Cyprus Turtlewatch 2013 Expedition

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1 UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW Cyprus Turtlewatch 2013 Expedition Leaders: Adam Delargy and Emma Andrews Cyprus Turtlewatch C/o Dr. Stewart White School of Life Sciences Graham Kerr Building G12 8QQ Fig.1 Loggerhead hatchling (Picture provided by Kirsten Fairweather- Leader 2011/12) The purpose of this document is to aid in the planning and organization of the Turtlewatch expedition to Cyprus, proposed for the summer of In addition to introducing the members of the expedition, this document will also outline the projects that we hope to undertake during the course of the expedition. The expedition will be organized by members of the University of Glasgow Exploration Society and will follow up on work conducted by the previous expeditions to Cyprus. The expedition also has the full support and approval of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Cyprus Wildlife Section and will be working in conjunction with RAF Akrotiri and the local environmental centre.

2 Introduction Marine turtles can be found in seas worldwide, nesting on tropical and sub-tropical beaches. For example, the Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) can be found nesting on beaches in Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Libya and most recently, Italy. The females of these species will always return, in the evening, to their natal beach (that is the one on which they were born) to lay their clutch of eggs. However, due to the increasing decline in the population of marine turtles over the last century due to human and environmental pressures, fewer and fewer are returning to shore to lay their eggs. Both C.mydas and C.caretta are classified as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and natural resources), meaning that they face a very high risk of extinction in the near future. Human pressures include: fishing, illegal trade, light and noise pollution near their natal beaches and habitat destruction. These factors may deter nesting females, resulting in them dumping their eggs in shallow waters, or partaking in false crawls (when no eggs are laid). These human pressures also have a detrimental effect on the hatchlings, confusing their sense of direction resulting in many not making it to the sea. Fig. 2 Hatchling making its way towards the sea Fig.3 Female returning to the sea (Pictures provided by Kirsten Fairweather- Leader 2011/12) The developing young are also at great risk during the incubation time, where the disturbance of nests by dogs, foxes and humans on the beaches of Cyprus can have devastating effects, often resulting in the death of all of the offspring. Hatchlings that do survive are subject to environmental threats, where predation by seagulls and foxes is highly prevalent on the nesting beaches, making the journey to the sea hazardous one. In recent years, the turtles have had to endure a new pressure, the origin of which is perhaps debatable; climate change. Whilst some argue it is the consequence of human activities, others regard it as a natural pattern in global temperature changes. This is of particular concern to marine turtles, as their sex ratio is determined by the temperatures experienced whilst incubating in the nest. Both species C.mydas and C.caretta, have a pivotal temperature of 29 o C, where conditions >29.5 o C result in the production of females and conditions <29.5 o C result in the production of males. Therefore if global warming continues, the production of males will decrease, resulting in a female biased sex ratio.

3 Turtlewatch Introduction Turtlewatch is a marine conservation project that was established in 1991 by the Royal Air Force. The main turtle nesting beaches on Akrotiri peninsula are situated approximately 7 km from RAF Akrotiri and are within the Sovereign Base Area. Students of the University of Glasgow have been working with Turtlewatch for the last fourteen years, and this is the fifteenth year the expedition has been organised by the Exploration Society of the University of Glasgow. During the expedition the participants will be focusing on the conservation and monitoring of the turtle population within this area. Glasgow University Exploration Society is planning a three month expedition to the Akrotiri peninsula in Southern Cyprus during the summer of It is planned to run between June until mid-september, to coincide with the laying and hatching periods, where each member of the team will be out in Cyprus for 5 weeks. The expedition has three main aims: 1. To carry out active conservation work on the Mediterranean turtles nesting on the beaches of the Akrotiri peninsula in Southern Cyprus. 2. To raise awareness amongst local inhabitants about the need to conserve marine turtles. This will be achieved by running an information centre and organising public excavations. Throughout the summer there will be a strong emphasis on keeping members of the public updated on our activities. 3. To provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to experience fieldwork that will hopefully be of benefit to them in their future careers. Fig. 4 Map of Cyprus and the Akrotiri Peninsula. ( 2012)

