St. John Hawksbill Conservation Study – Year Two

The non-profit organization the Hawksbill Project concluded its two-week study of the hawksbill turtle keystone species on St. John on Friday. Marking the second year in a row of data collection, this vital research project led by Scott Eanes, founder of the Hawksbill Project, continues to shed light on the lives of these critically endangered creatures, offering promising data for conservation efforts.

Year Two: Encouraging Findings and New Discoveries

Building on the foundation laid in 2023, the research team interacted with a total of 15 hawksbill turtles this year and sampled (a process that involves capturing and collecting data from the turtle to study its physical and biological characteristics) 10 for a catch rate of sixty-six percent. Five of the 10 sampled were new and the other five were repeat captures from last year.

“We feel great about this year’s findings,” shared Eanes. “The discovery of new hawksbills and the recapture of previously tagged turtles provides valuable data that will help us understand their growth rates, movement patterns, and overall health.”