FINAL PROJECT REPORT 2005 HAWKSBILL TURTLE (Eretmochelys imbricata) RESEARCH AND POPULATION RECOVERY AT CHIRIQUÍ BEACH AND ESCUDO DE VERAGUAS ISLAND, Ñö Kribo region, Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca, AND BASTIMENTOS ISLAND NATIONAL MARINE PARK, PANAMA Presented to: National Environmental Authority (ANAM) Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca, Ñö Kribo Region and General Congress and Association for the Protection of the Ngöbe-Bugle Natural Resources (APRORENANB) November 2006 By Ma. Cristina Ordoñez Espinosa, Research Coordinator (CCC-STRI) Argelis Ruiz, Environmental Education Coordinator (STRI) Sebastian Troëng, Scientific Director (CCC) Anne Meylan, Senior Research Scientist, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Peter Meylan, Professor of Biology, Eckerd College
Index INDEX.. 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.. 2 INTRODUCTION.. 3 OBJECTIVES.. 3 METHODS.. 4 Track surveys.. 4 Night patrols.. 4 Biometric data.. 4 Genetics samples.. 4 Satellite tracking.. 5 Hatching and emergence success. 5 Poaching, mortality, seizures and liberation of turtles. 5 Environmental education activities... 5 RESULTS... 6 Track surveys...... 6 Night patrols... 12 Biometric data... 12 Genetics samples... 13 Satellite tracking... 14 Hatching and emergence success.... 17 Poaching, mortality, seizures and liberation of turtles. 20 Environmental education activities... 20 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS..... 21 Track surveys... 21 Night patrols.... 22 Biometric data... 22 Genetics samples... 22 Satellite tracking... 22 Hatching and emergence success......... 22 Poaching, mortality, seizures and liberation of turtles. 23 Environmental education activities... 23 REFERENCES... 23 RECOMMENDATIONS.... 24 APPENDICES...... 25 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The continuation of this project was made possible thanks to the research permits issued by the National Environmental Authority of Panama (ANAM) and support from the General and Regional Congresses of the Ngöbe- Buglé Comarca. Additional support was provided by the ANAM offices in Panama City (Ibelice Aniño, Ligia Castro, Hilda Candanedo and Melquiades Ramos), Bocas del Toro (Fernando Ray, Daniel Castillo), and Changuinola (Valentin Pineda, Hernandez Bonilla), and by the Comarca offices of ANAM (Adalberto Montezuma). All helped in the organization and implementation of the project. Thanks to Earl Possardt for his long-term interest, hard work, and experience which has made it possible to continue this project. The information presented in this report is the product of the hard work of the Chiriquí Beach team, the research assistant Genaro Castillo and the monitors Vicente Trotman, Máximo Backer, Cornelio Palacio, Anastacio Tugri, Ricardo Morales, Martín Abrego, Rogelio Serrano, Ronald Beker, Silverio Palacio, Ramón Abrego and all the local volunteers from Río Caña and Río Chiriquí who participated with great interest on Chiriquí Beach. Similar efforts to monitor the Zapatilla Cays were carried out by Inocencio Castillo (Chencho) and Natalia Decastro Gonzalez, with assistance from Guillermo Castillo, Daniel Castillo, Nichole Collins, Stephanie Sunderman, Barbara Caceres, Stephan Meylan, and Phillip Meylan. Thanks to the Association for the Protection of the Ngöbe-Buglé Natural Resources (APRORENANB) for its valuable participation and interest in conserving the sea turtles of the region. Thanks to the communities of Río Caña and Río Chiriquí for their help and permission that made the implementation of this project possible. The entire team thanks you for your interest and we hope that your cooperation will continue in the future to the benefit of your communities. Thanks to captains Jamie Trotman and Roberto Becker, whose experience at the helm made it possible to get to the study area at Chiriquí Beach any time. Thanks to the entire team of Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) for the valuable support at all times, particularly in San José, Costa Rica: Roxana Silman and Ileana Vargas for all their help with the financial reports, and in Gainesville to: David Godfrey, Dan Evans and Pat McCloskey for their excellent work. Thanks to the staff at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama City (Rachel Collin and the Visitors Service Office, in particular) and at the Bocas del Toro Lab (Gabriel Jacome, Urania Gonzales, Plinio Gondola, and Gilberto Murray for their support and the use of facilities, and for providing support to Argelis Ruiz for her environmental education work on this project. To all the friends on Bocas Island who helped at a moment s notice. Thanks to all the institutions that have supported the project. We hope to continue to count on your support in the future. Studies in the Zapatilla Cays were funded by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS); studies at Chiriquí Beach and nearby beaches were funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, US Fish & Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Chase Wildlife Foundation, Disney Wildlife Conservation, WWF and WIDECAST. Thanks to Barbara Schroeder of the National Marine Fisheries Service for providing the satellite transmitter and funds for data acquisition costs. Thanks to the different institutions that donated transmitters for leatherback turtles, Animal Planet for their participation during the leatherback telemetry work on Chiriquí Beach, and WWF for managing these activities. 2
INTRODUCTION Sea turtles are a fundamental component of the natural history and human history of Bocas del Toro Province. There is a long history of use of hawksbills and green turtles throughout the province. Chiriquí Beach (08 56 N, 081 39 W), in the eastern part of the province, was described by Archie Carr (1956) as one of the most important nesting beaches for the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Caribbean. The hawksbill turtle was very important for the local economy at this beach during the 20 th century and possibly even earlier. Roberts (1827) described the trade in shell in the region in 1815. Later, the beach was leased by the government to veladors or stayers-awake. Veladors paid a tax for the rights to all female hawksbill turtles that nested on their section of beach (approximately one mile). Some of these stayers-awake interviewed in the 1980 s reported that they managed to catch 35 to 50 hawksbill turtles per night on one mile of beach in the beginning of the 1950 s (Meylan and Meylan, unpublished data). Meylan and Donnelly (1999) reported a population decline of hawksbill turtles at Chiriquí Beach of 98% from the level