Aldabra ranger monitoring turtle emergences
Seychelles Islands Foundation
Long-term monitoring to assess effectiveness of protection
At the Aldabra research station, the Seychelles Islands Foundation implements long-term monitoring programmes of species and habitats. The results of these programmes are used to advise and assess effectiveness of conservation and management strategies. Set up by Jeanne Mortimer, a turtle track monitoring programme has been carried out consistently across the 52 nesting beaches on the outer edge of Aldabra since 1980. Each morning rangers record the number and type of turtle emergences during the night for an index nesting beach, while other beaches are visited less often due to location. No active management interventions for turtles are carried out on Aldabra. Analysis of data from 1968 to 2008 concluded a 500-800% increase in the green turtle population to an estimated 3100-5225 female nesting annually (Mortimer et al. 2011) and the population has continued to increase. This shows that establishing protected areas where turtle nesting habitat is undisturbed and adult turtles are safe is an extremely effective tool in the conservation of certain species and should be a primary management approach. This not only includes the nesting beach, but also includes the fringing reef where females may remain during their consecutive nesting attempts.
To be able to implement long-term monitoring programmes, standardised monitoring methodologies are necessary. All new personnel on Aldabra undergo training in order to maintain the correct standard and procedures of data collection. In order to retain institutional memory, a handover period is conducted in which experienced staff and recent recruits feel confident in the knowledge of conducting monitoring on Aldabra.
The documentation of monitoring methodologies in detailed guiding protocols is necessary to ensure that the same assessment procedures are implemented over the years. This is especially important on Aldabra where its remoteness and isolation results in high staff turnover. Protocols ensure that all information on what is collected is easily available for new staff. Having protocols and clear objectives also ensures that data can be maximized and retains its value. As a result, on Aldabra, all monitoring programmes are documented, including turtle track count monitoring, one of the longest data collection programmes implemented on the atoll.