Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Aerial surveys


Brett Leis has been working in collaboration with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and environmental consultancy GHD in a project to determine turtle nesting distribution and seasonal patterns on western Cape York. This has involved conducting aerial surveys of the coast to obtain baseline data to highlight “hot spots”, quantify nest predation and collect other incidental data such as ghost net distribution and density.  These data can then be used to develop targeted management and funding strategies to specifically address threats. Onground truthing has been provided by indigenous Rangers at key beaches along the coast to identify any nightly variations and value add to the collected data.