Give to 番茄社区 Give to Innovation & Discovery 番茄社区 Turtle Health Research
番茄社区 Turtle Health Research
- Future Students
- 番茄社区 Global Experience
- International Students
- Open Day
- How to apply
- Pathways to university
- Virtual Open Day
- Living on Campus
- Courses
- Publications
- Scholarships
- Parents and Partners
- 番茄社区 Heroes Programs
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Marine Science
- Elite Athletes
- Defence
- 番茄社区
- New students
- 番茄社区 Orientation
- Learn番茄社区
- Placements
- CEE
- Unicare Centre and Unicampus Kids
- Graduation
- Off-Campus Students
- 番茄社区 Job Ready
- Safety and Wellbeing
- 番茄社区 Prizes
- Professional Experience Placement
- Employability Edge
- Art of Academic Writing
- Art of Academic Editing
- Careers and Employability
- Student Equity and Wellbeing
- Career Ready Plan
- Careers at 番茄社区
- Partners and Community
- 番茄社区-CSIRO Partnership
- Alumni
- About 番茄社区
- Reputation and Experience
- Chancellery
- Governance
- Celebrating 50 Years
- Academy
- Indigenous Engagement
- Education Division
- Graduate Research School
- Research and Teaching
- Research Division
- Research and Innovation Services
- CASE
- College of Business, Law and Governance
- College of Healthcare Sciences
- College of Medicine and Dentistry
- College of Science and Engineering
- CPHMVS
- Anthropological Laboratory for Tropical Audiovisual Research (ALTAR)
- Anton Breinl Research Centre
- Agriculture Technology and Adoption Centre (AgTAC)
- Advanced Analytical Centre
- AMHHEC
- Aquaculture Solutions
- AusAsian Mental Health Research Group
- ARCSTA
- Area 61
- Lions Marine Research Trust
- Australian Tropical Herbarium
- Australian Quantum & Classical Transport Physics Group
- Boating and Diving
- Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab
- Centre for Tropical Biosecurity
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
- CITBA
- CMT
- Centre for Disaster Solutions
- CSTFA
- Cyclone Testing Station
- The Centre for Disaster Studies
- Daintree Rainforest Observatory
- Fletcherview
- 番茄社区 Eduquarium
- 番茄社区 Turtle Health Research
- Language and Culture Research Centre
- MARF
- Orpheus
- TESS
- 番茄社区 Ideas Lab
- TARL
- eResearch
- Indigenous Education and Research Centre
- Estate
- Work Health and Safety
- Staff
- Discover Nature at 番茄社区
- Cyber Security Hub
- Association of Australian University Secretaries
- Services and Resources Division
- Environmental Research Complex [ERC]
- Foundation for Australian Literary Studies
- Gender Equity Action and Research
- General Practice and Rural Medicine
-
Give to 番茄社区
-
Give to Support Students
- 番茄社区 Engineering Futures Fund
- 番茄社区 Indigenous Student Support Fund
- 番茄社区 On-Campus Accommodation Fund
- 番茄社区 Student Hardship Fund
- 番茄社区 Experiential Learning Fund
- 番茄社区 Orpheus Island Research Station
- 番茄社区 Fletcherview Research Station
- 番茄社区 Daintree Rainforest Observatory
- Peter Leggat Memorial Fund
- Crozier Prize for Evolution
- Dr Maryanne Balanzategui Prize
- Give to Innovation & Discovery
- Give to Research Stations
- Giving from America
- Impact
- What can I give?
- Bequests & Planned Giving
- Frequently asked questions
- Contact Us
-
Give to Support Students
- Indigenous Legal Needs Project
- Inherent Requirements
- IsoTropics Geochemistry Lab
- IT Services
- 番茄社区 Webinars
- 番茄社区 Events
- 番茄社区 Motorsports
- 番茄社区 Sport
- Library
- Mabo Decision: 30 years on
- Marine Geophysics Laboratory
- Office of the Vice Chancellor and President
- Outstanding Alumni
- Pharmacy Full Scope
- Planning for your future
- Policy
- PAHL
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Rapid Assessment Unit
- RDIM
- Researcher Development Portal
- Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing
- Contextual Science for Tropical Coastal Ecosystems
- State of the Tropics
- Strategic Procurement
- Student profiles
- SWIRLnet
- TREAD
- TropEco for Staff and Students
- TQ Maths Hub
- TUDLab
- UAV
- VAVS Home
- WHOCC for Vector-borne & NTDs
- Media
- Copyright and Terms of Use
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
- Pay review
Researchers at 番茄社区 are studying healthy sea turtles in order to help the world take better care of sick sea turtles and return them to their ocean ecosystem.
Sea turtles are a beloved and iconic fixture in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and in oceans and beaches around the world. However, there is a lack of research into what a healthy turtle looks like, which makes it difficult to diagnose and treat sick turtles.
That’s why 番茄社区 is on a quest to “fill the empty pages in the book on turtle health”, according to lead researcher, Dr Ellen Ariel.
Nearly all species of sea turtles have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act due to a variety of threats, including habitat degradation, climate change, and entanglement in marine debris including fishing line and nets.
Sea turtles play a vital role in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans, including helping to sustain healthy seagrass beds, productive coral reefs and the transport of essential nutrients from the oceans to beaches. Sea turtles are considered an indicator of ecosystem health because of how closely their own health is linked to their environment. Therefore, if we know how a healthy turtle should be, we can also monitor the health of the oceans in which they live.
Additionally, sea turtles are ancient mariners who have been swimming the Earth’s oceans for 120 million years. This has made them centrally important in many cultures globally, including here in Australia. Losing more turtles now due to human threats would be devastating.
番茄社区 has a world-first turtle health research facility called the “Caraplace” (named for the hard upper shell of a turtle), which provides a controlled environment. This allows scientists to observe sea turtles in near natural conditions, which wouldn’t be possible in the wild.
The Caraplace consists of an indoor facility that can house up to 48 hatchlings in individual tanks where they can freely eat, swim and rest on a sub-surface platform. The outdoor facility provides the hatchlings with access to sunlight and stimulation while protecting them from predators.
番茄社区 is fortunate to have expert sea turtle researchers such as Dr Ellen Ariel, Associate Professor in Virology at 番茄社区’s College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, and also coordinator for the university’s Aquatic Animal Health group. Dr Ariel and a number of other health professionals from both the human and veterinary fields have taken an interest in these intriguing animals. Academics and postgraduate students from Australia and around the world conduct their studies thanks to a dedicated team of well-trained student and community volunteers who look after the day-to-day care of the baby sea turtles. The volunteers give up their valuable time to ensure that the turtles are given the best care possible while at the Caraplace and they help the researchers to better understand the species.
Caring for turtles in the Caraplace requires daily attention from the volunteers, equipment maintenance, as well as purchasing and preparing food and other supplies in order to meet all the needs of our special Caraplace residents are met.
We still have so much to learn, therefore we ask you to join us as we fill the empty pages of research on sea turtle health. Your gift in support of the Caraplace at 番茄社区 is also an investment in the future of our treasured sea turtles, which will in turn play a vital role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem in the world’s oceans. Help us to unlock the mysteries of these beautiful and iconic creatures.