Trip report on the marine turtle survey of the Maskelyne islands, Vanuatu 6-22 November 1992

Abstract

This research and training expedition was organised in conjunction with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Vanuatu Environment Unit. The survey follows up a questionnaire written in Bislama and sent to various islands in the Vanuatu Archipelago in 1989/1990. A survey was scheduled for November 1991, but was postponed and then cancelled due to typhoon damage. The area designated to be surveyed, the Maskelyne Islands, was chosen from the information provided in response to the questionnaire. The objectives of this research expedition were to estimate numbers of turtle nesting and the amount of harvest, and to train members of the Vanuatu Environment Unit, as well as any interested members in the local communities, in the methods of tagging, species identification, measurements of the curved carapace length (CCL) and tail length to the carapace (TLC), checking the turtle for damage, barnacles and fibropapillomas, and recording any other relevant information on turtles. Blood samples for genetic analysis were to be collected for the University of Queensland.