bell time 2008

Tourism in Marine Environments Vol 5 No 4 pp 245ndash257 1544-273X09 $6000 + 00Printed in the USA All rights reserved Copyright 2009 Cognizant Comm Corp

wwwcognizantcommunicationcom

HARNESSING RECREATIONAL DIVERS FOR THE COLLECTION

OF SEA TURTLE DATA AROUND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

CATHERINE D BELLdagger JANICE M BLUMENTHALdagger TIMOTHY J AUSTINGINA EBANKS-PETRIE ANNETTE C BRODERICKdagger and BRENDAN J GODLEYdagger

Department of Environment Grand Cayman Cayman Islands British West IndiesdaggerMarine Turtle Research Group Centre for Ecology and Conservation

University of Exeter Cornwall Campus Penryn UK

Here we present data from a 26-month program ldquoCaribbean Turtle Watchrdquo initiated as part of theldquoTurtles in the Caribbean Overseas Territoriesrdquo (TCOT) program and designed to harness recre-ational divers to assess in-water populations of marine turtles in the Cayman Islands We recorded521 dives in Grand Cayman and Little Cayman between September 1 2002 and November 292003 Data presented as the mean number of turtles sighted per dive provide insight into spatio-temporal patterns of sightings as a proxy of abundance Widespread sightings were recorded oftwo marine turtle species green turtles Chelonia mydas and hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbri-cata around both islands There was no obvious relationship between the existence of MarineProtected Areas (MPAs) and the abundance of turtle sightings Diving is allowed in Marine ParkZones and dive pressure may impact overall habitat quality in these areas The vast majority ofsightings of both species (94 in each case) were considered to be juvenile or subadults Whileturtle sighting potential was not a major influence on dive site choice actual turtle sighting greatlyenhanced dive enjoyment Spatiotemporal and morphological analyses of data collected by volun-teers compared favorably with those based on data collected by scientists This technique is trans-ferable to other countries and may hold particular value in areas where resources assigned tomarine turtle research are low

Key words Marine turtles Cayman Islands Population monitoring Volunteers EcotourismRecreational divers

Introduction of volunteers in marine observation and data col-lection has been documented in coral reef surveys(Chou 1994) marine turtle and fish abundance as-The recruitment of recreational divers for basic

biodiversity assessment provides for rapid accu- sessments (Coyne amp Pattengill-Semmens 2008Pattengil-Semmens amp Semmens 2003) coastalmulation of uncomplicated observation data over

a wide marine area throughout the year The use zone management (Jacoby Manning Fritz amp

Address correspondence to Catherine Bell at her current address Pendoley Environmental PO Box 98 Leederville WA 6902 Tel+61892270090 Fax +61892284635 E-mail catherinebellpenvcomau

245

246 BELL ET AL

Rose 1997 Wescott 1998) and monitoring of Marine Park Areas (Cayman Islands Government1986) This zoning has been mostly applied in ar-lobster (Ellis amp Cowan 2002) and seahorse popu-

lation distributions (Goffredo Piccinetti amp Zac- eas of known heavy use by fishermen and divevessels around Grand and Little Cayman A sys-canti 2004) The true value of the data collected

during these surveys has been the focus of much tem of moorings was established at this time toassist vessels wishing to anchor in areas whereattention (Darwall amp Dulvy 1996 Halusky Sea-

man amp Strawbridge 1994 Mumby Harbourne coral may potentially be damaged Moorings arenot restricted to Marine Park AreasRaines amp Ridley 1995)

Recently studies focused on ldquovolunteer tour- The majority of the islandsrsquo commercial divingactivity is concentrated on the lowerseaward mar-ismrdquo and ldquoresearch ecotourismrdquo have shown these

programs to have multiple benefits for both tour- gins of two submerged marine terraces and theldquowallrdquo a submerged vertical cliff face surroundingists and host communities (Clifton amp Benson 2006

Gray amp Campbell 2007) Similarly community Grand and Little Cayman (Regions 1 2 and 6Fig 2) Factors influencing choice of dive site byparticipation programs involved in marine turtle

conservation and focused largely on protection of dive operators in Cayman are many and superim-posed upon individual site characteristics and as-the nesting beach education programs (Kapauru-

singhe 2000a) andor conversion of individuals sociated flora and fauna are hydrographical andmeteorological conditions such as exposure toreliant on sea turtle resources to alternative or

more regulated means of economic support (eg wind and wave activity and ease of accessibilityThe Marine Turtle Research Project (MTRP)eco or marine turtle tourism) (Campbell 1998

Kapaurusinghe 2000b) have demonstrated evi- conducted by the Cayman Islands Department ofEnvironment (CIDOE) has detected limited repro-dence of benefits to all involved Few studies

have however capitalized on the presence of vol- ductive populations of green and loggerhead tur-tles on all three islands (Aiken et al 2001 Bellunteer observers in the water where sea turtles

are present as a means to collect data In areas et al 2007) and juvenile foraging aggregations ofhawksbill and to some extent green turtles in Littlewhere there is a high level of sea tourism this

potentially huge resource could assist research and Grand Cayman (Blumenthal et al 2003 Blu-menthal et al 2007 Blumenthal et al in press)programs worldwide to overcome budget and re-

source constraints (Foster-Smith amp Evans 2003) While the beach monitoring component of theMTRP initiated to assess Caymanrsquos nesting ma-and consequently contribute significantly to na-

tional and regional policymaking at very little cost rine turtle population is currently in its 12th con-secutive year of country-wide standardized moni-Diving in the Cayman Islands is considered

world class and dive tourism accounts for 40 of toring the in-water capture effort to date has beenless comprehensive in its spatial and temporalall air arrivals and 11 of all cruise arrivals [Cay-

man Islands Government (CIG) Department of coverage Limited resources have restricted re-search efforts to known foraging areas and widerTourism unpublished data] Cruise ship arrivals

increased during the period of this study (2002ndash spatiotemporal surveys around Grand and LittleCayman have been limited Since turtle fishing be-2003) and continue to do so while air arrivals re-

main stable (CIG Department of Tourism unpub- came regulated in the Cayman Islands in 1996limited additional data on captures of large sub-lished data) These data suggest that during 2002

and 2003 the mean annual number of divers arriv- adult and adult turtles have been recorded throughcatch assessment of this extremely restricted turtleing in Cayman was gt300000

