NYK has once again sponsored the Kishu Minabe Sea Turtle Research Project conducted by the NPO Earthwatch Japan.*

This year’s project was held on July 9 –11 and July 13–15, and included a total of 23 volunteers, including NYK Group employees.

During the day, the participants first listened to a lecture by chief researcher Yoshimasa Matsuzawa of the Sea Turtle Association of Japan. Afterward, they cleaned Senrihama Beach, the location of the survey. At night, under the guidance of Mr. Matsuzawa and the Minabe Sea Turtle Research Group and citizen volunteers, the participants assisted with identifying loggerhead turtles that had come ashore to lay eggs and measuring the length and width of the turtles’ shells.

One volunteer commented, "It was a fulfilling three days because I was able to be involved in more activities than I had imagined, such as attaching radio transmitters and measuring shell sizes." Another said, "I realized once again that visiting and experiencing the environment, rather than just reading about it on paper, helps me to see environmental issues as issues close to my heart.”

Minabecho in Wakayama Prefecture is where most loggerhead sea turtles** lay their eggs on the main island of Japan. Sea turtles are said to migrate widely throughout the ocean during their lives, returning to the beaches where they were born to lay eggs and give birth to a new generation. As a company that operates globally, we have supported this research program since 2016 out of a desire to "give back to the oceans.”

Two sea turtles that came ashore during this research were given the names "Mei" and "Kii" and fitted with GPS transmitters. Their locations are tracked on the in-house portal site. This site helps NYK Group employees to deepen their interest in the marine environment. We will continue to support this activity and contribute to education about the ecology and conservation of the loggerhead turtle, an endangered species.

We know from tags and GPS transmitters that Mei returned to Senrihama in 2017 and 2020 after being tagged there in 2015. We are accumulating differences in migration patterns between turtles that return and those that do not. We believe that we will be able to understand which corridors are safe and which are dangerous.
On the other hand, Kii is a loggerhead that entered the fixed net at Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture and laid eggs at Senrihama beach nine years ago. Since her return to Senrihama for spawning is expected again, we attached a GPS transmitter before releasing her. We believe it will be very meaningful to watch Kii-chan to see what path she will take and where she will land.

Through this activity, we hope that volunteers will deepen their understanding of the natural environment and biodiversity and share their experiences with as many people as possible.

Mei is Chinese for plum, which originated in China and is a specialty of the town of Minabe. Kii is named after the Kii Channel, where she stayed for a while.

* Loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to shore development, encroachment, and fishing nets.

** Earthwatch Japan
Earthwatch, a non-profit organization established in 1971 in Boston, is an international nongovernmental organization. It provides researchers with both human and financial support for overseas field research and surveys. Volunteers dispatched all over the world by Earthwatch have taken active roles at cutting-edge scientific sites, receiving instruction from world-class scientists. Earthwatch Institute - Japan was established in 1993 for the purpose of promoting Earthwatch activities in Japan.
https://www.earthwatch.org