Visualising long-term leatherback turtle
nest monitoring & satellite tracking datasets
In this project for The Nature Conservancy's Melanesia Programme, we dived into the fascinating world of leatherback turtles, using long-term nesting data and cutting-edge satellite tracking to uncover the mysteries of their life cycle and migrations. Datasets were cleaned and reformatted, and automated workflows for data analysis were developed, which led to exciting insights into the turtles’ nesting habits, long-distance journeys, and deep-sea dives. The metrics developed for the project were vividly brought to life through interactive dashboards, making the complex behaviours of these majestic creatures accessible and engaging for a broad audience.
Take a data driven journey through the life of the leatherback turtle using the interactive data dashboard, and explore the movements of individuals as they undertake their migration from breeding sites in the northern Solomon Islands (see below or visit the external site here).
Tracking female leatherback turtles fitted with satellite transmitters in the Solomon Islands
Key impacts & project outputs
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Database management
Data cleaning and reformatting of longterm turtle nest monitoring datasets was conducted to improve the project's data management procedures and improve data utility and reliability.
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Automated workflows
Automated workflows were developed for several aspects of the project's data management and analysis procedures boosting both their efficiency and reliability.
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Data-driven narrative & visualisations
A range of engaging interactive data visualisations were developed to illuminate different dimensions of the leatherback turtle's breeding biology, movement patterns and diving behaviour.
Media & publications
The Fight to Save Western Pacific Leatherbacks
by Justine E. Hausheer (TNC)
Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's leatherback turtle project in Melanesia in this TNC blog article by science writer Justine Hausheer.
