Since 2003 the Autonomous
University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) have been monitoring the health of
marine turtles in the waters of Baja California Sur, where in recent years
there have been quite a high number of strandings.
The lead researcher on the project,
Professor Maria Monica Lara Uc, said that the investigation in 2015 covered a
radius of 247 km where scientists have been collecting data on weight, temperature, body measurement and species. By collecting blood and tissue samples from
the turtles the scientists have also gathered information on the presence of macro
algae, parasites, barnacles, and even tumors.
All turtles are released back into
the water after analyses. And in the case of turtles that were lifeless when
found every attempt is made to determine the cause of death. This is often
difficult to pinpoint exactly but it can be attributed to multiple factors such
as viruses, parasites, bacteria, or some form of contamination
The three most common species in
the study over the last year have been Loggerhead turtles, Olive Ridley turtles
and green sea turtles. Interestingly of the first 40 turtles found in 2015, the
highest incidence was of Loggerhead Turtles. There were also less strandings of
Loggerheads which scientists believe may be due to their preferred diet of red
crab, and to the effects of "El Niño" which warms up sea temperatures
encouraging turtles to come to the surface.
So far the 247 km radius of the study
has included San Juanico, Cabo San Lazaro and Magdalena Bay. In future it intends to extend coverage to
Scammon and Laguna San Ignacio in the near future.
Several partner organisations
have also been involved in the project - the Center for Biological Research of
the Northwest, the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine Sciences, and the
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas and the Federal Attorney for
Environmental Protection.