Current research at the turtle project/ EXCAVATION TODAY! (07/08/2012)

Hello everyone, thought you might like to know a bit more about the kind of work that is going on at the turtle project. On top of all the hard efforts all the volunteers put into our conservation and research collection there are also a few undergraduates from the University of Exeter collecting data for their third year dissertations while we are volunteering. 2 other students and I are looking at whether artificial light in the area affects hatchling emergence from the nest. We are measuring the angles of the hatchling tracks the morning after a nest has hatched and have noticed so far, especially on Alagadi where there is the huge power station slightly further along the beach, that the hatchlings do seem to be heading off in the direction of the lights rather than straight down to the sea. We are collecting data from all the nests that the Project is trying to protect on Alagadi, the North beaches and the West beaches by Akdeniz so will hopefully get a good idea of how much the anthropogenic light affects the hatchlings, especially on those beaches with hotels and restaurants right on the shore. And finally I can tell you that we will be excavating a nest on Alagadi this afternoon that everyone is welcome to come along to! The is a Green turtle nest which started to hatch last night, and hopefully we will find a few more hatchlings still in the sand. So a great opportunity to see them up close and in the day light, just remember that any cameras must have flash disabled when taking photos! So meet at the Goatshed at 4pm when we will all walk down to the beach together, or alternatively meet us down on the beach just after 4 on Bay 2, left of the beach bar when facing at the sea (Look for the red t-shirts!). Hopefully see some of you later on today, and if not you are always welcome to phone (on (009)05338798533) or pop in for some more information, Sasha x