Ichthys Gas Field Development - Marine Turtle Studies.

The aims of the marine turtle baseline studies are to describe the behaviour and distribution of marine turtles and their favoured nesting beaches around the Maret Islands and in the broader West Kimberley region.
Objectives
The objectives of the turtle population studies are to:
- Determine the genetic affinities of the breeding population of green and flatback turtles on the Maret Islands;
- Identify critical marine turtle habitats (aggregation and nesting areas) in the vicinity of the proposed development;
- Determine the relative importance of habitats on the Maret Islands in comparison with surrounding areas of the West Kimberley region;
- Quantify the usage of the Maret Islands by nesting marine turtles; and
- Assess the potential lighting impacts on turtles from the proposed development on the Maret Islands. Studies have been conducted over 2 nesting seasons (2006/7 and 2007/8). Satellite tags were affixed to both green and flatback turtles.

本海洋海龟基线研究的目标为：描述马雷群岛周边及更广域西金伯利区域内海龟的行为、分布特征，以及其偏好的筑巢海滩。

研究目标
本次海龟种群研究的目标如下：
- 明确马雷群岛绿海龟（green turtle）与平背海龟（flatback turtle）繁殖种群的遗传亲缘关系；
- 识别拟议开发项目周边区域内的海洋海龟关键栖息地（聚集区与筑巢区）；
- 对比西金伯利区域周边区域，明确马雷群岛境内各栖息地的相对重要性；
- 量化筑巢海龟对马雷群岛的利用情况；
- 评估马雷群岛拟议开发项目所产生的光照对海龟的潜在影响。

本研究已在2个筑巢季（2006/2007年与2007/2008年）期间开展，研究人员为绿海龟与平背海龟佩戴了卫星追踪标签。