Team Turtle CQ Monitoring Program Tracking Progress 2021 – 2022

Posted on October 5th, 2022

The central Queensland region is home to six of the world’s seven marine turtle species. Three of these species – Flatback Turtle (Natator depressus), Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) and Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) – nest on our region’s beaches.

In 2014, FBA carried out a gap analysis that identified the Fitzroy region as being able to provide valuable information about these turtles.

In 2015 Team Turtle CQ (TTCQ) was established for an initial three-year program. Since then TTCQ’s success has been on the incline with the 2021-2022 season seeing the most beaches surveyed, the most volunteers engaged and the most confirmed nests and tracks reported.

In Australia all species of marine turtles are currently threatened with extinction, listed as vulnerable or listed as endangered under both Queensland and Australian legislation. For this reason, the success of TTCQ work is invaluable!

This report summarises the results of the 2021-2022 Team Turtle CQ program and is funded by the Australian Governments Reef Trust through FBA’s Protecting and enhancing high value coastal ecosystems across central Queensland project. In addition, Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) funded Facing Island census activities.

This report, or any part of it, must not, directly or indirectly, be used, distributed, printed or copied without prior written consent from FBA.

TURTLE SEASON APPROACHING

With turtle season starting back up again, make sure you know the marine turtle-watching guidelines.