registered in 1950, based on information from ground and aerial surveys in 1980, 1981 and 1990. The decline is attributed to the extensive hunting that took place to supply the international trade in hawksbill shell. These same surveys revealed the regional importance of Chiriquí Beach for nesting by the leatherback turtle (Meylan et al., 1985). In 1995, local interest began in the Río Caña community to conserve the hawksbill turtles that nest on Chiriquí Beach. The Association for the Protection of the Ngöbe-Bugle Natural Resources (APRORENANB) was formed, undertaking protection one year and permitting turtle killing one year (information given by APRORENANB). From 1999 to 2002, short periods of field research provided a preliminary picture of the problems facing nesting females on Chiriquí Beach (Ordoñez 1999-2002, unpublished data). This work verified the continued importance of the beach for leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting, and the decline in hawksbill nesting. In 2000, a project was established to study and protect turtles along the first 10 km of the beach, from the mouth of Río Caña towards the mouth of Río Chiriquí. In 2002, a consortium of interested people and organizations (including the authors of this report) was formed and initiated meetings with national and local authorities, local conservation groups and communities to assess their interest in establishing a long-term hawksbill conservation program on Chiriquí Beach. A decision was made to also include Escudo de Veraguas Island, which lies 14 km offshore from Chiriquí Beach, and the Zapatilla Cays, which are situated within the boundaries of the Bastimentos Island National Marine Park. The Zapatilla Cays have been the site of a 16-year research project on marine turtles sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Concern for sea turtles on the Bocas coast was one of the factors that lead to the establishment of the Bastimentos Island National Marine National Park in 1988. Within its boundaries are three important hawksbill nesting beaches, Long Bay on Bastimentos Island, and the beaches of the two Zapatilla Cays. Leatherbacks also nest on Long Bay, but only rarely on the beaches of the Zapatilla Cays. The long-term goal of the new consortium was to promote an increase in the small hawksbill populations that currently nest along the Bocas coast. In June 2003, the research and monitoring work began. This report summarizes the results of the third year (2005) of research, monitoring and conservation work at Chiriquí Beach, Escudo de Veraguas Island, Red Beach, and the Zapatilla Cays in the Bastimentos Island National Marine Park. The report also provides recommendations for conservation action along the coast of Bocas del Toro Province. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the work in 2005 included: 1.- Continue standardized hawksbill nest monitoring surveys to assess nesting density and hatching success at Chiriquí Beach, Escudo de Veraguas Island, Red Beach and the Zapatillas Cays. 2.- Continue standardized nest monitoring surveys for leatherback turtles and other species that nest at Chiriquí Beach, Escudo de Veraguas Island, and Red Beach. 3.- Determine the genetic identity of hawksbill turtles nesting, foraging and mating along the Bocas del Toro coastline and in the Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca. 4.- Determine migration routes and movements of hawksbill turtles from this coast. 5.- Continue night patrols along Chiriquí Beach and the Zapatillas Cays to observe, tag and record nesting females, collect biometric data, observe nesting behavior and monitor any loss of nests or nesting females. 6.- Continue to evaluate samples of hatched nests to determine hatching success on Chiriquí Beach and the Zapatillas Cays. 7.- Develop environmental education programs for the teachers of communities adjacent to Chiriquí Beach and other interested communities. 3
METHODS Track surveys Surveys at Chiriquí Beach began on January 3 rd. During each survey, all tracks from the different sea turtle species were recorded; hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata (Ei), leatherback Dermochelys coriacea (Dc), green turtle Chelonia mydas (Cm) and loggerhead Caretta caretta (Cc). The tracks were evaluated in the following way at Chiriquí Beach, Escudo de Veraguas and Red Beach: Nests: up track, removal of sand, obvious body pit and return to the sea. In some cases, mainly with the leatherback turtle, it was not possible to verify the presence of eggs in the nest. Half-moons (false crawls, non-nesting emergences): in these cases, the turtle's uptrack and return to the sea without significant sand removal were observed. The sector of the beach (open, border, or vegetation) was determined for each nest at Chiriquí Beach, Escudo de Veraguas and Red Beach. GPS coordinates were taken for nearly all hawksbill nests at all sites. Chiriquí Beach was divided into two sections for the work and two work teams were organized, one at each end. During the morning, all turtle activities occurring the previous night were recorded. In January, weekly surveys were conducted; in February, surveys were conducted every two days; from March through October, surveys were conducted daily; in November, surveys were continued every two days; and in December, weekly surveys were conducted. On August 9 th, a camp was established midway on the beach in order to facilitate the monitoring. After this date, the beach was divided into 3 sections, from Río Caña to zone 16, from zone 16 to zone 32, and from zone 32 to Río Chiriquí. On Escudo de Veraguas Island and Red Beach, surveys were conducted every two weeks from June 2 nd until December to register nesting activity. All tracks since the previous visit were registered. The hawksbill turtle nests were verified by digging by hand until eggs were reached; in each case where eggs were found, the nest was marked using a system of triangulation. In addition, due to problems with poaching of nests in previous years, the relocation of some nests were undertaken in order to avoid theft of the eggs. At the Zapatilla Cays, track surveys were conducted on both cays on an irregular basis (approximately weekly) from January 1 st until May 1 st. From May 1 st until November 30 th, track surveys were made almost daily on both cays. During daily track surveys, all new nests and false crawls were identified. Nests were verified by excavating down to the top egg and nest sites were marked using a triangulation system to facilitate finding the nest at the end of the incubation period for productivity studies. Night patrols Night patrols were conducted sporadically on the