It now includes information from 25 countries. ![]() Since 2005, the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU Secretariat has maintained a database of flipper tag series in use in the IOSEA region. At the IOSEA Turtle Site Network site Sheedvar Island (Persian Gulf), tag returns recorded since 2005 have helped identify important nesting sites of hawksbill turtles to allow their protection, and data was collected on the clutch size, eggs, hatchlings and turtles (more information here). Data collected from flipper tag recoveries and satellite tracks of green turtles in the Western Indian Ocean has revealed complex migration patterns across the region, such as links between Seychelles and the continental coast, as well as connections between Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique (more information here). The story of a Flatback Turtle known as X23103, which was flipper-tagged in 1974 at the nesting beach “Mon Repos” (Queensland, Australia) and has been coming back ever since to lay her eggs ( read more about her here) illustrates the wealth of information that can be obtained through long-term tagging programmes. By means of the letter and number code on the tag, the origin of the turtle can be determined, and the new encounter linked to previously collected data. reproductive biology, movements, strandings, residency and growth rates. when it is returning to its nesting beach, or is caught at sea, the location and circumstances of the encounter and the condition, size and behaviour of the turtle provide important information on e.g. ![]() When a tagged turtle is encountered again, e.g. The group running the tagging programme will keep a record of when and where this tag was applied, the species of turtle, its size and age class, and any other relevant information. The tag usually consists of a letter or letters as prefix and a series of numbers on one side, and the return address on the other. Therefore, flipper tagging is the most common type of tagging in the IOSEA region and can be used in combination with other technologies, such as satellite telemetry (satellite tagging). It also shows linkages between nesting and foraging areas, when caught during that period. Flipper tagging is a low-tech and low-cost method to better understand marine turtle migration patterns, distribution, growth and mortality rates, reproductive output, and population size.
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