4 Main Objectives i) Marine turtle monitoring and conservation There are four main coves situated on the Akrotiri peninsula which are hotspots of turtle activity on the island, and have been monitored for over the last 20 years, as have those located on the RAF base itself. This work is carried out by students in association with the RAF as they are responsible for activity on these beaches. The beaches off-base are monitored at night between the hours of 9pm-6am, for signs of turtle activity, which are then recorded by both the expedition leaders and the RAF Turtlewatch coordinator, to be used later I the season to estimate the hatching date of the nests. Loggerhead turtles begin their nesting season at the end of May and continue until mid-august, whilst Green turtles begin nesting at the start of June until the middle of August also. With the fluctuations in weather conditions being responsible for the variations in nesting seasons. Due to the length of the expedition, there are three teams of students, selected to go out to Cyprus for a five-week period, beginning at the start of June. This organisation of teams allows many students to participate and gain relevant experience. The two expedition leaders are in Cyprus for the duration of the expedition allowing for the consistency of work methods. When turtle activity has been spotted, and a nest has been laid, it is promptly covered with a mesh cage to reduce predation from foxes and dogs, which have been introduced to these beaches by humans as a consequence of the close proximity to Akrotiri village. Each nest is located and numbered by a sign, in both Greek and English, which warns beach visitors of the presence of the nest. The nests are monitored during incubation, which takes approximately seven weeks, but may vary between days, with hatchlings emerging between late July and late September. In Cyprus, green turtles have been noted to lay up to 215 eggs and Loggerheads up to 165 eggs, however, the survival number of thee eggs varies greatly; therefore several steps are taken to increase the numbers of hatchlings that make it to the see. Nests which are thought to be due to hatch are monitored hourly by night, with emergent hatchlings being observed until they reach the sea. On the tenth afternoon after the first hatchling emerges, the nest is excavated to record nest success rate and to release any healthy remaining hatchlings. ii) Public Education Public education is a vital part of any conservation project, and an effective way of achieving this with marine turtles, is to involve the public and wider community in the nest excavations. Public nest excavations are carried out on the tenth afternoon after the first natural hatchling emergence. During such excavations, the public are informed of the need to conserve marine turtles, and the problems which they may face during their life cycle. The public are also informed of the detrimental impacts humans can have on the marine turtles populations, for example; litter left on the beach may be washed into the sea, where it is there consumed by the turtles, long line fishing can trap turtles leading to injury or death by drowning, night beach

5 parties may scare away nesting females and allow dogs and children to dig in the sand may disturb nests. Fig 5. Public nest excavation. (Picture provided by Kirsten Fairweather- Leader 2011/12) As well as these public excavations, the students also run a shop/information centre on the RAF base on a daily basis, providing information on the turtles and the projects which turtlewatch carries out, and in addition sells merchandise to help raise fund for Turtlewatch Akrotiri. Our main aim is to encourage people to respect their environment and the animals which share it with us, in particular to promote the need to preserve nature and to help protect the marine turtles. It is hoped that the work carried out by the students will inspire others to appreciate and care for their surroundings, and ultimately to encourage them to volunteer on the beaches to help this ancient species. iii) Opportunities for Undergraduates Cyprus Turtlewatch provides an opportunity for students across all years and degree groups to experience the practical aspects involved in the conservation of marine turtles. The work carried out both during pre-expedition fundraising and organising, and whilst in Cyprus, will provide these students who are interested in conservation and zoology with invaluable skills they can carry onto their future careers. The expedition enhances their ability to work as part of a team, as close teamwork is required for the expedition to run smoothly, improves communication skills by working in the information centre and answering any questions which the public may have regarding the turtles, in a simple succinct form, a skill important for any scientist. Ultimately conveying knowledge and hands on experience will boost the student s confidence in their own abilities.

