Sea Turtle Monitoring and Survey Program

In 2013, the Department of the Navy’s Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas signed a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) agreement with theUniversity of Guam to conduct beach monitoring and protect sea turtle nesting activities, to develop an educational outreach program.

UOG Sea Grant obtained this project in 2018 and works collaboratively with sea turtle expert Jessy Hapdei, of Jessy’s Tag Services, to conduct the nest monitoring surveys on Andersen Air Force Base. Our sea turtle biologists currently monitor activity of the endangered green sea turtle (haggan betde) and the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle (haggan karai).

By learning about sea turtle behavior and habitat usage, we are able to promote a healthier endangered species population that will hopefully one day sustain itself. In this way, UOG Sea Grant is promoting healthy coastal ecosystems around the island of Guam. Further, the information gained from nesting surveys and satellite tagging is dispersed to the community via outreach (e.g. classroom presentations, tabling at community events, and beach cleanups) that fosters environmental literacy for island residents.