Department of Conservation

Aerial Survey of Leatherback Turtles Off Northeast North Island

This project forms part of the Conservation Services Programme (CSP) Annual Plan 2023/24. The services are to design and trial an aerial survey for leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) and associated marine megafauna off the northeast North Island of New Zealand.
The survey will provide fishery independent information on the abundance of leatherback sea turtles inside and outside the bycatch hotspot identified in eastern Bay of Plenty, and information on the distribution of leatherback sea turtles in relation to environmental variables known to influence their distribution, and other marine megafauna and fishing vessels observed during survey flights.