Each sea turtle has a unique face pattern (photo ID). In 2022, images of 18 sea turtles were recorded in the Tideland Conservation Area.

(Provided by Haike Museum, photographed by Chen Zongwei)

[Reporter Lu Xianxiu/Report from Keelung] With the support of the National Council of Science and Technology, the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology, for the first time, used the "Exploration and Implementation of the Conservation Area for Female High School Students" to study the sea turtles in the tidal environment conservation area. Sea turtles appeared before the establishment of the tidal environment conservation area. The number is only sporadic. Nuannuan high school students found that 18 sea turtles often appeared after careful comparison of the 60 photos and images recorded by the underwater photos of divers in 2022 and the underwater videos of the Haike Museum. Now in the bay of the conservation area, it is surprising that there are so many turtles in the bay of the conservation area.

How to identify the turtles?

Chen Lishu, Director of the Industry-University Exchange Group of the Marine Science Museum, said that "sea turtle roll call" is a citizen science recording method used by domestic scholars from abroad, mainly because each sea turtle has different "face patterns" in the arrangement of scales on its face, just like human Fingerprints are also identifiable, and each sea turtle has a different face pattern, so it can be used to identify individual sea turtles.

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After the establishment of the Chaojing Conservation Area, with the support of the National Science Council, the "Exploration and Implementation of the Conservation Area for Female High School Students" project was established. It was the first time to go to school to encourage women to participate in scientific research projects. 18 Nuannuan high school female students participated in the sea turtle roll call Citizen Science Action.

The Sea Science Museum stated that the geographical and current conditions in the northeast corner are special, and it is an area where many marine organisms must migrate. Before the establishment of the tidal environment conservation area, there were only sporadic records of sea turtles passing by or appearing in the conservation area every year. In 2022, divers underwater Taking photos and 33 images recorded by the underwater video of the Haike Museum, the students carefully compared the 60 photos and images, and identified 18 sea turtles appearing in the bay of the conservation area, which was surprising.

Chen Sufen, director of the Marine Science Museum, pointed out that before the establishment of the Tidal Environment Conservation Area in 2016, sea turtles were often seen dying of being entangled in bottom gillnets near the shore. The net has disappeared from the conservation area. The number of sea turtles has gradually increased in recent years. The total number of sea turtles that appeared in the past 5 years was less than 15. In 2022, there will be 18 sea turtles recorded in the conservation area alone.

She said that sea turtles are very smart and only come into the bay when they have something to eat. It shows that with the efforts of Haike, the city government and all marine volunteers, the biodiversity in the conservation area has achieved remarkable conservation results.

Today (February 9), the teachers and students of Rinuannuan High School held a scientific breakthrough activity in the Haike Chaojing Smart Aquarium, leading the public to experience the "sea turtle roll call" and "ocean crisis and hyper technology queue (Hyper technology queue)" board game activities, Let the public share the concept of sustainable oceans and the results of the "Exploration and Implementation of Conservation Areas for Female High School Students", so that tourists can further understand the sustainable effects of conservation areas, and hope that more people will care about ocean conservation issues.

Diving volunteers photographed the turtle's left forelimb being entangled in the fishing line, and the turtle's meat was cut off.

(Provided by Haike Museum, photographed by Chen Zongwei)

The students of Nuannuan High School carefully identified the sea turtles that appeared in the Chaojing Conservation Area from the images.

(Provided by Haike Museum)

Students from Nuannuan High School led the public to experience the sea turtle roll call and ocean crisis party board game activities, caring about marine conservation.

(Photo by reporter Lu Xianxiu)