Zapatilla Cays from May 1 st to November 30 th and along all of Chiriquí Beach (for 6 hours nightly during March-September and sporadically during the rest of the year) to observe and tag females, and to collect genetic samples. Tagging was carried out after females finished laying. Hawksbill and green turtles were tagged through the second scale in the front flippers and the leatherbacks in the fold of skin just medial to the rear flippers. All turtles were double-tagged and the following information was recorded for each turtle: tag numbers, species, date, time and activity at first encounter, presence of tag scars or overgrown tags, mutilations or deformities, fibropapillomas and other important characteristics. Biometric data If the turtle was encountered before egg laying, the number of normal and yolkless eggs was counted as the eggs fell into the nest. Measurements of the carapace length and width were also taken, using a flexible measuring tape. All measurements were taken in centimeters. The carapace length of leatherback turtles was measured from the notch in the shell behind the head to the end of the caudal projection along the central line and for hawksbill and green turtles, from the notch behind the head to the notch between the posterior-most marginal scales. The width was measured at the widest part of the carapace. Genetic samples Tissue samples were collected from the hind flippers of hawksbill turtles using 4 mm biopsy punches. Each sample was preserved in a tube of SED buffer solution and the tag number and collection date were recorded. The sample collection was done after egg laying was finished. 4
Satellite telemetry Five satellite transmitters were attached to leatherback turtles at Chiriquí Beach. During night patrols, upon observing a turtle beginning oviposition, the harness that accommodates the transmitter was placed on the carapace, in order to receive information pertaining to the migratory routes after nesting. A satellite transmitter (Telonics St-14) was attached to one female hawksbill after she nested at Chiriquí Beach in 2005. The transmitter was attached to the carapace with fiberglass and epoxy resin. The antenna was located towards the posterior end and its base protected with a roll of fiberglass. Hatching and emergence success At Chiriquí Beach, if the turtle was encountered before covering its eggs, the nest was marked by attaching three pieces of pink tape in the vegetation to allow triangulation. In the instance that the nesting female was not observed on Chiriquí Beach and Zapatilla, nests were examined during morning track surveys and clutch location was confirmed by careful excavation to the top eggs of the clutch (and reburial). The clutch site was marked either with stakes or vegetation to allow for later evaluation. The location of all observed hawksbill nests was recorded with a GPS unit. Every morning during track surveys, all nests were inspected so that the loss of nests by depredation, poaching or erosion could be determined. At Chiriquí Beach, Zapatilla Cays, Escudo de Veraguas and Red Beach, if hatchling tracks were observed or if 65 days of incubation had passed, the nest was excavated to evaluate its contents. Some nests laid at the end of the 2005 nesting season had longer incubation periods and were left undisturbed for 90 days before excavation to determine hatching success. We made separate counts of empty shells, live and dead pipped eggs, live and dead hatchlings remaining in the nest, unhatched eggs (with and without development), yolkless eggs, and predated eggs. With this information, hatching success and emergence success (the percentage of eggs that produced hatchlings that successfully left the nest) were calculated. Hatching success was calculated as the number of empty shells (>50% complete) divided by the number of empty shells plus live and dead pipped eggs plus eggs with and without development plus predated eggs times 100. Emergence success was calculated as the number of empty shells (>50% complete) minus live and dead hatchlings in the nest divided by the number of empty shells plus live and dead pipped eggs plus eggs with and without development plus predated eggs times 100. Poaching, mortality, seizures and liberation of turtles Information was collected on dead turtles observed on the beach and attempts were made to determine possible causes of death. Also, we obtained information about illegal sea turtle hunting through informal interviews in nearby communities. At Zapatilla Cays, the number of turtle harpoon boats that could be observed each morning from June 15 th to September 30 th was recorded. In addition, with the support of the National Environmental Authority of Panama (ANAM) and APRORENANB, it was possible to obtain information on the illicit fishing of turtles in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago and some territorial areas. Sometimes, turtles were seized by ANAM and researchers were given the opportunity to tag them, take genetic samples and collect biometric data before they were released. During these operations, the fishermen in violation of the law had their harpoons confiscated and they were informed of the law that prohibits the hunting of and commerce in sea turtles. Environmental education activities Educational activities were conducted when the schedule and project activities permitted. The emphasis of education activities was on transparency of the entire project, the importance of local participation in the conservation and research activities, and the importance of maintaining habitats. These activities involved mainly teachers, in order to disseminate the project results more widely. With the support of ANAM, presentations were made to fishermen and community members regarding the importance of conserving these species, new decrees referring to the Law of Environmental Crimes, the purchase and sale of land, and the importance of reefs and mangroves. 5
