Identification of Important Turtle Areas for green turtles in the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion

Original provider:
Marine Research Foundation

Dataset credits:
Data provider
Marine Research Foundation - Marine Turtle Programme
Originating data center
<a href='http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/' target='_blank'>Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (STAT)</a>
Project partner
The Marine Research Foundation is a non-profit research foundation based in Sabah, Malaysia and incorporated under the Trustees (Incorporation) Act 1951 Cap. 148. MRF was set up to increase the understanding of marine ecosystems and functions, and conserve the abundance and diversity of marine flora and fauna through research, conservation and education activities. MRF partners with numerous projects and activities, from community-based marine conservation in Papua New Guinea, industry partnerships in Dhamra, India, development of a regional action plan for the Sulu Sulawesi seas, conserving sea turtles in Qatar, and satellite tracking of turtles from the Vietnam, the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates, among others. The Foundation also supports efforts to integrate the efforts and conservation activities of the IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group.<br><br>Sabah Parks is the statutory body entrusted with the management and conservation of protected areas in Sabah, Malaysia. The Vision of Sabah Parks is People of Sabah living in harmony with Nature and the Mission is To preserve areas in Sabah that contain outstanding natural values as a heritage for the benefit of the people, now and in the future. This is accomplished through six key goals:<br><br>1 : Our Parks are World Class<br>2 : We are the centre of excellence for Tropical Ecosystem Research<br>3 : Our Parks are Nature Tourism hotspots<br>4 : We have the most exciting Nature Education programme<br>5 : We are financially strong<br>6 : There is symbiotic harmony between us and all our stakeholders<br><br>The Department of Environment and Natural Resources was established through the enactment of Act No. 2666 by the Philippine Commission, otherwise known as An Act to Re-organize the Executive Department of the Government of the Philippine Islands, on 18 November 1916. The Biodiversity Management Bureau (formerly the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau) is entrusted with safeguarding the amazing biological resources of the country. The Vision of BMB is “a perpetual existence of biological and physical diversities in a system of protected areas and other important biological components of the environment managed by a well-informed and empowered citizenry for the sustainable use and enjoyment of present and future generations”. BMB’s Mission is to conserve the country's biological diversity through (1) the establishment, management and development of the National Integrated Protected Areas System; (2) the conservation of wildlife resources; and (3) nature conservation information and education.
Project sponsor or sponsor description
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has been implementing projects to promote economic, ecological and social development in the Philippines on behalf of the German Government since the 1970s. Our main commissioning parties are the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). Commissions also come from international clients including the European Union, the Asian Development Bank and AusAID.<br><br>Our work in the Philippines concentrates on the areas of peace and security, the environment, rural development and climate change. Several regional programmes are also based in the Philippines and are managed by GIZ from Manila. These include programmes supporting biodiversity conservation in the ASEAN area. One of these is the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion project.<br><br>Only a few regions in the world are as rich in species as the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME). It is part of the Coral Triangle region in the Pacific that spans a total of 640 million hectares between Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands. The natural resources of the region are exposed to considerable risk as a result of severe over-exploitation due to population growth, destructive fishing practices, rapid coastal development and other human activities. This situation is further exacerbated by climate change and its impacts, such as the rise in water temperatures and sea level, ocean acidification and an increase in the intensity and frequency of storms. <br><br>The action plan of the SSME states of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines highlights the global importance and unique nature of the marine region in terms of biodiversity and natural resources.

