Cayman Islands 2003: Loggerhead & Green Turtles

Original provider:
Cayman Islands Department of Environment

Dataset credits:
Data provider: Marine Turtle Research Group; Originating data center: Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (STAT); Project sponsor or sponsor description: The Department of Environment and MTRG would like to thank Erika and Jacob Olde for their sponsorship of ?Samia? and Year 7 and 8 students of St. Ignatius High School for their sponsorship of Shelby and Myles. St. Ignatius students received generous donations from Rotary International, Bank of Butterfield, <a href=http://www.tortugarums.com>Tortuga Rum Company</a>, and the Final Touch. This research is also supported by <a href=http://www.caymanwildlife.ky>Cayman Wildlife Connection</a>, and a grant from the Natural Environment Research Council to MTRG. Finally, <a href=http://www.sirtrack.com>Sirtrack Inc</a> made this project possible by providing custom-build KiwiSat 101 PTTs almost immediately after St. Ignatius students completed their fund-raising and an order was placed.

Abstract:
When Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands in 1503, he named them Las Tortugas (the turtles). Ferdinand Columbus recounted that the islands were ?full of tortoises, as was all the sea about, insomuch as that they looked like little rocks? The green turtle population was estimated at over 6.5 million turtles at the time of the discovery, and turtle fishing (turtling) came to form the basis of the economy and culture of the Cayman Islands. This historical importance is memorialized in our Coat of Arms and currency, but by the beginning of the 19th century, commercial exploitation had driven the immense green turtle nesting population in the Cayman Islands to the brink of extinction. <br>Wild turtles continue have a central place in the memories and experiences of many of our citizens, but today, only a few dozen nesting sea turtles remain. Where do these endangered greens and loggerheads go after they leave our beaches? With the help of schools and the community, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment and the Marine Turtle Research Group have begun a satellite telemetry project to track our historically and culturally important sea turtles for the first time.

原始提供方：开曼群岛环境部

数据集致谢：
数据提供方：海洋海龟研究组（Marine Turtle Research Group, MTRG）；原始数据中心：卫星跟踪与分析工具（Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool, STAT）；项目资助说明：开曼群岛环境部与海洋海龟研究组谨向埃里卡与雅各布·奥尔德（Erika and Jacob Olde）为“萨米娅（Samia）”提供的赞助，以及圣伊格内修斯高中7、8年级学生为谢尔比（Shelby）与迈尔斯（Myles）提供的赞助致以谢意。圣伊格内修斯高中的学生获得了来自扶轮国际（Rotary International）、巴特菲尔德银行（Bank of Butterfield）、<a href=http://www.tortugarums.com>托尔图加朗姆酒公司（Tortuga Rum Company）</a>与终极触感（Final Touch）的慷慨捐赠。本研究同时得到了<a href=http://www.caymanwildlife.ky>开曼野生动物联络处（Cayman Wildlife Connection）</a>以及自然环境研究委员会（Natural Environment Research Council）向海洋海龟研究组提供的拨款支持。最终，<a href=http://www.sirtrack.com>瑟特拉克公司（Sirtrack Inc）</a>为项目的顺利实施提供了关键支持：在圣伊格内修斯高中学生完成筹款并下单后，该公司几乎立刻交付了定制化的KiwiSat 101型卫星传输标签（KiwiSat 101 PTTs）。

摘要：
1503年克里斯托弗·哥伦布发现开曼群岛时，将其命名为拉斯托尔图加岛（Las Tortugas，意为“海龟之岛”）。斐迪南·哥伦布曾记述，该群岛“遍布海龟，周遭海域亦是如此，海龟多到宛如散布的小块礁石”。哥伦布发现群岛之时，绿海龟种群数量据估算超过650万只，海龟捕捞业自此成为开曼群岛经济与文化的核心支柱。这一历史意义如今被镌刻在开曼群岛的国徽与流通货币之中，但到19世纪初，商业捕捞已使当地数量庞大的绿海龟筑巢种群濒临灭绝。
野生海龟仍是许多开曼民众记忆与生活经历中的重要组成部分，但如今仅存数十只筑巢海龟。这些濒危的绿海龟与蠵龟离开我们的海滩后，会去往何处？在学校与社区的支持下，开曼群岛环境部与海洋海龟研究组已启动一项卫星遥测项目，首次对这类兼具历史与文化价值的海龟进行追踪监测。