RESULTS Track surveys Track surveys were conducted over 290 days along the 24 km of Chiriquí Beach (January 3 rd - December 29 th, 2005). At Escudo de Veraguas Island and Red Beach, surveys were conducted on 9 days at 15-day intervals between June 2 nd December 24 th ; it is important to mention that we underwent a mishap with the theft of the boat which made consistent monitoring difficult. Surveys were conducted on 214 days on the two Zapatilla Cays (May 1 st November 30 th ). Nesting activities by species in each area are presented in Table 1. In addition to nests found during the daily survey period, 1 nest was recorded on the Small Zapatilla Cay on the 17 th of April 2005 and three nests were recorded on the Big Zapatilla Cay between the 12 th and 30 th of April. One green turtle nest was discovered at hatching on the Small Zapatilla Cay during 2005. Beach length (km) Table 1. Results of nesting beach surveys in 2005 Dates Nests Half Nests Half monitored Ei moons Dc moons Ei Dc Nests Cm Half moons Cm Río Caña section 12 Jan 3 Dec 29 236 72 3636 1012 4 0 0 Middle Beach section 8* Aug 9 Nov 27 64 8 1 0 5 8 0 Río Chiriquí section 12 Jan 3 Dec 29 102 26 1134 231 10 1 0 Subtotal Chiriquí Beach 24 Jan 3 Dec 29 402 106 4771 1243 19 9 0 Escudo de Veraguas Jun 2-Dec 23 71 N/R 2 N/R 0 0 0 Red Beach Aug 7-Dec 24 23 N/R 2 N/R 0 0 0 Big Zapatilla Cay 2.36 1 May 30 Nov 84 12 0 0 0 0 0 Small Zapatilla Cay 2.10 1 May 30 Nov 111 49 0 0 1 0 0 Subtotal Bastimentos Park 4.46 1 May 30 Nov 195 61 0 0 1 0 0 PROJECT TOTAL 28.46 691 4775 20 9 0 (Ei: Eretmochelys imbricata, Dc: Dermochelys coriacea, Cm: Chelonia mydas, Cc:Caretta cartta, N/R: not recorded, *work 3 sections) The seasonal distributions of tracks throughout the 2005 season, by species, at Chiriquí Beach are presented in Figure 1a, 1b and 1c. The months with most nesting were June to August, registering peak nesting in July. In Figure 1b, peak nesting was recorded in April and May for leatherback turtles; little green turtle activity was observed with peak nesting for this species in August. Nest Cc Figure 1a. Monthly distribution at Chiriqui Beach 2005 Eretmochelys imbricata 140 120 100 Tracks 80 60 40 20 0 January February March April May June July August September October November December Months Nests Halfmoons Ei 6
Figure 1b. Monthly distribution at Chiriqui Beach 2005 Dermochelys coriacea 2500 2000 Tracks 1500 1000 500 0 January February March April May June July August September October November December Months Nests Dc Halfmoons Dc Figure 1c. Monthly distribution at Chiriqui Beach 2005 Chelonia mydas 12 10 Tracks 8 6 4 2 0 January February March April May June July August September October November December Months Nests Halfmoons Cm Figure 1d summarizes the weekly distribution of hawksbill nests recorded during surveys at the Zapatilla Cays. Surveys were conducted daily from May 1 st through November 30 th ; surveys outside those dates were irregular. Peak activity was observed in July. Figure 1d. Seasonal distribution of nests on both Zapatilla Cays, 2005 Eretmochelys imbricata 16 14 12 10 Nests 8 6 4 2 0 1-7 Jan 22-28 Jan 12-18 Feb 5-11 Mar 26-1 Apr 16-22 Apr 7-13 May 28-3 June 18-24 June 9-15 July Date 30-5 Aug 20-26 Aug 10-16 Sep 1-7 Oct 22-28 Oct 12-18 Nov 3-9 Dec 24-31 Dec The spatial distribution of activities registered at Chiriquí Beach, by kilometer, during the 2005 season is shown in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c. Figures 2d and 2e show the distribution of nests on each of the Zapatilla Cays during 2005. 7
Figure 2a. Spatial distribution of tracks at Chiriqui Beach, 2005 Eretmochelys imbricata 45 40 35 30 Tracks 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Km Nests Ei False Crawls Ei Figure 2b. Spatial distribution of tracks at Chiriqui Beach, 2005 Dermochelys coriacea 800 700 600 Tracks 500 400 300 200 100 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Km Nests Dc False Crawls Dc Figure 2c. Spatial distribution of tracks at Chiriqui Beach, 2005 Chelonia mydas 5 4 Tracks 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Km Nests Cm False Crawls Cm 8
Figures 2d, e. Spatial distribution of hawksbill nests on the Zapatilla Cays (BINMP) during 2005 Visits to the different beaches on Escudo de Veraguas Island and Red Beach, were conducted only every two weeks and all observed activities were recorded. A summary of the recorded tracks is presented in Table 2a and 2b. Each nest was marked with tape and its position taken with GPS for monitoring and final evaluation, the spatial distribution of nesting registered by beaches, during the 2005 season is shown in Figure 3. Nesting was recorded on 6 of the 10 monitored beaches. Table 2a. Nest survey results for Escudo de Veraguas 2005 DATE RECORDED SPECIES SECTOR FATE OBSERVATIONS NORTH WEST 02-June-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 05.537' 081 34.000' 02-June-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 05.463' 081 34.187' 02-June-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 05.445' 081 34.264' 02-June-05 Ei O Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 06.208' 081 33.790 02-June-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 05.453' 081 32.821' 02-June-05 Ei V Is 09 05.452' 081 32.864' 02-June-05 Ei O Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 05.457' 081 32.815' 30-June-05 Ei O P Poached 09 05.457' 081 34.177' 30-June-05 Ei V DNL Did not lay 09 06.263' 081 39.449' 30-June-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.249' 081 34.430' 30-June-05 Ei V DNL Did not lay 09 06.247' 081 34.421' 30-June-05 Ei V DNL Did not lay 09 06.246' 081 34.380' 30-June-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 06.225' 081 33.855' 30-June-05 Ei V? No eggs found 09 06.241' 081 33.894' 30-June-05 Ei V? No eggs found 09 06.235' 081 33.391' 30-June-05 Ei V Is Lost 09 06.225' 081 33.398' 30-June-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 06.223' 081 33.399' 30-June-05 Ei V? No eggs found 09 05.507' 081 34.072' 30-June-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 05.462' 081 34.189' 30-June-05 Ei V Is 09 05.769' 081 34.308' 30-June-05 Ei V Is 09 06.246' 081 34.396' 30-June-05 Ei V Is Lost 09 06.260' 081 34.345' 04-July-05 Ei V DNL Did not lay 09 06.275' 081 34.302' 04-July-05 Ei V DNL Did not lay 09 06.283' 081 34.231' 04-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 06.235' 081 33.879' 04-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.231' 081 33.859 04-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.230' 081 33.860' (Ei: Eretmochelys imbricata, V: vegetation, O: open, Is: Natural nest, DNL: did not lay,?: no eggs found, P: poached) 9