Abstract:
Marine turtles are important components of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, (SSME). Green turtles are important for maintaining healthy seagrass beds and coral reefs. Without constant grazing, seagrass beds may become overgrown, obstructing currents, shading the bottom, or decomposing. Seagrass beds in turn are nurseries for a number of species of commercial fish and crustaceans, including shrimp. On coral reefs, green turtles crop algae that can compete with corals. Hawksbill turtles control the population of sponges in coral reefs, which can easily out-compete corals for the same space. Through selective foraging, hawksbill turtles are able to impact the overall reef diversity. Leatherback turtles eat large quantities amounts of jellyfish, helping to keep their populations under control. Jellyfish prey on larval fish, many species of which are economically important to humans. Loggerhead turtles are known to help recirculate sediments on the seabed and distribute nutrients while they search for, and feed on, crustaceans and molluscs. On the beach, unhatched eggs, trapped hatchlings, and egg shells provide nutrients for beach vegetation, which secures the sand via root development. The loss of beach vegetation can lead to erosion, minimizing sea turtle nesting habitat, among others, but also reducing coastal resilience.<br><br>These same, ecologically important, marine turtles are threatened through ongoing egg harvests, poaching of adults by foreign fishing fleets, and as by-catch in shrimp and fish trawl fisheries. Work by the Marine Research Foundation (www.mrf-asia.org) estimated bycatch of turtles from the Sabah shrimp fleets alone at several thousand turtles each year. Recent reports by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and the Biodiversity Management Bureau (Philippines) have recorded several instances where Chinese fishing vessels have been apprehended with hundreds of adult and large juvenile turtles, and poaching in Malaysia and in Indonesia is on the rise. Another cause for concern lies a continued lack of knowledge of the biology and ecology of the turtles in many parts of the SSME - turtles spend 98% of their time at sea, but virtually all conservation efforts in the SSME only occur on land. <br><br>The conservation of sea turtles is thus a key priority in the SSME. Sulu-Sulawesi turtles are recognised at both National and Regional levels, and even globally: turtles are similarly a priority under the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Sea Turtles and their Habitats (IOSEA MoU), the Coral Reef Triangle (CTI) Regional Action Plan, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Sea Turtle MoU. At the National level sea turtles are completely protected in all three countries bordering the SSME. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) lists marine turtles occurring in the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA) on Appendix I, while the World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the green turtle as Endangered, and the hawksbill as Critically Endangered. The turtles nesting in the TIHPA area were included in the top-ten priority listing for conservation by the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group, and as such are among priority focus areas of this conservation initiative.<br><br>A network of protected areas to enhance sea turtle conservation in the Sulu Sulawesi was endorsed by Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines in 2010. The network was designed to link nesting turtles with development grounds, migration corridors and adult feeding grounds. Within the network, the most important nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles is the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA), a complex of nine islands shared by Malaysia and the Philippines. Thousands of turtles come to lay eggs on these islands each year, and they represent a valuable food and tourism commodity to local people and governments. <br>But tailored conservation action relies on a thorough understanding of turtle population biology and ecology. One needs to know where turtles are in order to protect them. We need to know where they go as they disperse from nesting beaches, and where they grow up. We need to understand the relationship between nesting adults and developing populations, in order to understand the linkages among the various stocks. <br><br>This project entails four inter-linked components to further the understanding of the biology and ecology of sea turtles in the SSME, upon which National policy decisions and the expansion of the Tri-National Network of Protected Areas may be based. Each component addresses critical biological and reproductive traits of turtles which have previously not been studied in the SSME, and together they form a cohesive research programme which complements National projects within the Sulu Sulawesi Tri-National Sea Turtle Corridor initiative.<br><br>We are conducting laparoscopy and genetic studies to determine population structure through mixed stock analysis; tracking studies of post nesting female to determine foraging ground locations (this project component), and determining temporal habitat use in key foraging grounds in the SSME via aerial surveys.<br><br>This project component will allow us to decipher the migration paths of marine turtles and linkages between foraging and nesting populations within the important Sulu-Sulawesi biogeographic region, and to raise awareness of the importance of marine turtle populations, and will track twenty post-nesting adult turtles as they depart from their nesting sites to determine the location of subsequent feeding zones and migratory routes using satellite technology. <br><br>Data resulting from this work will inform managers of critical inâ€"water habitats utilised by SSME turtles, and allow them to aim concerted conservation activities, including fishery regulation where applicable, to preserve turtles through all phases of their live cycle.