6 Project Proposals for 2013 Our aims for Turtlewatch 2013 focus primarily on the conservation of the turtles by protecting their nesting beaches. We propose that two projects from Turtlewatch 2012 may be continued in summer 2013, with others to be confirmed. There are a number of third year students who wish to carry out their honours projects whilst in Cyprus, however, these have still to be discussed and authorised. The two projects that may be continued from summer 2012 are; Barnacle Distribution Studying the barnacle distribution on female adult carapaces, where the distribution can provide insight into turtle behaviour such as moulting, shell scraping and resting flipper location. This shall be recorded from sight, with no contact with the adult turtles. Lunar and Tidal Studies Nesting activity will be recorded with respect to the lunar ad tidal cycles during the nesting season in order to gain insight on the factors which influence nesting females. This study was initiated in 2011 and is hoped to continue into the 2013 season. Timing and Location The expedition is planned to last three months from approximately 1 st June until the 7 th September Students will participate in three groups each for a duration of five weeks, where seven members will participate in the project at any one time-the two leaders and five students. All fieldwork will take place within the Western Sovereign Base Area on Akrotiri peninsula, Southern Cyprus. Accommodation In previous years the accommodation has been provided in the Temporary Accommodation at RAF Akrotiri, about 7 kilometres from the turtles nesting beaches. This is thought to be the same for summer Transport Transport to Cyprus: Edinburgh International Airport to Paphos Airport by scheduled airline. Transport within Cyprus: A four-wheel drive vehicle will be available to us, kindly donated by the Welfare section of RAF Akrtoiri in It will be driven by fully licensed UK drivers. A Suzuki four-wheel drive is also available as a second, emergency vehicle.

7 Safety Considerations All potential health and safety risks have been considered. A full fieldwork safety risk assessment has been carried out conforming to the standards set for all Glasgow University School of life Sciences fieldwork. It is standard practice for all fieldwork to be carried out in groups, and lone fieldwork is not permitted. All project leaders will complete fieldwork first aid courses prior to commencing the expedition. Travel advice has been sought from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at Personnel (17) The group comprises of students from different academic years and backgrounds, allowing those in the zoology field and more advanced years, to pass on their knowledge to others. Leaders: Adam Delargy and Emma Andrews Adam Delargy is a 20 year old, 3 rd year Marine and Freshwater Biology student who is looking forward to leading the expedition over the summer of 2013 and doing all he can to help endangered turtles. Adam is also keen to teach people how to carry out the work required in Cyprus using the experience and knowledge gained from being on this expedition in Although this is Adam s first time leading an expedition he believes he has the necessary qualities to make the expedition a true success. Emma Andrews is a 19 year old, 3 rd year Marine and Freshwater Biology student who greatly appreciates the opportunity to co-lead the Cyprus Turtlewatch 2013 expedition. Although this is her first expedition experience, Emma believes her good organisational skills and enthusiastic personality will make her an excellent leader. She feels it is a good opportunity to meet students from different academic backgrounds, and to work with the local community to make the future of the marine turtles a brighter one. Hannah Walkinshaw is a 20 year old, 3 rd year Marine and Freshwater Biology student, who is excited to take part in the Turtlewatch expedition to gain hands-on experience in conservation work. Hannah also wants to make a difference to the protection and conservation of endangered marine turtles. Mikaela Bain is a 20 year old, 2 nd year History student who has a general love for animals and is especially keen to meet people with the same interests. Jack Holt is a 20 year old, 3 rd year Marine and Freshwater Biology student who is keen to gain some hands-on experience which may benefit his future career. Jack is keen to share his skills and knowledge with the other team members and the local community. Jack is also looking forward to exploring Cyprus and meeting new people. Lorna Archer is a 19 year old, 2 nd year Zoology student looking to get her first taste of conservation work. Lorna is looking forward to expressing her passion for zoology in the field rather than the usual academic ways.