DATE SPECIES SECTOR FATE OBSERVATIONS NORTH WEST 04-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.206' 081 33.791' 04-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.178' 081 33.444' 14-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.179' 081 33.441' 14-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 05.351' 081 32.669' 14-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 05.361' 081 32.672' 14-July-05 Ei V Is 09 05.361' 081 32.606' 14-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/6/05 09 05.444' 081 32.854' 14-July-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 05.451' 081 32.833' 14-July-05 Ei V Is 09 05.434' 081 32.896' 14-July-05 Ei V? No eggs found 14-July-05 Ei V Is 09 05.490' 081 33.185' 14-July-05 Ei V? No eggs found 09 05.494 081 33.166' 14-July-05 Ei V Is 09 05.539' 081 33.675' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 05.510' 081 34.063' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 05.454' 081 34.205' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 05.438' 081 34.247' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 05.504' 081 34.337' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 05.224' 081 33.858' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.182' 081 33.768' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/26/05 09 06.180' 081 33.440' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 06.182' 081 33.442' 17-Aug-05 Ei O Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.191' 081 33.440' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/18/05 09 06.199' 081 33.438' 17-Aug-05 Ei V E Erosion 11/12/05 09 06.246' 081 33.388' 17-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 05.380' 081 33.325' 06-Sep-05 Ei V Is 09 05.474' 081 34.129' 06-Sep-05 Ei V Is 09 05.464' 081 34.176' 06-Sep-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 06.278' 081 34.474' 06-Sep-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 06.245' 081 33.896' 06-Sep-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 06.208' 081 33.794' 06-Sep-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 06.186' 081 33.441' 06-Sep-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/12/05 09 05.438' 081 32.820' 06-Sep-05 Ei V P Poached 12/11/05 09 05.456' 081 32.829' 06-Sep-05 Ei V P Poached 12/11/05 09 05.433' 081 32.851' 18-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/23/05 09 05.547' 081 33.988' 18-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/23/05 09 05.492' 081 34.098' 18-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/23/05 09 05.482' 081 34.114' 18-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/23/05 09 05.469' 081 34.152' 18-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/23/05 09 05.464' 081 34.191' 18-Oct-05 Ei V E Erosion turtle stolen 09 05.540' 081 34.335' 18-Oct-05 Ei V Is Nest lost 09 06.209' 081 33.789' 18-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/26/05 09 06.175' 081 33.447' 18-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 11/26/05 09 05.362' 081 32.667' 02-june-05 Dc O? No eggs found 09 05.475' 081 34.331' 30-june-05 Dc O? No eggs found 09 05.520' 081 34.338' (Ei: Eretmochelys imbricata, Dc: Dermochelys coriacea, V: vegetation, O: open, Is: Natural nest, DNL: did not lay,?: no eggs found, P: poached, E: erosion) To continue 10
Table 2b. Nest survey results for Red Beach 2005 DATE SPECIES SECTOR FATE OBSERVATIONS NORTH WEST 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/24/05 09 02.597' 081 44.756' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/19/05 09 02.625' 081 44.847' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/7/05 09 02.679' 081 44.938' 07-Aug-05 Ei V? No eggs found 09 02.724' 081 44.999' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/19/05 09 02.744' 081 45.018' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/7/05 09 02.770' 081 45.062' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 10/19/05 09 02.790' 081 45.076' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/7/05 09 02.873' 081 45.190' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is 09 02.891' 081 45.216' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is 09 02.906' 081 45.231' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/7/05 09 03.029' 081 45.369' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 9/7/05 09 03.093' 081 45.438' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 8/7/05 09 02.669' 081 44.884' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 8/7/05 09 02.670' 081 44.914' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 8/7/05 09 02.799' 081 45.096' 07-Aug-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 8/7/05 09 02.628' 081 44.849' 07-Sep-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/24/05 09 02.712' 081 44.967' 19-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/24/05 09 02.721' 081 45.147' 19-Oct-05 Ei V E Erosion 09 02.844' 081 45.147' 19-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/24/05 09 02.909' 081 45.225' 19-Oct-05 Ei V Is Evaluated 12/24/05 09 02.934' 081 45.225' 19-Oct-05 Ei V E Erosion 09 03.066' 081 45.403' 19-Oct-05 Ei V E Erosion 09 03.174' 081 45.518' (Ei: Eretmochelys imbricata, V: vegetation, Is: Natural nest,?: no egss found, E: erosion) Figures 3. Spatial distribution of hawksbill nests on the Escudo de Veraguas during 2005 11
Night patrols Work was conducted during 250 nights on each end of Chiriquí Beach between Feb 26 th and November 9 th. During this time, 444 different females of tree species were encountered, including 43 hawksbills, 397 leatherbacks, and four green turtles (Appendix 1). On the Small Zapatilla Cay, sporadic night patrols were conducted and 12 female hawksbills were encountered a total of 15 times. The Big Zapatilla Cay was not monitored at night in 2005. The total turtle encounters (including turtles seen > 1X), by species and area, in which data were collected are presented in Table 3. Table 3. Turtles worked by species during the 2005 season Ei Dc Cm Chiriquí Beach 56 746 5 Small Zapatilla Cay 15 0 0 TOTAL 71 746 5 (Ei: Eretmochelys imbricata, Dc: Dermochelys coriacea, Cm: Chelonia mydas) Of the 43 hawksbill turtles encountered on Chiriquí Beach, 41 were newly tagged (first time observed on the beach), and two had tags. Of the leatherback turtles, 293 were newly tagged, 104 were previously tagged from other beaches or seasons, one of these turtles was tagged in Canada (Appendix 1). The green turtles were all observed for the first time (Appendix 1). One female hawksbill encountered on the Small Zapatilla Cay was previously tagged by ITEC (Confiscated by ANAM at Salt Creek, Bastimentos Island, April 9 th 2002). Biometric data Carapace size (length and width) and clutch size statistics for hawksbill turtles by area are summarized in Tables 4a and 4b. Table 4a. Hawksbill turtle summary statistics at Chiriquí Beach Curved Length (cm) Curved Width Viable Eggs Non-viable Eggs (cm) N 44 44 44 44 Mean 85.0 75.0 156.0 1.0 Standard deviation 9.9 9.0 37.0 0 Maximum 105.0 95 204 1 Minimum 34 31.0 10 1 Median 86 76.0 157 1 Table 4b. Hawksbill turtle summary statistics at the Small Zapatilla Cay Curved carapace Clutch size length (cm) N 12 6 Mean 88.1 181 Standard deviation 6.5 23.4 Maximum 96 210 Minimum 71.4 154 Median 88.3 179 Carapace size (length and width) and clutch size for leatherback turtles are summarized in Table 5, the results for leatherback turtles with complete and incomplete caudal projections are presented separately. Table 5. Leatherback turtle summary statistics Caudal projection complete Caudal projection incomplete CCL CCW VE NVE CCL CCW VE NVE N 161 161 77 76 229 229 95 96 Mean 150.7 108.3 79.8 32.9 151.3 109.3 77.7 32.7 Standard 6.7 9.9 20.9 15.7 9.0 5.6 22.6 12.6 deviation Maximum 173.3 133 117 108 194.3 149 183 70 Minimum 133.6 63.2 1 9 121 96.8 14 4 Median 152 110 73 35 155.5 113 86 30 (CCL: curved carapace length; CCW: curved carapace width; VE: viable eggs; NVE: non-viable eggs) 12
