014 SATELITTE TELEMETRY STUDY OF SEA TURTLES IN MALAYSIA Syed Abdullah* MFRDMD/SEAFDEC, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia Keywords: migration, nesters, routes, satellite, telemetry Abstract Four species of sea turtles are confirm to land and nest in Malaysia namely; green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea). The first satellite telemetry study was conducted by researchers from Department of Fisheries Malaysia in August 1991 on leatherback turtle at Rantau Abang nesting beach, Malaysia. This study also was considered as the first satellite telemetry study of sea turtles in the Southeast Asian region. After six month this turtle was detected in Japan waters. In 1993 to 1994 Terengganu University of Malaysia had conducted this study on five green turtle nesters at Chagar Hutang nesting beach, Redang Island, Terengganu Malaysia. These turtles had migrated to Bungsuk Island (Philippines), Bangi Island (Sabah, Malaysia), Natuna Island, Anambas Island and Bangka Island (Indonesia). In 1999 to 2002, Sarawak Forestry Corporation collaborated with Terengganu University of Malaysia had released eight green turtle nesters and one hawksbill nester at Sarawak Turtle Island, Sarawak, Malaysia. These turtles had migrated to Bangi Island, Sipadan Island, Brunei Bay and Sandakan waters (Sabah, Malaysia), Doc Can Island (Philippines), Karimata Island, Pandjang Island, Sibutu Island and West Kalimantan (Indonesia). In 2000 to 2001, Sabah Parks, Sabah, Malaysia had released three hawksbill nesters at Sabah Turtle Island and migrated to Pandjang Island (Indonesia) and Lahad Datu waters (Sabah). On 17 June 2001, Terengganu University of Malaysia had collaborated with The National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S.A and released one hawksbill nester from Chagar Hutang nesting beach, Redang Island, Terengganu, Malaysia. This turtle had traveled almost 2000km in 1200 days and finally was detected near Segamat Island, Indonesia. On 13 September 2001, Terengganu University of Malaysia had collaborated with Kyoto University of Japan and release a five years old head started green turtles from Chagar Hutang nesting beach, Redang Island, Terengganu, Malaysia. This turtle had migrated to southern part of Vietnam waters in duration of fifty one days. In 2005, Turtle Marine Ecosystem Center (TUMEC), Terengganu, Malaysia had released three green turtle nesters from Ma’ Daerah nesting beach, Terengganu, Malaysia and had migrated to Jawa Island (Indonesia), Turtles Island (Philippines) and Vietnam waters. In 2006, WWF Malaysia had released two hawksbill nesters from Upeh Island, Melaka, Malaysia and migrated to Singapore waters and Riau archipelago waters, Indonesia. On 5th April 2007, TUMEC had released one green turtle nester from Kerachut nesting beach, Penang, Malaysia and finally was detected at Bintan Island, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia in duration of fifty four days. These studies had shown the trans-boundary migration routes of sea turtles which were landed and nest in Malaysia. * Corresponding author: Syed Abdullah; Email: [email protected] 24 Abstract Book of the 4th International Symposium on SEASTAR2000 and Asian Bio-logging Science (The 8th SEASTAR2000 Workshop) December 15 - 17, 2007 Royal Phuket City Hotel, Phuket Thailand Organized by Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University Phuket Marine Biological Center JSPS Bangkok Office Japanese Society of Bio-logging Science Informatics Education and Research Center for Knowledge-Circulating Society .