The Marine Parks system in the Cayman Is- fishery (Bell et al 2006)Here we outline the results of a 26-month pro-lands was established in 1986 under the Marine

Conservation Law in response to increasing pres- gram ldquoCaribbean Turtle Watchrdquo initiated in theCayman Islands as part of Turtles in the Caribbeansure on marine resources by an ever-increasing

tourism industry and expanding local population Overseas Territories (TCOT) a project that spannedall United Kingdom Overseas Territories in the(Ebanks amp Bush 1990) The law prohibits the

touching or taking of anything alive or dead in Caribbean (Godley Broderick Campbell Ranger

COLLECTION OF SEA TURTLE DATA BY RECREATIONAL DIVERS 247

amp Richardson 2004) The dive survey component amp Roberts 1976) The Caribbean Current gener-ally flows west at an average speed of 03 m sminus1of the project was designed to recruit recreational

divers and exploit their presence in the water to and can be detected to a depth of 300 m (Darby-shire Bellamy amp Jones 1976) Large-scale oce-assess marine turtle species present at dive sites

throughout Grand and Little Cayman Hawksbill anic currents predominantly control the dynamicsof water movement around the Islandsturtles often forage on sponges in coral reef habitat

(Meylan 1988) and are therefore often present inthe same areas as divers who choose these areas Methodsfor their aesthetic qualities Though they feed pri-marily on seagrass green turtles are also known Survey forms were distributed to dive operators

on Grand and Little Cayman Upon voluntaryto feed on algae found in coral reef areas (Limpusamp Reed 1985) These charismatic mega-fauna are agreement to enter into the program a briefing was

given providing instruction on participation It waseasily identifiable and actively forage during day-light hours (Balazs 1996 Van Dam amp Diez 1996) made clear that only one person per dive could fill

out the form to avoid sighting duplication duringand are therefore often encountered by diversWhere available observer data are compared a dive To eliminate positive sighting bias and cap-

ture nonsightingsabsence it was emphasized thatwith actual capture data collected by CIDOE re-search officers to assess the quality of the data col- forms must be filled out on some regular or semi-

regular basis not only on those excursions wherelected by observers Furthermore these data areanalyzed to gain insight into the relative spatial turtles were observed Participants were given spe-

cies identification cards and posterspamphlets todistribution of turtles in Cayman waters seasonalpatterns of observations size classes of turtles advertise the initiative and promote awareness All

promotional items encouraged participation frompresent and an assessment of the value of turtlesightings to divers and ultimately dive tourism in all touristvisiting divers and gave clear instruction

regarding involvement Should no volunteer recre-the Cayman Islands Several important caveats aredescribed and reviewed and a final evaluation of ational divers have come forward on a designated

survey day divemasters were required to completethe value of this type of study and the use of vol-unteers in the collection of marine ecological data the form All participating divers were able to dive

as normal and mentally note the details of all tur-is giventles observed The remainder of the informationrequired came from the dive computer log If noStudy Siteturtles were observed the entire form was filledout in the same way with zero sightings recordedThe Cayman Islands are located in the Carib-

bean Sea (Grand Cayman 19deg21N 81deg17W Lit- All entries where species identification was quali-fied as ldquonot surerdquo were assigned for analysis totle Cayman 19deg43N 80deg03W Cayman Brac

19deg43N 79deg51W) (Fig 1) The three islands are the ldquounidentifiedrdquo turtle group All measurementsgiven in imperial units were converted to metriclow-lying emergent carbonate sections of the Cay-

man ridge All three islands lie predominantly Shore dives were eliminated from spatial analysesas although the point of departure from shore waseastndashwest in orientation along their main axis but

only Grand Cayman is wide enough to create a accurately described final destination was notknowntruly leeward shore sheltered from both wind and

wave activity along its westward coastline The The CIDOE in-water capture program has beenconducted on a semiregular basis since 2000 Tur-coastal shelf around Grand and Little Cayman is

narrow typically less than 1 km wide and consists tles were captured by hand and brought onto asmall boat for weighing measuring tagging andof two seaward sloping terraces the upper from 3

to 10 m and associated with two marine environ- collection of blood and tissue samples Carapacemeasurements were taken using standard tree cali-ments lagoons (Sounds) and a fringing reef struc-

ture and the lower from 15 to 25 m and associated pers All measurements described are notchndashtip toensure they are analogous with volunteer estimateswith the shelf-edge reef or deep reefwall (Rigby

248 BELL ET AL

Figure 1 Map showing location of the Cayman Islands

of entire length of the shell For spatial analyses and survey intensity per month (Spearmanrsquos RankCorrelation Rs = 09492 p lt 005) consequentlydive moorings were grouped into regions (Grand

Cayman n = 5 Little Cayman n = 2) known to data are presented as the mean number of turtlessighted per dive to provide a more useful insighthost somewhat homogenous hydrographic and

benthic characteristics A detailed description of into spatiotemporal patterns of sightings as aproxy of abundancethe characteristics of these areas is given in Blan-

chon (1995) Volunteer observers detected species presenceratios of 91 (893 hawksbill and 104 green)analogous to those detected by scientists duringResultsactive in-water capture sessions conducted by

