Scientific Activities
The Hatchery
Following the success of the hatchery in the 1998/99 and 1999/2000
seasons we will continue to move some nests into a hatchery to
save them from being flooded by high tides that we experience
early in the season. It seems likely that one of the reasons for
low hatchling production in the past years has been that many
nests are being submerged in salt water which stops egg development
and kills the embryo. The hatchery is located higher on the beach
in an area safe from flooding by waves. Eggs are collected as
the turtle lays them and then carefully transported to a nest
dug by hand in the hatchery. Nests are dug to the same depth as
those made by the turtles and are one metre apart. Some nests
have gas and temperature sampling devices placed in them. Between
some nests are placed sampling devices without eggs to measure
the control data. Each nest is identified with the details of
the turtle which laid the eggs, and the number of eggs. After
the nest has hatched, we can excavate it and calculate the success
rate.
Richard and Rotney working out where to put the hatchery.
Excavating a hatched nest to work out the success rate.
