as the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre marks 30 years of operation.
- OUR NEWS13/06/2024
Poster contest for children and young adults: Welcome the 2024 turtle hatchlings on the beaches!
Watercolors, markers, collage, computer, phone? Everything is useful. Use your creativity and imagination to make an A3 or A4 size poster announcing that the 2024 sea turtle eggs are about to hatch.
- OUR NEWS17/05/2024
Amvrakikos Project 2024: Special Call for a Field Leader
ARCHELON is looking for a highly motivated person to lead its project in Amvrakikos Gulf, one of the few foraging sites for loggerhead turtles in Greece linking several populations nesting across the Mediterranean region.
- OUR NEWS16/05/2024
Τhe nesting of loggerhead sea turtles started earlier this year and the effects of the climate crisis on the oceans are worrying
For the first time, in the 40 years of ARCHELON records, the first sea turtle nest was found in Laganas Gulf, Zakythos on May 10th. Scientific predictions of the nesting season moving earlier in the spring due to climate change are being confirmed.
- OUR NEWS14/05/2024
Save Turtles, See Greece on a Budget
Dreaming of pristine Greek beaches and a chance to make a real difference? Here's why June and September are the perfect months to volunteer with sea turtle conservation efforts in Greece!
- OUR NEWS02/05/2024
Sea Turtle Festival for Kids 2024
Save the date! On Saturday 18 May at 11:00, the ARCHELON Rescue Centre opens its doors to welcome young and old sea turtle friends who want to celebrate, explore, learn, play and travel magically in the Mediterranean Sea. We are waiting for you to strengthen our message for a better and sustainable planet!
- OUR NEWS02/05/2024
A successful year for the International Sea Turtle Symposium
The International Sea Turtle Symposium concluded triumphantly this March in Pattaya, Thailand, with ARCHELON actively participating.
- OUR NEWS29/04/2024
A Morning Beach Patrol with ARCHELON
The camera lens of Stefanos and Maria of SteMajourneys caught a rare sight in the early morning: a Loggerhead sea turtle nesting! The volunteers in Chania took action right away to protect the nest.
- OUR NEWS26/04/2024
Protecting sea turtles in Rethymno- Our Ocean, an Ocean of Potential
The 9th International Conference "Our Ocean", which was held in Athens from April 15 to 17, was successfully completed. ARCHELON had the honor to actively take part in the conference and hosted a side event.
- OUR NEWS12/04/2024
Coordination for the protection of sea turtles in Rethymno: Local authorities and tourism businesses join forces
The meeting, which took place on April 5, 2024, in the building of the Regional Unit of Rethymno, touched upon key issues, such as the observance of conservation measures for the protection of the Loggerhead sea turtle. Given the tourist activity on the nesting beaches, the active participation of the tourism sector in the implementation of the measures is necessary.
- OUR NEWS10/04/2024
"Tourists and turtles?" The environmental awareness campaign of ARCHELON spreads to the nesting beaches of the Loggerhead sea turtle
After the pandemic, ARCHELON - the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece - is once again mobilizing on the path to sustainable tourism. The aim of the new campaign is to provide information on the appropriate code of conduct for visitors to all nesting beaches, in cooperation with the tourism sector.
- OUR NEWS04/04/2024
LIFE MareNatura - The largest marine biodiversity program in Greece