Results were gathered from 521 dives betweenCIDOE (91 or 915 hawksbill and 85 green

September 1 2002 and November 29 2003 Eightturtles)

dive operators took part (five in Grand Caymanand three in Little Cayman) collecting 419 surveys

Spatial Distribution of Sightingsin Grand Cayman and 101 in Little Cayman Onlyone survey form did not give a location A total Figure 2 maps the distribution of all dive sites

sampled and nonsampled and marine turtle sight-of 142 dive sites were covered although 15 ofthese were unknown to the authors and a further ings corrected for effort around Grand and Little

Cayman Widespread sightings were recorded of11 were shore dives On 196 occasions one turtlewas seen on 54 occasions two turtles were seen both turtle species on both islands Hotspots or

areas of high abundance are evident in regions 1and on five occasions four turtles were seen Intotal 336 hawksbill 42 green one loggerhead and 3 and 6 for both species although sightings of

green turtles on Grand Cayman were more evenly11 unidentified turtles were seen A total of 243dives recorded no turtle sightings distributed island-wide The southwestern portion

of both islands (regions 5 and 7) did not produceThere was a strong positive relationship be-tween overall turtle sighting frequency per month many turtle sightings Not shown on the maps is


Figure 2 Map showing location and extent of regions 1ndash7 around (a) Grand Cayman and (b) Little Cayman (c 1ndash7)Mean C mydas sightings per dive on Grand and Little Cayman (d 1ndash7) Mean E imbricata turtle sightings per diveon Grand and Little Cayman Black triangles dive sites not included Small black dots sites included but no observa-tions made Large hollow black circles one or more observations made at this site Offshore gray areas Marine ParkZones

250 BELL ET AL

one loggerhead turtle observation recorded in re-gion 6

The Cayman Islands Marine Parks are mappedin Figure 2 There is no obvious relationship be-tween the existence of Marine Protected Areas(MPAs) and the abundance of turtle sightingsWhile sightings of turtles are high in regions 1 and6 which incorporate MPAs they are comparablyhigh in region 3 for hawksbills and region 4 forgreen turtles neither of these regions have statu-tory protected areas

Seasonality

Survey effort was unevenly distributed through-out the year with peak intensity during Novemberto March (Fig 3a) This distribution correspondswith the annual distribution of diving tourists ar-riving in Cayman (Rs = 06713 p le 005) whichalso peaks during these months (Fig 3b) Annualdistribution of mean turtle sightings per dive ineach month is presented in Figure 3cndashe Distribu-tion of sightings throughout the year is not equalFigure 3c shows the distribution of all turtle sight-ings corrected for effort within our survey Meanturtle sightings peaked during May when 18 tur-tles were observed per dive (Fig 3c) Sightingsof adult green turtles were only made during thereproductive season (MayndashSeptember Bell et al2007) and sightings of juvenile green turtles peakedin November (Fig 3d) Sightings of adult and ju-venile hawksbill turtles (Fig 3e) both peaked dur-ing May

Figure 4 presents the percentage of dives onwhich a turtle(s) was sighted in each month Dur-ing May 86 of all dives sighted a turtle Sep-tember 64 and July 62 For most of the year(excluding January March and November) more

Figure 3 Seasonality of effort and observation (a) Per-centage of total dives in this study occurring in each month(b) Mean number of divers (40 all air arrivals and 11all cruise arrivals) arriving in Cayman in each month 2002ndash2003 (c) Mean turtle sightings per dive in each monthScale 20 maximum (d) Mean C mydas sightings per divein each month Adults represented by lined boxes Scale10 maximum (e) Mean E imbricata sightings per dive ineach month Adults represented by lined boxes Scale 20maximum


should be noted While it was stressed that onlyone individual per dive teamexcursion should fillout the survey to avoid all members of the teamrecording a sighting of the same turtle nothingcould be done to prevent a diver from unintention-ally recording sightings of the same turtle morethan once throughout a dive While we aimed toeliminate potential for positive sighting bias bystressing during briefings that surveys must be car-ried out during all dives selected for inclusion inthe survey and not only on dives where turtleswere seen it cannot be 100 guaranteed that thistook place A tendency to record dive observationsonly when a turtle(s) was seen and not to remem-Figure 4 Percentage of dives in each month resulting in aber to fill in the forms on other occasions waspositive sighting of a turtle(s)expressed by some participants and should there-fore be considered when interpreting datathan 50 of all dives in each month recorded a

When estimating size the magnification effectturtle sightingof water may not be considered by observers as it

Size Class Distribution of Turtles Sighted is by CIDOE scientists who are practiced at mak-ing such estimates No record was made of howOf all green turtle sightings made by TCOTfar away the turtle was from the observer and thusvolunteers 85 were considered to be juvenilesdegree of potential inaccuracy caused by distanceor subadults (lt99 cm estimated carapace length)and inherent water quality variability could not beThe highest frequency of observations of greenquantified for each surveyturtles was in the 31ndash40-cm size class (Fig 5a)

Species identification accuracy cannot be con-Equally 94 of all hawksbill turtle sightings (Figfirmed Although the survey form gave divers the5b) were considered to be juveniles or subadultsopportunity to assess the confidence of their iden-(lt80 cm estimated carapace length) Observationstification incorrect species identification may stillof hawksbill turtles peaked in the 41ndash50-cm sizehave occurred Also although visibility was notedclass CIDOE data show similar trends to observerthe survey sheet did not prompt for information ondata although all turtles (green Fig 5c hawks-weather conditions such as cloud cover whichbill Fig 5d) were considered juveniles or sub-may influence sighting ease and identificationadults

