Kiholo and Puako Field Work

November 19 and 20

Three members of the NOAA Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment team came over to join our HPA team for two days of field work to capture and tag honu at Kiholo Bay and 22 Puako Beach Road, Puako, Hawaii.

On Tuesday (11/10/19) We went to Kiholo bay hosted by TNC's Biologist, Barbara Siedel.  We arrived around 0900 hours, set up our work area and began capture and sampling work around 0930 h.
During the time from 0930 to around 1400 hours, we were able to capture and sample 10 honu.  The honu ranged in size from 5.4 kg to 40.8 kg and, of the 10 honu captured 5 were recaptures and 5 were new captures.  We were able to obtain blood and tissue samples from all 10 animals and all of them were tagged with oxytetracycline (a bone growth marker).  All animals were safely and harmlessly released with appropriate mototool numbers 82 to 89.
During the late morning and early afternoon, the weather turned a little sour and there was significant thunder and lightening which caused us to reduce and finally cancel our efforts at capturing and working up honu. 


On Wednesday, 11/20/19, we picked up a second team of HPA students from the upper and middle schools and joined the MTBAP personnel once again.  This time we traveled to 22 Puako Beach Road and set up a working area at the public access area.  The weather was clear and there was a strong onshore wind with moderate swells from the west.  The tide was quite high which we thought might be a problem but we now think it was a blessing because the honu were in the area feeding in the morning.
The total for the two days was 21 honu captured, sampled and harmlessly released.    

We started capture work around 0930 h and were lucky to get animals on a pretty regular basis right up to 1200 h when we decided to break for lunch.  
At the end of the day, we had been able to capture and sample 11 honu.  10 of the 11 were new with only 1 recapture.  The size range was narrower that Tuesdays sample at Kiholo with a size range of 9.6 to 34.2 kg.  The size of the animals was more towards the large juvenile range with only one really small critter capture.
We were able to obtain samples from all of the animals and the mototools were applied (89 to 100!!!!)


Images from the two days.

The video above is a short sequence showing Ms. Jim, students and a NOAA scientist snorkel capturing a juvenile honu for weighing, measuring and tagging.  

Ms Jim loads an external tag applicator prior to applying a metal tag to the left hind flipper.

Ivanni explains what we are doing to some visitors.

The Tagging Team at Puako.

Recent Tagging Trips-

During the week of October 22 to 24, HPA's STRP program joined the NOAA Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program to conduct three days of capture and sampling at Hualalai, Waikoloa and Mauna Lani.
The primary purpose of the field work was to collect blood samples to continue the sex ration study started back in April.  During the trips, HPA students assisted Laura Jim, Marc Rice (HPA) and Shawn Murakawa, Ali Balis and Camryn Allen (NOAA) to capture, tag, measure and draw blood samples from green turtles.
On Tuesday we went to Hualalai where we were hosted by the wonderful Four Seasons Resort team headed by David Chai.  During the day we were able to capture 7 honu.  All turtles were worked up (measured, weighed and blood drawn) and the HPA students Hikari Shaver, Ivanni Jamin and Jimmy Liu did the lab work that afternoon and froze the plasma collected.
On Wednesday we went to the Waikoloa Hilton where we were hosted by Tessa Cazimero (Hilton Biologist).  We were able to capture and work up 12 honu noting that they were well feed and quite plump!  The blood samples were worked up that afternoon by the same exemplary HPA team.
On Thursday, our last day of field work, we went to Mauna Lani Bay and were able to capture 8 honu.  After completing all of the field measurements and drawing blood, we returned to the lab and worked up the blood samples.
In all, we were able to collect 27 samples and worked up that number of turtles.
The team effort (HPA and NOAA) worked very well and everyone learned a lot from our visiting NOAA scientist.

Below are a few pictures from the three days of field work.

Hikari pipettes blood serum after centrifuging.  The serum is
put into cryovials and frozen in liquid nitrogen.

Charlotte returns a honu to the ocean after it was weighed and measured and a blood sample was taken.

The team of HPA students controls a small turtle on the work-up table.

Our worksite at Hualalai.

Our data taker!

Students control a honu while a harmless identifying number is etched into its shell.

The team releases a honu.

Ms Jim etches a number into the carapace.

Lunch time at the Waikoloa Hilton Hotel.  We all enjoyed Laura's fresh squeezed juice!!!

Roughing it during lunch at the Waikoloa Hilton.

Our work area at the Waikoloa Hilton during High tide.

A student working on a honu at the Mauna Lani Bay site.

River takes a small tissue sample from the shoulder of a honu.

Ivanni accurately taking down data.

Mariko assists Ms Jim in taking data.

Jimmy does an oral exam.

Mr. Balazs took these pictures of the turtles feeding on algae at 0730 in the morning at the Waikoloa Hilton Water Fall.