A Green Sea Turtle ( Chelonia mydas) fitted with Arribadda Horizon Artic V2 board for satellite tracking. This particular individual is named as “Sabariah”.
Sea turtles are one of Malaysia's natural heritages, and unfortunately, they are one of the most vulnerable and endangered species. Currently, Malaysia is home to four different species of sea turtles: green sea turtles, leatherbacks, olive ridleys, and hawksbill. While numerous conservation efforts have been done, there are certain research gaps and limited knowledge sharing with the general public. One of the main key issues of tracking adult sea turtles using GPS tracking is the insane cost of these trackers. Furthermore, whilst the studies conducted in Malaysia are useful and have provided good insight towards the sea turtle conservation effort, there needs to be more information sharing with the general public, especially those who contribute to the conservation fund.
This is where, with the introduction of an open-source GPS tracker, which costs about 1/8th of their expensive counterparts, the opportunity to expand the internesting and movement patterns of these sea turtles is becoming viable (and affordable). Another problem that is usually encountered in studying the hatching process of sea turtles is the complex experimental designs that are mostly conducted in the lab.
Currently, developed sensors that could be deployed in the field are quite expensive. With the availability of cheap microcontrollers and sensors such as Arduino and ESP32, it is possible to create a cheaper alternative. In both situations of studying adults and hatchlings, there is a possibility of using IoT (Internet of Things) to enhance further and promote the conservation effort.
By leveraging these technologies, researchers can gather real-time data on turtle movements and behaviours, which can be shared with the public through engaging platforms like social media. This approach not only aids in conservation efforts but also raises awareness and involvement among communities. Moreover, it democratizes access to important ecological data, fostering a deeper connection between people and the natural world.