Shipping Company Sponsors Sea Turtle Research

 Commercial shipping line NYK said it has once again sponsored the Kishu Minabe Sea Turtle Research Project conducted by the NPO Earthwatch Japan. This year, 13 NYK Group employees volunteered to participate in research sessions conducted on July 9-11 and again on July 13-15.

Minabecho in Wakayama prefecture is where most loggerhead sea turtles lay their eggs on the main island of Japan, but a shortage of staff has prevented sufficient identification surveys from being conducted. This research project started last year with the aim of studying the sea turtle’s behavior patterns and keeping the turtles free of danger, and over the past two years, comprehensive surveys have been conducted and valuable data collected by NYK Group employees and citizen volunteers.

The participants attached identification tags to the turtles, and recorded and measured their shell lengths and widths as the turtles crossed the sandy beach to nest at nighttime. This research project was conducted under the careful guidance of an academic expert and members of the Sea Turtle Association of Japan, a local NPO, so as not to disturb the turtles’ spawning.