原始提供方：
海洋研究基金会（Marine Research Foundation）

数据集归属说明：
数据提供方：
海洋研究基金会（Marine Research Foundation）海洋海龟项目组
原始数据中心：<a href='http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/' target='_blank'>卫星追踪与分析工具（Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool, STAT）</a>
项目合作方：
海洋研究基金会是一家总部位于马来西亚沙巴州、依据1951年《受托人（法人注册）法案》第148章注册成立的非营利研究基金会。MRF成立的宗旨是通过研究、保护与教育活动，增进人类对海洋生态系统及其功能的认知，并保护海洋动植物的丰度与多样性。MRF与众多项目及活动开展合作，涵盖巴布亚新几内亚的社区型海洋保护项目、印度达姆拉的产业合作项目、苏禄-苏拉威西海区域行动计划制定、卡塔尔海龟保护工作，以及对越南、马尔代夫和阿联酋等地海龟的卫星追踪工作等。该基金会还支持整合国际自然保护联盟物种存续委员会海龟专家小组（IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group）的保护工作与活动。<br><br>沙巴公园（Sabah Parks）是受委托管理和保护马来西亚沙巴州保护区的法定机构。其愿景为“沙巴人民与自然和谐共处”，使命为“保护沙巴州内具有卓越自然价值的区域，作为惠及当前及未来世代人民的遗产”。该目标通过六大核心目标实现：<br><br>1. 我们的公园跻身世界一流<br>2. 我们是热带生态系统研究的卓越中心<br>3. 我们的公园成为生态旅游热点<br>4. 我们拥有最具吸引力的自然教育项目<br>5. 我们具备坚实的财政实力<br>6. 我们与所有利益相关方实现共生和谐<br><br>环境与自然资源部（Department of Environment and Natural Resources）由菲律宾委员会于1916年11月18日通过第2666号法案设立，原法案名称为《重组菲律宾群岛政府行政部门法案》。生物多样性管理局（Biodiversity Management Bureau, BMB，前身为保护区与野生动物局）受委托保护该国丰富的生物资源。BMB的愿景为“在由知情且赋权的公民管理的保护区及其他重要环境生物组成的系统中，生物与物理多样性永续存在，以实现当前及未来世代的可持续利用与共享”。BMB的使命为通过以下三项工作保护本国生物多样性：(1) 建立、管理与发展国家综合保护区系统；(2) 保护野生生物资源；(3) 开展自然保护信息与教育工作。

项目资助方或资助方说明：
德国国际合作机构（Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ）自20世纪70年代起，代表德国政府在菲律宾开展促进经济、生态与社会发展的项目。我们的主要委托方为德国联邦经济合作与发展部（BMZ）以及德国联邦环境、自然保护、建筑与核安全部（BMUB）。委托方还包括欧盟、亚洲开发银行、澳大利亚国际开发署（AusAID）等国际客户。<br><br>我们在菲律宾的工作聚焦于和平与安全、环境、农村发展与气候变化领域。多个区域项目也以菲律宾为基地，由GIZ马尼拉办事处管理，其中包括支持东盟地区生物多样性保护的项目，苏禄-苏拉威西海洋生态区项目（Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion project）便是其中之一。<br><br>全球范围内仅有少数区域拥有如斯禄-苏拉威西海洋生态区（Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, SSME）这般丰富的物种资源。它属于太平洋珊瑚三角区的一部分，横跨印度尼西亚、马来西亚、东帝汶、巴布亚新几内亚、菲律宾及所罗门群岛，总面积达6.4亿公顷。由于人口增长、破坏性捕捞方式、沿海快速开发及其他人类活动导致的严重过度开发，该区域的自然资源面临巨大风险。气候变化及其带来的影响，如水温上升、海平面升高、海洋酸化以及风暴强度与频率的增加，进一步加剧了这一困境。<br><br>SSME行动计划（涵盖印度尼西亚、马来西亚与菲律宾）凸显了该海洋区域在生物多样性与自然资源方面的全球重要性与独特性。

