Word on the Reef
Diving into marine science adventures on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond!
Word on the Reef
S3 E12: Mud, Blood and Sea Turtles: Caitlin's Quest to Give Turtles a Future
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In 2022, a mass stranding of more than 600 sick turtles devastated Hervey Bay in South East Queensland. As volunteers worked tirelessly to rescue them, scientists got to work on solving the puzzle: what caused this disaster?
Dr Caitlin Smith is one of the scientists racing to unravel the threats facing our sea turtles before it’s too late.
Her work has seen her fearlessly leaning out of helicopters to survey seagrass, slip-sliding across stinky mud bogs to rescue half-ton turtles, studying turtle blood samples, and putting baby turtles through fitness tests to understand how our actions are impacting them.
In this episode, she explains why these ancient animals are so magnetic, and what we need to do to save them.
More info:
- Assessing the impacts of contaminant exposure on green sea turtles - Dr Caitlin Smith, UniSC
- Post-flood monitoring of seagrass in Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Strait - JCU Tropwater
- Dugongs and turtles are starving to death in Queensland's seas - and La Nina's floods are to blame - Professor Kathy Townsend, The Conversation.
- Mon Repos Turtle Centre
- UniSC Milbi Centre: Sea Turtle Research and Conservation
Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!
Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!
PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!
- Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
- Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
- Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
- Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
- Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
- Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
- WWF Australia: Protect Nature
- Rising Tide: ...
