Rodney Lewis

Study finds ‘alarming’ levels of chemicals in Great Barrier Reef turtles Conservationists want major bays and estuaries along the Great Barrier Reef tested for contaminants after a five-year study found “alarming” levels of some chemicals in unhealthy turtles on the reef. Scientists working on the research have also recommended expanded monitoring of turtle-population health on the Great Barrier Reef “as an indicator of the health […]

Canadian researchers put secretive turtle on risk radar The eastern musk turtle is easily overlooked. It basks in vegetation near the water’s surface. That makes it hard to see. Unfortunately for the turtles, this also means they are easily overlooked for protection. A recent study by Canada’s McMaster University sheds new light on the status and protection needs of this secretive species in Lake Huron’s

Researchers outline Buck Island Turtle research The Buck Island National Monument off the waters of St. Croix has been the site for research for 30-plus years for biologists, educators and interns, and on Thursday three of the current researchers shared some of that history with an audience in Christiansted. Clayton Pollock is a biologist with the National Park Service, who earned his degree in environmental

Bangladeshi tribe that’s guarding turtles, co-authoring research papers In the beginning, Shahriar Caesar Rahman’s trips to the remote forests of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh would invariably end in frustration. Rahman was searching for reptiles, and based on what the local people were telling him, the largely unexplored forests of the Hill Tracts seemed to be home to a wide variety of them and

Winter habitat management will help Blanding’s Turtles in spring Late summer and early fall is the time when eggs laid by New Hampshire turtles in the spring begin to hatch and future generations emerge from their upland nest chambers. With luck and excellent camouflage, these tiny hatchlings will make it to the safety of a pond, stream, or wetland. In an effort to move ahead

The sad passing of Dr. Carl H. Ernst This week has seen the passing of Dr Carl Ernst. Below are excerpts from his obituary. “Dr. Carl Henry Ernst passed away on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at the age of 80 years… He served as a Research Associate in the Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Department of Zoology, Smithsonian Institution from 1972 until his death. An

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium observer drop in nesting number The number of sea turtle nests observed on local beaches by Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium researchers dropped this year, from 4,503 in 2017 to 3,151. While a significant decrease, this year’s number remains the third highest recorded in the past 37 years. The highest number of sea turtle nests observed was in 2016, when

Sea Shepherd crew attacked by turtle poacher At approximately 3am while conducting their nightly beach patrol, three volunteer crew members were attacked with a machete and knife by a turtle poacher. Ben Harris, Luke Paron, and Rebecca McManus sat perched at a vantage point along the beach looking for nesting Olive Ridley turtles, when a man walked towards them shining a bright torch light. The

Turtle whisperer protects endangered creatures The hawksbill sea turtle is an endangered sea turtle, but if the actions of Ovan Coombs, licensed game warden and water sports manager at Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, are anything to go by, then the creatures are in safe hand. Since taking the job of water sports manager in 2016 at the hotel and having accepted an invitation to