Meeting papers

Volunteers monitor the nest and dig the nests to determine the number of eggs and rate of
hatching success after the hatchlings have emerged. Data collected is used to inform future turtle
conservation and management.

Turtle Monitoring volunteers also respond to reports of ill or dead turtles. Live turtles are
transported to treatment and care facilities. Dead turtles may be collected for necropsy, if fresh, at
an associated institution to determine the cause of death. Dead turtles are reported to Council and
the Department of Environment and Science.




Land based threats to turtles

Eroded foredunes: If the frontal dunes are too steep turtles are not able to climb them. They are
more likely to lay their eggs at the foot of the dunes, where they are more vulnerable to flooding,
getting washed away, or crushed by vehicles.

Foxes, wild dogs and domestic dogs: They sniff out the eggs, dig them up and eat them.

Hard plastic, soft plastic, inflated and burst balloons look like food to turtles: They can block
and fill turtle stomachs and intestines, causing starvation, illness, and death. Biodegradable plastic
and balloons still cause problems as they don’t break down quickly or reliably enough, and often
break down into microplastics.

Light: Baby turtles move towards the brightest light they can see, thinking it is the moon shining
over the ocean. They are easily confused by artificial lights on the land that penetrate through to
the beach, and may end up lost in the dunes, in drains or on roads. Nesting female turtles are
discouraged from laying on lighted beaches and may also be confused by light when returning to
the sea, although to a lesser degree than hatchlings.

Climate change: Higher sand temperatures during incubation means that less males are being
hatched. Sea level rise and increasing storm occurrence and intensity means that nests are more
likely to be flooded or washed away. Frontal dunes are more likely to be eroded and steep,
preventing turtle access and making it more likely nests are laid where they could be flooded or
crushed by traffic. Climate change mitigation measures like sea walls or beach nourishment can
also cause problems by preventing access, burying nests or changing the consistency of the sand.


Pandanus
Pandanus palms are an iconic local in both our natural areas and coastal open space. Pandanus
leafhopper (Jamella australiae) first arrived in South East Queensland from North Queensland on
transplanted pandanus trees for landscaping in the early 1990’s. There was a significant loss
(>75%) of pandanus as leaf hopper populations exploded in the absence of their native predators,
and community groups, scientists and land managers worked to discover both the cause and
effective treatment.

In 1996 and 1997, and after greenhouse and laboratory based experiments and observations,
scientists, land managers and community groups field trialled treating pandanus, by stripping dead
leaves off affected pandanus, and with several different insecticides, via stem injection and foliar
spray, at different concentrations and into pandanus of different sizes and condition. Dead leaf
stripping was found to help by reducing leaf hopper load and dead, decaying tissue, reducing
crown-rot. Stem injection was found to be generally effective but can cause stem injury and dead,
decaying stem tissue, with particularly significant impact on small pandanus, and is now only used
as a last resort. Foliar spray was found to be effective, but it was difficult to get good coverage of
larger pandanus. Both insecticide application methods unavoidably affect other insect populations.

Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                        Page 34

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