8 Michael Aitkenhead is a 20 year old, 2 nd year Zoology student who is looking to gain some valuable experience to use in his future career in conservation. Michael is keen to expand his zoology based knowledge and make a difference to the environment. Alika-Peach Molloy is a 20 year old, 2 nd year Zoology student who is very keen to observe turtles in the wild and help the conservation of these animals via monitoring the turtles during their breeding season. Alika is extremely interested in conservation and feels this would give a great insight into her future career. Mollie Wilson is an 18 year old, 1 st year Biochemistry student who would like to make a significant contribution to the protection of our seas. Mollie also sees this as a good opportunity to meet people with similar interests and concerns, and would like to use the knowledge gained from Turtlewatch in future expeditions. Simone Hughes is a 20 year old, 3 rd year Marine and Freshwater Biology student who is looking to gain some experience in working in conservation, in particular a marine environment, and looks forward to working with a team of different people. Christopher Sibun is a 18 year old, 1 st year Marine and Freshwater Biology student who is looking forward to observing and contributing to conservation in action, and to put the knowledge gained from the experience to use in his future career. Kenzie Nicole Jones is an 18 year old, 1 st year Zoology student who has always been keen to participate in a conservation project. Kenzie is extremely interested in turtles and is keen to experience the natural phenomenon of turtle activity and hatching, whilst contributing to her Zoology knowledge. Kenzie is looking forward to the group interactions and challenges that Turtlewatch has to offer. Kathryn Duff is a 22 year old, 3 rd year old Zoology student who is interested in gaining experience of working with turtles in the field, whilst being part of a team. Simon Law is a 21 year old, 3 rd year Animal Biology student who is keen to learn more about marine turtles and their conservation, and looks upon the expedition as a great social and working opportunity. Lottie Tainsh is a 21 year old, 4 th year French Literature student looking forward to experiencing a new and different project, and is particularly keen to share her knowledge with the local community. Paul Glenn is a 21 year old, 2 nd year Law and German student who is keen to be part of a team that shares the same passion for animals, whilst working to gain valuable experience in conservation work in order to pursue his career as an Animal Rights lawyer. Paul is looking forward to making a difference and ensuring a healthy sea turtle population for future generations to enjoy. Jennifer McInally is a 22 year old, 3 rd year Animal Biology student who is interested in participating in the expedition to gain experience and to share what she has learned from the expedition with others.

9 Adviser Dr Stewart White, Liaison Officer for Turtlwatch since A senior university teacher and an experienced field trip co-ordinator. Although no members of staff from the University of Glasgow are accompanying our expedition we have the supervision of some committed volunteers in Cyprus, including the Turtlewatch coordinators Robert and Jane Ringer. Collaborators Chief Tech. Robert Ringer (current officer in charge) and wife Jane Ringer, Turtlewatch Akrotiri Co-ordinators. As coordinators of the WSBA Turtlewatch Akrotiri Group they are responsible for: Organising beach clearances prior to the commencement of the turtle-nesting season. Organising the upkeep of the signing and marking of the turtle breeding beaches. Organising all nest excavations during the breeding season. Supervising the student volunteers and briefing them on their responsibilities while hosted at RAF Akrotiri. Supervision of the Turtlewatch Information centre. Liaison with Akrotiri s Accommodation cell and Catering Squadron. To advise local and international based environmental groups on WSBA Turtlewatch activities. Liaison with the students from the University of Glasgow during the off-season to coordinate future volunteer teams. Presentations on Turtlewatch activities to the local community. Keep the OIC Turtlewatch up to date with current activities. Act as first point of call for SBA Police in the rescuing and recovering of injured turtles on SBA soil.

10 Cost Estimations Travel Return Flights, Glasgow-Paphos + Insurance (17x 400) 6,800 Fuel in Cyprus 1,500 Disposables Food (at 5.80 per person/per day) 3,979 Administration and Report 100 Equipment (Replacement nests, red-light torches, 500 buckets, first aid kit, Cypriot sim cards etc) Pre-Expedition Costs (First-aid training, extra baggage allowance 100 for equipment, mail-shots etc) Total (less contingency) 13,489 Contingency 1,349 Grand Total 14,328 Funding Contribution by members ( 400 each) (17x 400) 6,800 Estimated fundraising by members 3,000 Remaining funds to be raised 4,528 Bodies to be approached for funding include: Glasgow Natural History Society, Gilchrist Educational Trust, University Court-The University of Glasgow, The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland and selective conservation and animal welfare trusts and commercial organisations. References

11 J.R. Downie et al, 2003., Turtlewatch:A Collaboration between the Glasgow University and RAF Akrtotiri to protect marine turtles in Cyprus, Testudo, Volume 5 (5), S. Rogers, 2011, Cyprus Turtlewatch with emphasis on 2009 and 2012, Testudo 7 (3), BBC Worldwide, 2012., Map of Cyprus. Lonely Planet. [online] Available at [Accessed 13 November 2012]