摘要：
海龟是苏禄-苏拉威西海洋生态区（Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, SSME）的重要组成部分。绿海龟对于维持健康的海草床与珊瑚礁至关重要：若缺乏持续的啃食，海草床可能过度生长，阻碍洋流、遮蔽海底或发生腐烂。而海草床又是众多商业鱼类与甲壳类动物（包括虾类）的育苗场。在珊瑚礁生态系统中，绿海龟会啃食可与珊瑚竞争生存空间的藻类。玳瑁龟则可控制珊瑚礁中海绵的种群数量——海绵极易在相同空间内排挤珊瑚。通过选择性觅食，玳瑁龟能够影响整个珊瑚礁的生物多样性。棱皮龟会大量捕食水母，帮助控制水母种群数量；而水母会捕食幼鱼，其中许多物种对人类具有经济价值。蠵龟在觅食甲壳类与软体动物的过程中，有助于搅动海底沉积物并散播营养物质。在海滩上，未孵化的卵、被困的幼龟及卵壳会为海滩植被提供营养，而植被的根系可固定沙土。海滩植被的流失可能导致海岸侵蚀，进而缩减海龟的筑巢栖息地，同时降低沿海地区的抗灾能力。<br><br>这些同样具有重要生态价值的海龟正面临多重威胁：持续的龟卵采集、外国捕捞船队对成年海龟的偷捕，以及在虾类与鱼类拖网渔业中作为副渔获物被捕获。海洋研究基金会（Marine Research Foundation, www.mrf-asia.org）的研究估算，仅沙巴州的虾类捕捞船队每年就会造成数千只海龟的副渔获损失。菲律宾巴拉望可持续发展委员会与生物多样性管理局近期的报告显示，多起中国渔船因载有数百只成年及大型幼年海龟而被扣押的事件，马来西亚与印度尼西亚的偷捕行为也呈上升趋势。另一个令人担忧的问题是，在SSME的多数区域，人们对海龟的生物学与生态学知识仍然匮乏——海龟98%的时间都在海中度过，但SSME内几乎所有的保护工作都仅在陆地上开展。<br><br>因此，海龟保护是SSME的核心优先事项。苏禄-苏拉威西海龟在国家、区域乃至全球层面均被列为保护重点：海龟同样被列入《印度洋及东南亚海龟及其栖息地保护谅解备忘录》（Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Sea Turtles and their Habitats, IOSEA MoU）、珊瑚三角区（Coral Triangle, CTI）区域行动计划以及东南亚国家联盟（Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN）海龟谅解备忘录的优先保护名录。在国家层面，SSME沿岸的三个国家均全面保护海龟。《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》（Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna, CITES）将海龟群岛遗产保护区（Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area, TIHPA）内的海龟列入附录I，而世界自然保护联盟（International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN）将绿海龟列为濒危物种，将玳瑁龟列为极危物种。在TIHPA区域筑巢的海龟被IUCN海龟专家小组列为十大优先保护对象之一，因此也是本次保护行动的重点关注区域。<br><br>2010年，印度尼西亚、马来西亚与菲律宾共同认可了一套旨在加强苏禄-苏拉威西海海龟保护的保护区网络。该网络旨在将筑巢海龟与育幼场、洄游通道及成年海龟觅食场连接起来。在该网络中，绿海龟与玳瑁龟最重要的筑巢点是海龟群岛遗产保护区（TIHPA），这是由马来西亚与菲律宾共享的由九个岛屿组成的区域。每年都有数千只海龟来到这些岛屿产卵，对于当地民众与政府而言，它们是宝贵的食物与旅游资源。<br><br>但针对性的保护行动需要对海龟种群生物学与生态学有深入的了解。我们需要明确海龟的栖息位置以开展保护工作，需要知晓它们从筑巢海滩扩散后的迁徙路径与育幼场所，需要理解成年筑巢龟与种群发展之间的关联，以明确不同海龟种群之间的联系。<br><br>本项目包含四个相互关联的组成部分，旨在增进人们对SSME内海龟生物学与生态学的认知，相关研究成果可作为国家政策制定以及扩大三国保护区网络的依据。每个组成部分均针对此前在SSME内未被研究过的海龟关键生物学与繁殖特征，共同构成了一套连贯的研究计划，可补充苏禄-苏拉威西三国海龟洄游通道倡议下的国内项目。<br><br>我们正在开展腹腔镜检查与遗传学研究，通过混合种群分析确定种群结构；开展筑巢后雌性海龟的追踪研究（即本项目组成部分）；并通过航空调查确定SSME内关键觅食场的时间性栖息地利用情况。<br><br>本项目组成部分将帮助我们厘清苏禄-苏拉威西这一重要生物地理区域内海龟的迁徙路径，以及觅食种群与筑巢种群之间的联系，同时提升公众对海龟种群重要性的认知。我们将利用卫星技术追踪20只从筑巢地出发的成年筑巢后海龟，以确定其后续的觅食区域与洄游路线。<br><br>本研究产生的数据将为管理者提供SSME海龟所利用的关键水下栖息地信息，帮助他们开展针对性的保护行动，包括在适用情况下实施渔业监管，以保护海龟生命周期的各个阶段。