Conservation researchers at UM collaborate with ERA to advance knowledge on sea turtles
The Conservation Biology Research Group, led by Prof. Adriana Vella, has been leading longterm field research on Sea Turtles in Malta. Results of the genetic research on dead nestling remains from the Maltese Islands have been published in a scientific peer reviewed journal Animals, which has dedicated a special issue to Vulnerable to Endangered Species worldwide entitled. “Protecting Endangered Species”.
This work represents the first scientific study using genetic markers to better understand the reproductive behaviour of the loggerhead sea turtles from the Maltese Islands. Dead hatchlings and undeveloped dead embryos collected by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) from recorded nesting sites between 2020 and 2022 were used for this study through ERA permits.
Data generated from the genetically analysed specimens were used for nesting site fidelity and parentage analyses. Results of this research show that some turtles had laid more than one nest within the same nesting season while detecting an instance of multiple paternity. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the Biology of the species in Maltese waters, which is a requirement for effective conservation management.
This Research Group from the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, is active in studying various other aspects of the species Caretta caretta, while also training research students in the valuable and versatile skills required to decrease the gaps of knowledge on sea turtles and their urgent effective conservation needs.