Genetic samples Genetic samples were collected from 34 female hawksbills nesting at Chiriquí Beach. Additionally, ten genetic samples were collected form seized turtles, of which 5 were hawksbill (4 juveniles and an adult female), and 5 were greens (one juvenile, three adult females and one adult male); these turtles were recovered by ANAM, Coral Cay and APRORENANB. Genetic samples were collected from nine hawksbills nesting on the Small Zapatilla Cay. Samples were also collected from a juvenile hawksbill received via the MIDA. The samples will be analyzed in Florida, USA. A summary of collection dates and tag numbers for turtles providing the samples is presented in Table 6a, 6b and 6C. Table 6a. Hawksbill turtle genetic samples, Chiriquí Beach 2005 Sample Date Right Tag Left Tag 1 09-May-05 CH0327 CH0326 2 13-May-05 CH0208 CH0207 3 20-May-05 CH0305 CH0306 4 29-May-05 CH0308 CH0307 5 01-Jun-05 CH0319 CH0318 6 06-Jun-05 CH0322 CH0320 7 09-Jun-05 CH0309 CH0292 8 17-Jun-05 CH0366 CH0365 9 23-Jun-05 CH0324 CH0323 10 03-Jul-05 CH0313 CH0312 11 07-Jul-05 CH0368 CH0367 12 07-Jul-05 CH0370 CH0369 13 15-Jul-05 CH0333 CH0332 14 16-Jul-05 CH0329 CH0328 15 24-Jul-05 CH0335 CH0334 16 03-Aug-05 CH0230 CH0376 17 10-Aug-05 CH0402 CH0401 18 18-Aug-05 CH0404 CH0403 19 18-Aug-05 CH0406 CH0405 20 22-Aug-05 CH0410 CH0409 21 29-Aug-05 CH0414 CH0412 22 30-Aug-05 CH0416 CH0415 23 30-Aug-05 CH0418 CH0411 24 31-Aug-05 CH0420 CH0419 25 01-Sep-05 CH0422 CH0421 26 06-Sep-05 CH0424 CH0423 27 13-Sep-05 CH0426 CH0425 28 17-Sep-05 CH0428 CH0427 29 20-Sep-05 CH0342 CH0341 30 21-Sep-05 CH0431 CH0430 31 24-Sep-05 CH0433 CH0432 32 25-Sep-05 CH0435 CH0434 33 28-Sep-05 CH0437 CH0436 34 06-Oct-05 CH0375 CH0374 Table 6b. Hawksbill and green turtle genetic samples, seized turtles, 2005 Sample Date Species Sex Right Tag Left Tag 1 01-Abr-05 Ei F CH0353 CH0354 2 01-Abr-05 Cm J CH0356 CH0355 3 21-Abr-05 Ei J CH0358 CH0357 4 06-May-05 Ei J CH0360 CH0359 5 29-Jun-05 Ei J CH0311 CH0310 6 06-Jul-05 Ei J CH0362 CH0361 7 15-Jul-05 Cm F VA3963 VA3961 8 15-Jul-05 Cm F VA3960 VA3959 9 6-Aug-05 Cm F CH0379 CH0340 10 10-Aug-05 Cm M CH0827 CH0828 (Ei: Eretmochelys imbricata, Cm: Chelonia mydas, F: Female, J: Juvenile, M: Male 13
Table 6c. Hawksbill turtle genetic samples, Small Zapatilla Cay, 2005 Sample Date Right Tag Left Tag 1 24-May-05 CH0060 MY538 2 10-Jun-05 CH0062 CH0061 3 17-Jun-05 77652 77651 4 18-Jun-05 MM1065 MY506 5 18-Jun-05 CH0067 CH0068 6 8-Jul-05 CH0070 CH0069 7 24-Jul-05 CH0071 CH0072 8 25-Jul-05 CH0073 CH0075 9 26-Aug-05 CH0080 CH0079 Satellite telemetry Five transmitters were placed on leatherback turtles in 2005. The first was attached on the 14th of June (Shelldon), this female directed her movements towards the coast of Canada and later moved into deeper waters in the Atlantic Ocean; this turtle continues to send information about her journey. The second turtle (Idum), was worked on the 17th of June, and moved directly into deeper waters in the Atlantic Ocean, the last information received was in April of 2006. The third (Cristina), had a transmitter attached on the 23 rd of June; her signal was lost south of the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean, on the 19 th of July 2005. Unsuli Fermina was tagged on the 28 th of June, the last information registered for her was on the 21 st of September 2005, when she was south of the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico. The last transmitter was attached on the 8 th of July (Roamin Romana), this female, was still transmitting as of May 2006 and was situated southeast of the Florida coast in the Gulf of Mexico. (Fig. 4 a, b, c, d, e). Fig 4 a, b, c, d, e Movements of Leatherback turtles, Chiriquí Beach 14
15
During the 2005 season, a satellite transmitter was attached to a hawksbill turtle which was named Mery Na. This nesting female was worked at Río Caña on the 9 th of November, she is last located off the Nicaraguan coast (Fig. 5). We are still receiving information from Señorita Chiriquí whose transmitter was attached during the 2004 season, the last record we have is from the month of May and she is still found in the coast of Nicaragua. 16
Figure 5. Movements of hawksbill turtle Mery Na. Hatching and emergence success On Chiriquí Beach, Escudo de Veraguas Red Beach and Zapatillas Cay, productivity studies were carried out only for those nests that were triangulated and monitored through to final development. Tables 7 a, b, c, d, e, and f summarize the results. Sixty-one hawksbill nests were marked on Chiriqui Beach from March to November; of those, 20 (32.8%) were depredated by dogs two months after having been laid. One of them (1.6%) was completely poached; 40 (65.6%) did not suffer any impact. Poaching and depredation by dogs continue to persist as problems on Chiriquí Beach. Thanks to a concerted effort, it was possible to mitigate this problem but it has not been completely resolved. It is apparent in Tables 7 a and b that successful hatchings were much reduced for hawksbills (2.0%) and leatherbacks (9.6%) due to depredation. The nests left intact had a higher success rate for hawksbills (68.3%) than for leatherbacks (39.8%). 17
Excavated nests hatchlings live in nest Table 7A. Leatherback turtle hatching and emergence success at Chiriqui Beach, 2005 hatchlings Unhatched Unhatched Preddead Empty Pipped Pipped eggs with eggs without ated in nest shells live dead development development eggs number emergen of hatchlings ce success produced Treatment Fate All Nests total eggs hatching success Not moved Intact 260 260 317 180 7520 9 173 2919 8285 0 18906 39.8% 37.1% 7349 Not moved Predated 8 8 1 53 65 0 15 81 86 433 680 9.6% 1.6% 12 Not moved Washed out 0 0 - - - - - - - - - - Not moved Poached 0 0 - - - - - - - - - - 268 268 318 233 7585 9 188 3000 8371 433 19586 38.7% 35.9% 7361 hatchlings live Table 7C. Green turtle hatching and emergence success on Chiriqui Beach, 2005 Table 7B. Hawksbill turtle hatching and emergence success on Chiriqui Beach, 2005 hatch- hatchlings number All Excavated lings live dead Empty Pipped Pipped Unhatched eggs with Unhatched eggs without Predated total hatching emergence of hatchlings Treatment