NCC participated in the 42nd International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (ISTS), held in Pattaya, Thailand from 24 to 29 March 2024. The conference was attended by over 500 researchers from around 60 different nations.
NCC associate Dr. Alan F. Rees presented a paper on the topic “Monitoring male turtles from Cypress Bay, the largest hatchery for loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean Sea“. The results presented at the Symposium are a subset of data from a larger study being conducted by the NCC as part of the Ecological Baseline Study on the status of important fauna species in the marine area of the Cypress Gulf leased for hydrocarbon extraction. The study is carried out on behalf of HELLENiQ UPSTREAM S.A.
Telemetric monitoring of adult male sea turtles from breeding sites is a poorly studied research topic, as most studies focus on the more easily accessible adult females that come ashore to breed at predictable times and locations.
The presentation was warmly received with many researchers showing interest in the results, which led to several discussions outside the official presentation time about the research work carried out by the NCC and the importance of the findings resulting from such innovative activities.