Enjoyment and InfluenceSpatial DistributionForty-one percent of respondents answered the

question Did the chance of seeing a turtle influ- The potential for improved habitat quality af-ence your decision to choose this particular dive forded by protection of marine turtles and otherOf these 34 said yes 60 said no and 6 were ecosystem components within MPAs (Rosenburgunsure An equal 41 of respondents answered 2001) is worthy of investigation Though it isthe question How important was your turtle sight- known that MPAs can have positive impacts oning to your enjoyment of the dive Sixty-six per- marine species abundance (Gerber et al 2003)cent believed it was very important 29 said it and consequently there may be some level of indi-was important and 5 felt it was not important rect positive impacts occurring due to the mainte-

nance of ecosystem service in these areas there isDiscussion little relationship between the presence of MPArsquos

and marine turtle abundance in the Cayman Is-Before embarking on a discussion of the resultsproduced by these data several important caveats lands MPAs covered areas of both high and low

252 BELL ET AL

Figure 5 Frequency of estimated sizes (cm) ( observations) of all (a) C mydas (n = 34) turtles(b) E imbricata (n = 306) Frequency of known sizes (cm) of all actual captures in Grand Cayman(Region 1) and Little Cayman (Region 6) only between May 2000 and June 2004 (c) C mydas(d) E imbricata (a c) Dashed line minimum known adult female size (CCL cm) for C mydas inCayman (gt99 cm CIDOE unpublished data) Dotted line minimum known adult male size (CCLcm) for C mydas in Cayman (gt89 cm CIDOE unpublished data) (b d) Dashed line minimumknown adult female size (SCL cm) for E imbricata in Cuba (gt80 cm SCL Moncada CarrilloSaenz amp Gonzalo 1999) Dotted line minimum known adult male size (SCL cm) for E imbricatain Cuba (gt68 cm SCL Moncada et al 1999) The higher value in both cases (ie the female sizeat maturity) was used when ascribing adulthood to ensure immature females were not included inadulthood estimates due to smaller male maturation size

marine turtle abundance (Fig 2) Tratalos and SeasonalityAustin (2001) quantified coral damage on the westside of Grand Cayman (region 1) and confirmed Observation of two adult green turtles during

June and July concurs with anecdotal evidence of-significant diver impact on hard coral cover andincreased incidence of coral rubble and dead coral fered by local dive masters and observations by

CIDOE that report adult green turtles in Caymanin these areas implying that the level of dive ac-tivity in MPA compromises the potential for pro- waters only during the summer months (March to

October) when they enter Cayman waters for re-tection afforded by these ldquono take and touchzonesrdquo production Sightings of juvenile green turtles year

round are few and represent a small and fragileIt is clear from this analysis that if observing aturtle were the goal Region 6 or Bloody Bay Ma- foraging population of this species These individ-

uals may include headstarted animals released byrine Park in Little Cayman would be the place tovisit Data also show that in Region 3 at the east- the Cayman Turtle Farm (Bell et al 2007) That

annual distribution of sightings of hawksbill tur-ern end of Grand Cayman over 59 of all divesconducted sighted one or more hawksbill turtle(s) tles of both classes peaks in May cannot be readily

explained It is worth noting that there were fewThis has important implications for CIDOE MTRPteam who may choose to concentrate some study surveys in this month (n = 7) (Fig 3a) though

nearly 90 of those conducted observed a turtleeffort in this area


(Fig 4) Distribution appears otherwise variably a site where marine turtles are present was proba-bly not given as a turtle sighting can by no meansdistributed throughout the year suggesting year-

round presence of these animals Peaks in distribu- be guaranteed What is important however is thatdive quality and enjoyment was greatly enhancedtion may be influenced by factors such as diver

attention water quality weather conditions and among those who were able to observe a turtleturtle behavior

Dive PressureSize Class Distribution of Turtles Sighted

Although it is known that diver interactioncauses damage to reefs (Barker amp Roberts 2004These data confirm the presence of year-round

juvenile foraging aggregations of both green and Dearden Bennett amp Rollins 2007) and dive sitesmay have a finite carrying capacity before irre-hawksbill turtles This size class is protected under

law in the Cayman Islands (Bell et al 2006 Cay- versible degradation is inevitable (set in the regionof 4000ndash6000 dives per site per year Dixonman Islands Government 1996) and represents

known though not yet fully assessed foraging ag- Scura amp Vanrsquot Hof 2000 Hawkins RobertsVanrsquot Hof De Meyer Tratalos amp Aldman 1999)gregations of both species around the Cayman Is-

lands Further these data may indicate a year it is believed that there are dive sites in the Cay-man Islands that receive in excess of this limitround presence of adult hawksbill turtles in Cay-

manian waters The seasonal presence of adult However there is currently no framework in placein the Cayman Islands that would allow for thegreen turtles was also confirmed as was the ab-

sence of any in-water populations of leatherback institution of a regulated and enforceable limit ondive site use We believe however that dive pres-turtles The sighting of only one adult loggerhead

turtle during the reproductive season when they sure has potentially little impact on the presenceof hawksbill turtles in Cayman waters a theoryare known to nest in the Caymans Islands (Bell et

al 2007) may be due to migration during inter- supported by the high numbers of hawksbill turtlesobserved in region 6 Bloody Bay Marine Park innesting intervals in this species in the Cayman Is-

lands (Blumenthal et al 2006) Little Cayman the most heavily dived area in theCayman Islands and region 1 in Grand Caymanalso very heavily dived The impact of the diveEnjoyment and Influenceindustry has been assessed by Tratalos and Austin

Factors influencing choice of dive site are(2001) who determined that although percentage

many While it has been suggested that ldquodiverscover of hard corals increased with distance from

seek warm clear waters regardless of what there isthe mooring ball at each dive site percentage

to seerdquo (Hawkins amp Roberts 1994 p 507) thecover of soft corals and sponges at high-intensity

ldquowilderness experiencerdquo has also been noted as adive sites on the west side of Grand Cayman was

key deciding factor (Hundloe 1979 Kenchingtonnot influenced by distance from the mooring ball