Fate Nests nests in nest in nest shells live dead development development eggs eggs success success produced Not moved Intact 34 34 576 29 3416 70 69 372 1071 0 4998 68.3% 56.2% 3457 Not moved Predated 14 14 0 0 28 6 2 124 181 1081 1422 2.0% 2.0% 34 Not moved Washed out 0 0 - - - - - - - - - Not moved Poached 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 5 1 0 10 20.0% 20.0% 2 Moved Intact 6 6 473 2 626 12 5 21 61 0 725 86.3% 20.8% 636 Moved Predated 6 6 13 5 266 0 18 39 80 393 796 33.4% 31.2% 261 61 61 1062 36 4338 88 96 561 1394 1474 7951 54.6% 40.7% 4390 hatchlings dead number of hatchlings Treatment Fate All Nests Excavated nests in nest in nest Empty shells Pipped live Pipped dead Unhatched eggs with development Unhatched eggs without development Predated eggs total eggs hatching success emergence success produced Not moved Intact Cm 1 1 0 0 89 0 1 2 3 0 95 93.7% 93.7% 89 Predated Not moved Cm 0 0 - - - - - - - - - Not moved Washed out Cm 0 0 - - - - - - - - - 1 1 0 0 89 0 1 2 3 0 95 93.7% 93.7% 89
hatchlings live Table 7D. Hawksbill turtle hatching and emergence success on Escudo de Veraguas, 2005 hatchlings dead Treatment Fate All Nests Excavated nests in nest in nest Empty shells Pipped live Pipped dead Unhatched eggs with development Unhatched eggs without development Predated eggs total eggs hatching success emergence success produced Not moved Intact 44 44 178 39 3685 5 15 565 678 0 4948 74.5% 70.1% 3651 Not moved Predated 0 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - Not moved Washed out 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 131 0 131 0.0% 0.0% 0 Not moved Poached 3 0 - - - - - - - - - Moved Intact 0 0 - - - - - - - - - Moved Predated 0 0 - - - - - - - - - 49 46 178 39 3685 5 15 565 809 0 5079 72.6% 68.3% 3651 hatchlings live number of hatchlings hatchlings dead Table 7E. Hawksbill turtle hatching and emergence success on Playa Roja, 2005 Treatment Fate All Nests Excavated nests in nest in nest Empty shells Pipped live Pipped dead Unhatched eggs with development Unhatched eggs without development Predated eggs total eggs hatching success emergence success produced Not moved Intact 17 17 5 15 1455 21 38 365 189 0 2068 70.4% 69.4% 1461 Not moved Predated 0 0 - - - - - - - - - Not moved Washed out 3 0 - - - - - - - - - Not moved Poached 0 0 - - - - - - - - - Moved Intact 0 0 - - - - - - - - - Moved Predated 0 0 - - - - - - - - - 20 17 5 15 1455 21 38 365 189 0 2068 70.4% 69.4% 1461 Table 7F. Hawksbill turtle hatching and emergence success on Zapatilla Cays, 2005 hatchlings live number of hatchlings hatchlings dead number of hatchlings Treatment Fate All Nests Excavated nests in nest in nest Empty shells Pipped live Pipped dead Unhatched eggs with development Unhatched eggs without development Predated eggs total eggs hatching success emergence success produced Not moved Intact 153 153 293 210 20777 3 184 1433 3265 12 25674 80.9% 79.0% 20570 Not moved Predated 11 11 9 14 1409 1 57 91 192 74 1824 77.2% 76.0% 1396 Not moved Washed out 7 2 11 1 194 0 1 9 33 0 237 81.9% 76.8% 193 Not moved Poached 1 0 - - - - - - - - - Moved Intact 13 13 11 7 1248 4 9 225 425 0 1911 65.3% 64.4% 1245 Washed 1 0 - Moved out - - - - - - - - 185 179 324 232 23628 8 251 1758 3915 86 29646 79.7% 77.8% 23404 19
As of February 2006, all of the hawksbill nests on both Zapatilla Cays had been evaluated for productivity. Detailed examination of nest contents showed that 23,404 hawksbills were successfully hatched from nests laid during 2005 Poaching, mortality Seizures and liberation of turtles Year after year, poaching pressures have been consistently reduced but they do continue to have an impact on nests laid on Chiriquí Beach. It is important to continue beach monitoring, and educational outreach aimed at those individuals that carry out these activities. In 2005, reduction of poaching was achieved thanks to the relocation and concealment of nests that made their discovery difficult. Along the length of the Ngöbe Buglé Comarca coast and the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, indiscriminant fishing of sea turtles continues. It is important to strengthen environmental education programs within these communities in order to achieve the greatest possible success in this project. One nest on the Small Zapatilla Cay was believed to have been poached, and one was partially predated by termites. Eight nests on the cays were observed to have been affected by erosion (to varying degrees). As the project continues, more local residents support the research project. For example, Mr. Alonso of Coral Cay purchases turtles from fishermen and houses them for some days in a corral. Subsequently, he delivers them to us for tagging and release. Thanks to his efforts, we were able to release three juvenile hawksbills, a juvenile green, and two adult females (one hawksbill and one green). On Chiriquí Beach, one of the brigadiers (CEASPA park guards) delivered to us a juvenile hawksbill. During the months of July and August, operations were carried out by ANAM that resulted in the seizure of turtles and harpoons within the vicinity of Bastimentos Island National Marine Park and the Bocas Lagoon. In these operations, 5 green turtles were recovered, two females and one male were tagged and released between Isla Colon and Carenero. In addition, 48 turtle harpoons were seized. The violators were mainly from the communities of Bahía Azul, Bucori, Isla Tigre, Cayo de Agua and Saltcreek. The importance on conserving turtle stocks was explained to all the detained individuals. Environmental education activities Research Coordinator Cristina Ordoñez gave an oral presentation about the project results at the International Sea Turtle Symposium in Savannah, Georgia, USA, in January 2005. Río Caña research assistant Genaro Castillo also participated in the symposium. On the 14 th and 15 th of March 2005, three representatives from the Panamanian Institute of Tourism (IPAT), two from CEASPA, regional Cacique Jony Bonilla, local Cacique Justo Buy, Mayor of Kusapin Agustin Villagra, President of the General Congress Enrique Pineda and a professor from the Kusapin community, visited the project at Chiriquí Beach. During this visit, research assistant Genaro Castillo explained about the work being performed on the beach, the importance of sea turtle conservation to the community, and his experiences at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, and at the International Symposium. Those in attendance participated in a night patrol to observe nesting females. On April 14 th, four persons from Jaque (Darien, Pacific coast of Panama) visited the project at Chiriquí Beach to learn about the research