Protected green sea turtle nest found in Nansha reef

A green sea turtle nesting site was recently spotted for the first time on a reef in the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, according to sources from an ecological and environmental research station under the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The discovery was a result of routine ecological environment monitoring supported by the institute's island and reef research center.

During the monitoring, researchers found a roughly 30-centimeter deep, irregularly circular depression on the sandy beach area of Yongshu Reef, part of the Nansha Islands, with scattered overturned sand grains around it.

The features closely align with the typical nesting behavior of green sea turtles, suggesting that the depression was left behind as a trace of a turtle nesting site.

Researchers obtained visual records of sea turtles on the beach using surveillance equipment and nighttime patrols. Additionally, egg samples were collected from the site and confirmed to be green sea turtle eggs. Based on these and other findings, researchers ultimately confirmed that the reef has become a nesting site for the animal.

Eggs collected during the investigation provided valuable materials for studying the species' reproductive behavior.

chinadaily