1993 McKinnon et al 1989) as has dive qualityimplying that this important food source for

(Dixon amp Sherman 1991 Pendleton 1994) Inhawksbill turtles is not negatively impacted by

Cayman where the water is warm and clear anddiver intensity While human presence underwater

there are few large predators nor difficult currentsundoubtedly influences behavior of most marine

diving is most often an enjoyable relaxing experi-species to some extent it is the experience of the

ence made extraordinary primarily by sightings ofauthors that hawksbill turtles are less disturbed by

charismatic marine mega-faunahuman presence than green turtles

In this study the possibility of a turtle sightingdid not influence many peoplersquos decisions to dive

Value of Divers in This Studyat a particular location It is likely this is becausenumbers of marine turtles in Cayman waters are One way to assess the value of data collected

by observers is by comparison with data collectedlow with most sites experiencing zero or less thanone turtle sighting per dive The option to dive at by scientists (Brewer 2002 Foster-Smith amp Ev-

254 BELL ET AL

ans 2003) Harvey Fletcher and Shortis (2001) Dulvy 1996 Foster-Smith amp Evans 2003) Fos-ter-Smith and Evans (2003) point out that al-reported that volunteer divers were able to make

accurate size estimates of fish underwater In this though there were some errors in data collected byvolunteers the main trends were identified and thestudy relative species abundance and size esti-

mates are comparable to data collected by scien- substantial quantity of data collected could not beunderestimated In this study divers have collectedtists at the CIDOE although volunteer observers

were seeing more turtles in the larger size classes what may be considered reliable and largely ac-curate data that may serve to further reduce thethan have been recorded by CIDOE research offi-

cers This discrepancy may be due to either the skepticism surrounding the use of nonscientificpersonnel to collect uncomplicated scientific datamagnifying effect of water an inability of volun-

teers to make accurate estimates of size CIDOE Spatiotemporal and morphological analyses in thisstudy compared favorably with those based oncapture efforts targeting smaller turtles due to a

free-diving capture technique without the use of data collected by scientists thus making a valu-able contribution to the current store of knowledgeSCUBA or sightings of larger turtles being re-

corded at sites other than those used for CIDOE on Caymanrsquos wild marine turtle populations Thistype of survey requires few resources to initiatecapture efforts It is unlikely that inaccurate size

estimates alone would explain the discrepancy as and conduct particularly in areas where dive tour-ism is well established This technique is transfer-size estimates in this and other studies of observ-

ers have proven to closely approximate those able to other countries and is useful in areas whereresources assigned to marine turtle research aregiven by scientists (Houghton Callow amp Hays

2003 CIDOE unpublished data) Some combina- low Additionally countries where Capture-Mark-Recapture programs of marine fauna are alreadytion of factors is most likelyunder way may find this methodology useful as ameans to increase sightings and reports of taggedValue of Marine Turtles to Tourismanimals year round and over a wide area

The value of marine turtles to dive tourism inWhile there are important caveats and potential

the Cayman Islands can be qualitatively assessedbiases within this study these data could not have

using data yielded from this study Many studiesbeen collected without assistance from volunteers

have attempted to quantify the economic value ofIn this study dive masters completed most surveys

marine turtles with perhaps the most comprehen-and may be more familiar with local waters and

sive being Troeng and Drews (2004) conductedmarine species This may have helped eliminate

with the objective of supporting claims that ma-some potential error This study has established a

rine turtle conservation can have positive eco-valuable baseline for future monitoring of popula-

nomic benefits Tourism based upon the presencetion abundance and distribution Further additional

of one or a few species can be affected when thebenefits of this type of approach such as increased

probability of observing that species falls below aawareness and a sense of participation in local ac-

certain level (Tisdell amp Wilson 2002 Troeng amptivities by residents and visitors alike contribute

Drews 2004) This level should be assessed notto the enhanced conservation of marine turtle pop-

only for the obvious ecological benefits but alsoulations not only in Cayman but eventually world-

to maintain the quality of the dive experience Thiswide as visitors take their experience away with

has implications for the future of marine tourismthem This type of experience it has been noted

in the Cayman Islands and by association far-may lead to increased levels of environmental re-

reaching socioeconomic impacts for this the popu-sponsibility and the ldquocreation of a force for

lation of this countrychangerdquo (Saunders 2002 p 54) within the marinerecreation industry

Conclusion

The value of recruiting volunteers to collectAcknowledgments

This study was facilitated by the involvementmarine ecological data has been considered andassessed with encouraging results (Darwell amp of many individuals and organizations We would


G Broderick A C amp Godley B J (2006) Tradi-particularly like to thank all those who took parttional Caymanian fishery may impede local marine tur-in the TCOT workshop and were involved in de-tle population recovery Endangered Species Research

signing the TCOT dive survey Also critical were 2 63ndash69all those who volunteered for the program Partic- Bell C D Solomon J Blumenthal J M Austin T J

Ebanks-Petrie G Broderick A C amp Godley B Jularly we would like to thank Peter Richardson(2007) Monitoring and conservation of critically re-and Sue Ranger of the Marine Conservation Soci-duced marine turtle nesting populations Lessons fromety UK and the following Cayman dive operatorsthe Cayman Islands Animal Conservation 10 39ndash47

Cayman Submarine Ocean Frontiers Paradise Di- Blanchon P A (1995) Controls on modern reef develop-vers Pirates Point Seaview Divers Southern ment around Grand Cayman Unpublished PhD thesis

