Health & Strandings

We have a veterinarian as part of our team, Andrea Capobianco-Dondona, who helps us with all sea turtle health issues, to carry out necropsies to establish causes of mortality of stranded turtles, or to collect samples for blood and tissue tests. We have already published a study on the beach strandings in southern Gabon and Congo and one demonstrating the occurrence of a disease called fibropapillomatosis in the green turtles of Corisco Bay. In addition, in collaboration with the US National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Florence (Italy) we are carrying out genetic and isotopic analysis of our populations.

Biopsy

Fibropapillomatosis is being studied in sea turtles in Gabon. Click here to read more about this study.

Capacity Building

Part of our mission is to train local staff to carry out research protocols.

Necropsy

Whenever a stranding is reported, we endeavour to gather genetic and other tissue samples for analysis, and wherever possible assess the cause of death.

A New Species

Stomatolepas pilsbryi is a new barnacle species described in 2009 that was found on Gabon’s leatherbacks.