GANDOCA-MANZANILLO
Sea turtle conservation on the Caribbean coastSea turtles in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a mecca for sea turtles. Five out of seven sea turtle species worldwide come to lay their eggs on the beaches of the Pacific and Caribbean coasts in Costa Rica. In addition, various life stages use the food-rich coastal waters as feeding grounds. Our partner and marine biologist Dr. Christine Figgener is working with the COASTS organization to ensure that sea turtles will continue to come to the beaches of Costa Rica in large numbers to lay their eggs, where the hatchlings will then embark on their first long journey to the Caribbean Sea or the Pacific Ocean after just a few weeks.
Protection and research of
sea turtles
Dr. Christine Figgener and the organization COASTS (Costa Rican Alliance for Sea Turtle Conservation & Science ) protect nesting females and their eggs from poacherserosion and natural enemies.
Between March and July, the endangered (EN) leatherback turtle (<200 nests per year), between May and October the the critically endangered (CR) hawksbill turtle (<200 nests per year) and the endangered (EN) green turtle (<30 nests per year) come to Gandoca to lay their eggs.
Wuring the nesting season (March to October in the Caribbean) Christine and her team carry out night patrols and morning reconnaissance tours. You stay with the nesting females until they have returned to the water, and secure the laid eggs by moving them to a safer place and burying them there.
All-round program for the turtles
The sea turtles that come to Gandoca are marked, registered and measured. In addition to researching the nesting females, the life of the sea turtles in the water is also studied. Some animals are fitted with a satellite transmitter. The resulting data will be used, among other things, to show the Costa Rican government ways to make the protection of sea turtles more effective and sustainable.
Habitat conservation is another important area of work for the animal rights activists, as sea turtle populations cannot thrive in the future without a healthy ecosystem.
Habitat protection in action
Accordingly, COASTS has initiatives to restore local habitats. On the one hand, regular beach clean-ups are carried out to remove plastic and other garbage, and on the other, trees are grown for the reforestation of the mangroves.
A benefit for the local population
The project is also intended to create jobs for the local population and thus serve as a financial incentive. To this end, between five and ten scientific assistants from the village are employed in Gandoca each season, some of whom used to poach themselves and therefore have an alternative and legal income. In addition, student interns live with families in the village, which also provides them with an income.
Environmental education on the Caribbean coast
Interview with Ariana Oporta MacCarthy – Marine Biologist, Vice President of COASTS and responsible for environmental education at COASTS and Tropica Verde in this region
Environmental education as an important building block
In order to make the conservation measures sustainable, a major focus is on environmental education in the surrounding schools, which are visited regularly to educate the children about the endangered status of sea turtles, but also to make them aware of the importance of protecting their own livelihoods. With the advent of the Internet in Gandoca, virtual visits are also possible for schools in other parts of Costa Rica, as well as internationally.
In order to get Costa Rican and other Latin American students interested in nature conservation, the project also offers three scholarships per year for qualified young people to work for three months each.
WHAT DOES TROPICA VERDE DO?
- Tropica Verde supports the organization COASTS with 5000 USD per year. From this, one of the local scientific assistants can be paid for the nesting season. The scientific assistants are the pillars of the project in Gandoca and support Dr. Christine Figgener, the scientific director, and the project management team. The assistants, together with the student interns, carry out the nightly beach patrols to protect the nesting females and their eggs, relocate nests, tag females and collect data.
- In the area of environmental education in the sense of education for sustainable development, our focus is on schools in the area of the Bribri indigenous people in Talamanca. This promotes new generations of conservationists, teaches life experiences and organizes playful and artistic events that strengthen culture, nature conservation and networking.
- In order to link the Costa Rica-wide environmental education activities of our local partner organizations, Tropica Verde 2024 launched across-project education network , which also includes COASTS and its environmental education activities.
- In Germany, Tropica Verde raises awareness of the importance of sea turtle conservation through educational campaigns and events.
News about this project
Tropica Verde 2024: News & insights into our projects to protect the tropical rainforest
We can look back on a great project year 2024! Environmental education was the No. 1 focus, but the expansion of reserves and reforestation are also going very well. But everything in order ..... Highlights from our 2024 rainforest conservation projects We are now...
ASOGUABO: The roads that separate the biological corridor
Environmental education is a matter close to Tropica Verde’s heart – and therefore also to Ariana. Education in the sense of sustainable development is also an important component of our sea turtle project in Gandoca. Get to know our employee Ariana Oporta McCarthy and her motivation in this interview.
Project partners introduce themselves: Interview with Ariana Oporta McCarthy
Environmental education is a matter close to Tropica Verde’s heart – and therefore also to Ariana. Education in the sense of sustainable development is also an important component of our sea turtle project in Gandoca. Get to know our employee Ariana Oporta McCarthy and her motivation in this interview.