University of Alberta Edmonton AlbertaCross Divers Tortuga Divers Wall to Wall Di-Blumenthal J M Meylan P A Aiken J J Ebanks-vers and countless individuals involved in survey

Petrie G Austin T J amp Bell C D (2003) Prelim-distribution and data collection We are grateful toinary genetic data from foraging hawksbills (Eret-

two anonymous reviewers for their comments on mochelys imbricata) and nesting loggerheads (Carettaan earlier draft The TCOT project was funded by carretta) in the Cayman Islands In J Seminoff (com-

piler) Twenty-Second Annual Symposium for Sea Turtlethe UK Department of Environment Food andBiology and Conservation (NMFS-SEFSC-503 p 308)Rural Affairs and the Foreign and Commonwealth

Blumenthal J M Solomon J L Bell C D AustinOffice Environment Fund for the Overseas Terri-T J Ebanks-Petrie G Coyne M S Broderick

tories BJG and ACB are funded by the Dar- A C amp Godley B J (2006) Satellite tracking high-win Initiative European Social Fund and the Uni- lights the need for international cooperation in marine

turtle management Endangered Species Research 2versity of Exeter CDB and JMB are supported51ndash61by a University of Exeter postgraduate scholar-

Blumenthal J Olynik J Solomon J Austin T Ebanks-shipPetrie G Bell C Broderick A amp Godley B (2007)Insights into the in-water ecology of juvenile hawksbillBiographical Notesand green turtles in Cayman Islands foraging habitat

Catherine Bell is currently an employee of Pendoley Envi- Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh Annual Symposiumronmental Pty Ltd Western Australia undertaking research on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation US Depart-and monitoring of marine turtle populations as it relates to ment of Commerce NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-SEFSCindustry throughout the State She has previously been an Bumenthal J M Austin T J Bell C D Bothwell Jemployee of the Cayman Islands Department of Environ- B Broderick A C Ebanks-Petrie G Gibb J Ament and a student working with the Marine Turtle Re- Luke K E Olynik J R Orr M F Solomon J Lsearch Group active in both fundamental and applied amp Godley B J (in press) Ecology of hawksbill turtlesresearch related to marine turtles in the UK and internation- Eretmochelys imbricata in a western Caribbean forag-ally ing area Chelonian Conservation and Biology

Brewer C (2002) Outreach and partnership programs forconservation education where endangered species con-Coordinating Editor Philip Deardenservation and research occur Conservation Biology16(1) 4ndash6

ReferencesCampbell L M (1998) Use them or lose them Conserva-

tion and the consumptive use of marine turtle eggs atAiken J J Godley B J Broderick A C Austin T JEbanks-Petrie G amp Hays G C (2001) Two hundred Ostional Costa Rica Environmental Conservation 24

(4) 305ndash319years after a commercial marine turtle fishery the cur-rent status of marine turtles nesting in the Cayman Is- Cayman Islands Government (1986) Marine Conservation

(Marine Parks) Regulations Gazette No 9 1995 Sup-lands Oryx 35(2) 145ndash151Balazs G (1996) Behavioral changes within the recover- plement No 2 pp 1ndash12) Cayman Islands Government

of the Cayman Islandsing Hawaiian Green turtle population In J A KeinathD E Barnard J A Musick amp B A Bell (compilers) Cayman Islands Government (1996) Marine Conservation

(Turtle Protection) Regulations (1996 Revisions) Ga-Proceedings of the 15th Annual Symposium in Sea Tur-tle Conservation and Biology (NOAA-SESFC-387 pp zette No 15 Supplement No 4 pp 1ndash6) Cayman Is-

lands Government of the Cayman Islands39ndash40)Barker N H L amp Roberts C M (2004) Scuba diver Chou L M (1994) Living coastal resources of Southeast

Asia Management through continuing education by in-behaviour and the management of diving impacts oncoral reefs Biological Conservation 120(4) 481ndash489 stitutions of higher education Aquatic Conservation

Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems 4 179ndash184Bell C D Blumenthal J M Austin T J Ebanks-Petrie

256 BELL ET AL

Clifton J amp Benson A (2006) Planning for sustainable with recreational scuba divers Conservation Biology18(6) 1492ndash1503ecotourism The case for research ecotourism in devel-

oping country destinations Journal of Sustainable Tour- Gray N J amp Campbell L M (2007) A decommodifiedexperience Exploring aesthetic economic and ethicalism 14 238ndash254

Coyne M C amp Pattengill-Semmens C V (2008) As- values for volunteer ecotourism in Costa Rica Journalof Sustainable Tourism 15(5) 463ndash482sessment of sea turtle observation data collected by

volunteer divers In Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Halusky J G Seaman W amp Strawbridge E W (1994)Effectiveness of training volunteer divers in scientificAnnual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conser-

vation US Department of Commerce NOAA Tech documentation of artificial aquatic habitats Bulletin ofMarine Science 55 939ndash959Memo NMFS-SEFSC

Darbyshire J Bellamy I amp Jones B (1976) Cayman Is- Harvey E Fletcher D amp Shortis M (2001) A compari-son of the precision and accuracy of estimates of reef-lands Natural Resources Study part III Results of the

Investigations into the Physical Oceanography (p 120) fish lengths determined visually by divers with estimatesproduced by a stereo-video system Fishery Bulletin 99London Ministry of Overseas Development HMSO

Darwall W R T amp Dulvy N T (1996) An evaluation 63ndash71Hawkins J P amp Roberts C M (1994) The growth ofof the suitability of non-specialist volunteer researchers

for coral reef fish surveys Mafia Island Tanzaniamdasha coastal tourism in the Red Sea Present and future ef-fects on coral reef Ambio 23(8) 503ndash508case study Biological Conservation 78 223ndash231