and conservation of sea turtles because this community is in the process of initiating a conservation project. An exchange of experiential information ensued with the community of Río Caña and a workshop related to paper recycling was offered to 12 interested persons. On May 15 th, four persons from Pedregal (David, Pacific coast of Panama) and three members from Cuerpo de Paz visited the project to learn more about research and conservation of sea turtles. During 2005, June to September, a total of four beach monitors from the communities of Río Caña and Río Chiriquí traveled to Tortuguero, Costa Rica and participated as research assistants in CCC s 2005 Green Turtle Program. They learned about monitoring and conservation techniques and observed sea turtle tourism first hand. Upon returning to Chiriquí Beach, they shared their experiences and newly acquired skills with other beach monitors and members of the Río Caña and Río Chiriquí communities. From the 10 th to the 17 th of June, in coordination with WWF, a feature for Animal Planet was filmed on Chiriquí Beach which involved the CCC team, monitors and the community. On the 8 th of July, Ibelice Aniño from ANAM visited the project in the company of Scientific Director Sebastian Tröeng and coordinator Cristina Ordoñez. During this tour, Small Zapatilla Cay was visited and an informal meeting was conducted with Incocencio Castillo and two research assistants, Nicole Collin and Stephanie Sunderman.
Afterwards, Chiriquí Beach was visited for one night and another meeting was held with project leaders and monitors for this sector. The end result of these meetings was an evaluation and subsequent approval of the decision to continue the legal process necessary to pursue a convention between ANAM, CCC and Comarca. From the 13 th to the 18 th of September, Cristina Ordoñez, Cornelio Palacios (beach monitor from Río Caña) and Natalia Decastro participated at the ANAM stand at the Feria del Mar in Bocas del Toro. They explained the project to interested members of the public. Inocencio Castillo captured some sea turtles for the display (they were all released within a couple of days of capture) and, as during previous years, the stand was one of the most popular ones at the Feria del Mar. In September, the second environmental fair was celebrated in Río Cañaveral. CCC participated via the involvement of Cristina Ordoñez, and two Río Caña monitors (Vicente & Cornelio). In October, the first folkloric and educational cultural encounter was celebrated in Río Caña. CCC participated via the involvement of Cristina Ordonez, Andrea and Victor Huertas, Natalia Decastro. CEASPA and the Smithsonian also participated in this activity. Approximately 180 school children, along with teachers and other locals, attended the transmitter attachment event and subsequent release of hawksbill turtle CH0430 (Mery Na) in November 2005. During the attachment process, beach monitors explained about sea turtle biology and conservation, the aims of the project and their experience participating in green turtle monitoring at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. During the months of September and October, in coordination with ANAM, environmental education presentations were organized in the communities of Salt Creek, Isla Popa and Isla Tigre. Cristina Ordóñez presented talks on the biology of sea turtles and information about the Chiriquí project being carried out in that zone. At each meeting, approximately 20 30 people participated, many of them turtle fishermen. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Chiriquí Beach is part of the Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca area and is the most important hawksbill (Carr 1956). and leatherback nesting beach in Caribbean Panama (Meylan, et al.1985; Ordoñez et al, in press). In 2003, a large portion of the beach was included in the Damani Guariviara Wetland conservation area. An important goal of the project at Chiriquí Beach is to generate conservation - oriented employment for local inhabitants and to teach them about the subject of conservation, as well as to build capacity for natural resource management. During this third project year, we managed to learn about the interest of the locals of Río Caña in participating in the project. In the Río Chiriquí section, there are local individuals who support the project and others who do not. We hope that through environmental education we will be able to count on total support from both communities. The beach was divided into two sections in order to provide both communities adjacent to the study area with opportunities to participate. At the Zapatilla Cays, nesting beach monitoring has been ongoing since 1990 incidental to the Meylan's netting project sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Monitoring efforts have expanded gradually over the years and for 2005, year - round observations are available for the second year. Because these islands are an uninhabited portion of a national marine park, the possibilities for protecting nesting females and their eggs are excellent. Predation from mammals (coatis, dogs, etc.) has not been observed and hatching success is high. It is anticipated that as the population continues to recover on the Zapatilla Cays, eggs and nesting females will become an increasingly attractive target for poachers. Track surveys This third project year has allowed us to reconfirm the importance of Chiriquí Beach for hawksbill and leatherback nesting activity, and of continuing research and conservation there. The importance has become very clear of extending environmental education along the length of the territorial coast in order to achieve the objective of recovery for the hawksbill turtle, a species in critical danger of extinction. The installation of the middle beach camp, has allowed us to be more vigilant of hawksbill turtle nests in that area. Through the daily monitoring, we determined that on Chiriquí Beach the leatherback turtle has the highest nest density (198.9 nests/km), followed by the hawksbill turtle (16.8 nests/km). The green turtle is the species that is least frequently seen nesting on these beaches (0.8 nests/km). The hawksbill turtle was the species most frequently observed during the months of monitoring (May-September) with a peak in nesting during the month of July (Figure 1a). Leatherback turtles were observed during March-June (Figure 1b). The sporadic green turtle nesting recorded was from July to September (Figure 1c). It is well known that this species uses the waters of Caribbean Panama as a migration route and for feeding. Nesting occurs primarily at Tortuguero Beach, Costa Rica. 21