Determining the offshore distribution and migration pattern of olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) along the east coast of India
B.C. Choudhury & K. Sivakumar I Wildlife Institute of India I Orissa I 2006-ongoing
A better understanding of the distribution, habitat requirement and movement pattern of olive ridley sea turtles Lepidochelys olivacea in the coastal waters off Orissa coast is essential for their long term conservation and also for rational planning of developmental activities such as the possible hydrocarbon exploration in this region. In this connection, the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun (WII) under the direction of Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India and in collaboration with the Wildlife Wing of the Orissa Forest Department (OFD), Government of Orissa, initiated a study to determine the offshore distribution and migration pattern of Olive Ridley Sea Turtle along the east coast of India…read more
A study on the population dynamics and site fidelity of the olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) at the Rushikulya rookery in Orissa coast of India
Basudev Tripathy I Wildlife Institute of India I Rushikulya rookery, Orissa I 2008-2010
Gahirmatha undoubtedly supports a huge nesting congregation of olive ridleys in Orissa. However, the importance of smaller rookeries like Rushikulya cannot be ignored. The nesting beach at Gahirmatha is rapidly getting fragmented, whereas the beach at Rushikulya rookery is a stable one. Keeping in view the rapid alteration of nesting habitat at Gahirmatha, the Rushikulya rookery emerges as an important rookery that can help in sustaining a stable population of ridley turtles in the long run….read more
Lighting the way: Towards reducing misorientation of olive ridley hatchlings due to artificial lighting at Rushikulya, India
Divya Karnad, et al. I Centre for Wildlife Studies and Wildlife Conservation Society-India Program I Rushikulya, Orissa I 2008-2009
Sea-finding behavior in sea turtle hatchlings is modified by the visual cues provided by artificial beach front lighting. The consequent landward movement of hatchlings in response to coastal electric lighting reduces their survival rates. We assessed the potential impact of coastal lighting at Rushikulya, an important mass nesting site of the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the Indian Ocean region. We examined the response of hatchlings to light characteristics in an experimental setup, as well as to the existing lighting regimes along the beach, using arena trials…read more
Nesting of Lepidochelys olivacea along the south Chennai coast with emphasis on habitat characteristics
S. Bhupathy et al. I SACON and Dept. of Ecology & Env. Sci., Pondicherry University I Mamallapuram- Pondicherry coast I 2004
The nesting of olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) along a 50 km beach of the south Chennai coast was studied from January to March 2004. Fortnightly surveys were done on foot during 0600-0830 hrs to locate tracks, nests and carcasses of turtles that have been washed ashore. Nest location, with distance of nest from high tide line, river mouth and village were recorded. Coastal vegetation was sampled every 500m and at each site used for nesting. Peak nesting was recorded in the first fortnight of March, and the estimated nesting intensity of the area was about 10.8 nests /km. A total of 135 carcasses of turtles were located and mortality was largely due to incidental catch in fishing gears…read more
A study of the offshore distribution of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the coastal waters of Rushikulya rookery along the Orissa coast
Basudev Tripathy I Wildlife Conservation Society-India Program I Rushikulya rookery, Orissa I 2003-2004
The at-sea distribution of olive ridley sea turtles off the coast of the Rushikulya rookery, Orissa, was studied during the 2003-04 turtle-breeding season. Line transects were laid perpendicular to the shore every alternate day, to estimate the surface density of sea turtles. Locations of mating pair assemblage were taken to estimate the extent of the reproductive patches and to identify spatio-temporal changes in the distribution of olive ridley turtles in the offshore waters off Rushikulya….read more
Leatherback turtles of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Research and conservation
Kartik ShankerI Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of ScienceIBangaloreI 2003-2004
In early 2008, the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, initiated a research and monitoring programme on leatherback turtles of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, in collaboration with the Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team and the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department. The programme includes long-term monitoring of nesting trends, capture-recapture studies using clip and PIT tags, genetic studies and studies on the inter-nesting and post-nesting movements of leatherback turtles using satellite telemetry. The programme also aims at undertaking a collaborative, multi-stakeholder response to coastal and marine conservation issues in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and sensitise the communities to local conservation issues through awareness and outreach programmes using leatherback turtles as a flagship species.….read more