Dearden P Bennett M amp Rollins R (2007) Perceptions Hawkins J P Roberts C M Vanrsquot Hof T De MeyerK Tratalos J amp Aldman C (1999) Efffects of recre-of diving impacts and implications for reef conserva-

tion Coastal Management 35(2amp3) 305ndash317 ational scuba diving on Caribbean coral and fish com-munities Conservation Biology 13(4) 888ndash889Dixon J A amp Sherman P B (1991) Economics of pro-

tected areas A new look at benefits and costs London Houghton J D R Callow M J amp Hays G C (2003)Habitat utilization by juvenile hawksbills (EretmochelysEarthscan

Dixon J A Scura L F amp Vanrsquot Hof T (2000) An imbricata Linneaus 1766) around a shallow water coralreef Journal of Natural History 37 1269ndash1280economic and ecological analysis of the Bonaire Marine

Park In H S J Cesar (Ed) Collected essays on Hundloe T J (1979) Parks in the marine environment InJ Messer amp G Mosley (Eds) The value of nationalthe economics of coral reefs (pp 158ndash165) Sweden

CORDIO Kalmar University parks to the community Values and way of improvingthe contribution of Australian national parks to theEbanks G C amp Bush P G (1990) The Cayman Islands

A case study for the establishment of marine conserva- community (pp 168ndash194) Melbourne Australian Con-servation Foundationtion legislation in small island countries Congress on

Coastal and Marine TourismmdashA Symposium and Work- Jacoby C Manning C Fritz S amp Rose L (1997)Three initiatives for monitoring of Australian coasts byshop on Balancing Conservation and Economic Devel-

opment I 197ndash200 the community Ocean and Coastal Management 36205ndash226Ellis S L amp Cowan D F (2002) Volunteer-based moni-

toring of juvenile American lobster Homarus Ameri- Kenchington R A (1993) Tourism in coastal and marineenvironments ndash a recreational perspective Ocean andcanus Marine and Freshwater Research 52 1103ndash

1112 Coastal Management 19(1) 1ndash16Kapaurusinghe T (2000a) Community participation in seaFoster-Smith J amp Evans S M (2003) The value of ma-

rine ecological data collected by volunteers Biological turtle conservation in Sri Lanka in Sea turtles of theIndo-Pacific Research management and conservationConservation 113 199ndash213

Gerber L R Botsford LW Hastings A Possingham In N Pilcher amp G Ismail (Eds) Proceedings of theSecond ASEAN Symposium and Workshop on Sea Tur-H P Gaines S D Palumbi S R amp Andelman S

(2003) Population models for marine reserve design A tle Biology and Conservation (pp 35ndash44) MalaysiaKapaurusinghe T (2000b) Community participation in searetrospective and prospective synthesis Ecological Ap-

pliations 13(1) Supplement S47ndashS64 turtle conservation in Sri Lanka A summary of commu-nity based turtle Conservatin Projects (TCP) activities inGodley B J Broderick A C Campbell L M Ranger

S amp Richardson P B (2004) An assessment of the Sri Lanka In H J Kalb amp T Wibbels (compilers) Pro-ceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Symposium on Seastatus and exploitation of marine turtles in the UK over-

seas territories in the wider Caribbean Final Project Turtle Biology and Conservation (pp 57ndash58) US DeptCommerce NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-SEFSC-443Report to the Department of Environment Food and

Rural Affairs and the Foreign and Commonwealth Of- Limpus C J amp Reed P C (1985) The green turtle Chel-onia mydas in Queensland A preliminary descriptionfice Retrieved from httpwwwseaturtleorgmtrgproj

ectstcot of the population structure in a coral reef feedingground In G Grigg R Shine amp H Ehmann (Eds)Goffredo A Piccinetti C amp Zaccanti F (2004) Volun-

teers in marine conservation monitoring A study of the Biology of Australian frogs and reptiles (pp 47ndash52)Royal Zoological Society of New South Walesdistribution of seahorses carried out in collaboration


McKinnon K R Lamberton D Taylor A R Williams Rosenburg A A (2001) Marine Reserves and populationsrecovery or how do closed areas affect exploited popu-M Hickman B Male R amp Thomsen J M (1989)

Oceans of wealth Report by the Review Committee on lation dynamics Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries10 519ndash520Marine Industries Science and Technology Canberra

Australian Government Publishing Service Saunders D A (2002) Conservation research leads to aparadigm shift in farming practice A case study fromMeylan A (1988) Spongivory in Hawksbill turtles A diet

of glass Science 239(4838) 393mdash395 the Western Australian wheatbelt In D Lunney C RDickman amp S Burgin (Eds) Community and researchMoncada F Carrillo E Saenz A amp Gonzalo N (1999)

Reproduction and nesting of the hawksbill turtle Eret- based conservation A clash of paradigms MosmanRoyal Zoological Society of New South Walesmochelys imbricata in the Cuban Archipelago Chelo-

nian Conservation and Biology 3(2) 257ndash263 Tisdell C amp Wilson C (2002) Ecotourism for the sur-vival of sea turtles and other wildlife Biodiversity andMumby P J Harbourne A R Raines P S amp Ridley

J M (1995) A critical assessment of data derived from Conservation 11 1521ndash1538Tratalos J A amp Austin T J (2001) Impacts of recre-Coral Cay conservation volunteers Bulletin of Marine

Science 56 737ndash751 ational SCUBA diving on coral communities of the Ca-ribbean Island of Grand Cayman Biological Conserva-Pattengil-Semmens C V amp Semmens B X (2003) Con-

servation and management applications of the reef vol- tion 102 67ndash75Troeng S amp Drews C (2004) Money talks Economicunteer fish monitoring programme Environmental

