TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) and the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA) have completed Taiwan’s first joint study on the sea turtle ecology of Taiping Island.
From June to September, researchers recorded 141 female green sea turtles laying eggs in 221 nests along the island’s shore. This confirms Taiping Island as Taiwan’s primary green sea turtle nesting site, according to the OCA. With a hatch rate of about 70%, an estimated 35,000 hatchlings are expected to emerge each year.
The study was commissioned by the NMMBA and carried out with the assistance of trained OCA marine conservation inspectors. All recorded nesting turtles belonged to the green sea turtle species.
Sea turtle survival rates remain extremely low, with only 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 hatchlings reaching adulthood. Because adult females return to their natal beaches to nest, researchers predict that approximately 36 adult females will return to Taiping Island in about 20 years.
The OCA said that future survey data will be included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s annual regional report on marine turtles. The administration emphasized that this will enhance Taiwan’s international visibility in marine conservation and reinforce Taiping Island’s role as a critical hub for marine ecological conservation.
