CNMI Sea Turtle Program satellite tracked green turtles 2011

Original provider: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center & Regional Office, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Lands & Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife Dataset credits: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Sea Turtle Program Abstract: Sea turtles are cultural ambassadors, connecting people and nations of the Pacific. This collaborative satellite tagging project has not only increased our understanding of CNMI sea turtle biology and migration and engaged local communities and conservation partners, but has also stretched across ocean basins connecting the Pacific Islands with the IOSEA. Purpose: During the summer of 2011, three satellite tags were deployed on post-nesting green turtles in Saipan. Goals of this effort were to integrate sea turtles in educational activities, acquire greater understanding of their biology and ecology, and promote greater community awareness of conservation needs and migrations. These are CNMI's first post-nesting satellite tagged turtles, resulting from a collaborative project of CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources (DLNR) -- Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) -- Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) and Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), and local community volunteer organizations. Supplemental information: This dataset was supplied to the CNMI DLNR-DFW with the help of George Balazs and Denise Parker of NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.