Monitoring and Assessment 81(1ndash3) 43ndash50 aspects of marine turtle use and conservation GlandSwitzerland WWF InternationalPendleton L H (1994) Environmental quality and recre-

ational demand in a Caribbean coral reef Coastal Man- Van Dam R amp Diez C (1996) Diving behaviour of im-mature hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata) in a Carib-agement 22(4) 399ndash404

Rigby J K amp Roberts R H (1976) Geology reefs and bean cliff-wall habitat Marine Biology 127 171ndash178Wescott G (1998) Reforming coastal management to im-marine communities of Grand Cayman Islands British

West Indies In J K Rigby amp E Shaw (Eds) Geology prove community participation and integration in Victo-ria Australia Coastal Management 26 3ndash15Studies Special Publication No 4 Grand Cayman Is-

land Geology sediments and marine communitiesProvo UT Department of Geology Brigham YoungUniversity

246 BELL ET AL

Rose 1997 Wescott 1998) and monitoring of Marine Park Areas (Cayman Islands Government1986) This zoning has been mostly applied in ar-lobster (Ellis amp Cowan 2002) and seahorse popu-

lation distributions (Goffredo Piccinetti amp Zac- eas of known heavy use by fishermen and divevessels around Grand and Little Cayman A sys-canti 2004) The true value of the data collected

during these surveys has been the focus of much tem of moorings was established at this time toassist vessels wishing to anchor in areas whereattention (Darwall amp Dulvy 1996 Halusky Sea-

man amp Strawbridge 1994 Mumby Harbourne coral may potentially be damaged Moorings arenot restricted to Marine Park AreasRaines amp Ridley 1995)

Recently studies focused on ldquovolunteer tour- The majority of the islandsrsquo commercial divingactivity is concentrated on the lowerseaward mar-ismrdquo and ldquoresearch ecotourismrdquo have shown these

programs to have multiple benefits for both tour- gins of two submerged marine terraces and theldquowallrdquo a submerged vertical cliff face surroundingists and host communities (Clifton amp Benson 2006

Gray amp Campbell 2007) Similarly community Grand and Little Cayman (Regions 1 2 and 6Fig 2) Factors influencing choice of dive site byparticipation programs involved in marine turtle

conservation and focused largely on protection of dive operators in Cayman are many and superim-posed upon individual site characteristics and as-the nesting beach education programs (Kapauru-

singhe 2000a) andor conversion of individuals sociated flora and fauna are hydrographical andmeteorological conditions such as exposure toreliant on sea turtle resources to alternative or

more regulated means of economic support (eg wind and wave activity and ease of accessibilityThe Marine Turtle Research Project (MTRP)eco or marine turtle tourism) (Campbell 1998

Kapaurusinghe 2000b) have demonstrated evi- conducted by the Cayman Islands Department ofEnvironment (CIDOE) has detected limited repro-dence of benefits to all involved Few studies

have however capitalized on the presence of vol- ductive populations of green and loggerhead tur-tles on all three islands (Aiken et al 2001 Bellunteer observers in the water where sea turtles

are present as a means to collect data In areas et al 2007) and juvenile foraging aggregations ofhawksbill and to some extent green turtles in Littlewhere there is a high level of sea tourism this

potentially huge resource could assist research and Grand Cayman (Blumenthal et al 2003 Blu-menthal et al 2007 Blumenthal et al in press)programs worldwide to overcome budget and re-

source constraints (Foster-Smith amp Evans 2003) While the beach monitoring component of theMTRP initiated to assess Caymanrsquos nesting ma-and consequently contribute significantly to na-

tional and regional policymaking at very little cost rine turtle population is currently in its 12th con-secutive year of country-wide standardized moni-Diving in the Cayman Islands is considered

world class and dive tourism accounts for 40 of toring the in-water capture effort to date has beenless comprehensive in its spatial and temporalall air arrivals and 11 of all cruise arrivals [Cay-

man Islands Government (CIG) Department of coverage Limited resources have restricted re-search efforts to known foraging areas and widerTourism unpublished data] Cruise ship arrivals

increased during the period of this study (2002ndash spatiotemporal surveys around Grand and LittleCayman have been limited Since turtle fishing be-2003) and continue to do so while air arrivals re-

main stable (CIG Department of Tourism unpub- came regulated in the Cayman Islands in 1996limited additional data on captures of large sub-lished data) These data suggest that during 2002

and 2003 the mean annual number of divers arriv- adult and adult turtles have been recorded throughcatch assessment of this extremely restricted turtleing in Cayman was gt300000

The Marine Parks system in the Cayman Is- fishery (Bell et al 2006)Here we outline the results of a 26-month pro-lands was established in 1986 under the Marine

Conservation Law in response to increasing pres- gram ldquoCaribbean Turtle Watchrdquo initiated in theCayman Islands as part of Turtles in the Caribbeansure on marine resources by an ever-increasing

tourism industry and expanding local population Overseas Territories (TCOT) a project that spannedall United Kingdom Overseas Territories in the(Ebanks amp Bush 1990) The law prohibits the

touching or taking of anything alive or dead in Caribbean (Godley Broderick Campbell Ranger
























248 BELL ET AL

















250 BELL ET AL



Seasonality













252 BELL ET AL










































254 BELL ET AL































Conclusion



























256 BELL ET AL




































































248 BELL ET AL

















250 BELL ET AL



Seasonality













252 BELL ET AL










































254 BELL ET AL































Conclusion



























256 BELL ET AL















































250 BELL ET AL



Seasonality













252 BELL ET AL










































254 BELL ET AL































Conclusion



























256 BELL ET AL






















































252 BELL ET AL










































254 BELL ET AL































Conclusion



























256 BELL ET AL












































































254 BELL ET AL































Conclusion



























256 BELL ET AL





































































256 BELL ET AL













































bell time 2008

Documents