Sea Turtles Life Cycle
Eggs
Hatchling
Juvenile
Adult
Help us make the beaches safe for the next generation
Sea turtles are fascinating and ancient mariners of the ocean, having graced our waters for millions of years. Their life cycle begins in a remarkable journey where females laboriously crawl onto sandy beaches to lay their eggs. Each nest, a cradle of life, can contain up to a hundred eggs, but not all will survive. After incubation, tiny hatchlings emerge and scramble towards the sea, guided by the natural light horizon over the ocean. This first journey is perilous, as seagulls and crabs often prey on these vulnerable newborns, drastically reducing their chances of survival. But the challenges for sea turtles don't end there. Human activities have introduced new threats, from plastic pollution and fishing nets in the oceans to artificial lighting on beaches, which can disorient hatchlings, leading them away from the sea. Coastal development has also resulted in the loss of nesting habitats. Remarkably, sea turtles play a crucial role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. For instance, their grazing helps maintain healthy seagrass beds and coral reefs, benefiting countless other marine species. Protecting sea turtles, therefore, is not just about saving an iconic species but also about preserving the balance of our marine environments. Every effort to reduce our environmental impact and safeguard their nesting sites contributes significantly to the survival of these incredible creatures.
Eggs
Hatchling
Juvenile
Adult
Our primary objective centers around enhancing an AI model that has been meticulously trained to identify images of hatchling sea turtles. We aim to refine this model's capabilities, enabling it to analyze live video feeds from cameras strategically placed on nesting beaches. This advancement will facilitate real-time alerts whenever sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nests. Such timely notifications are crucial for conservation organizations, as they will provide an opportunity to monitor these critical moments and intervene when necessary, thereby safeguarding the vulnerable hatchlings from predation. Our efforts are dedicated to improving the survival rates of these newborn turtles, ensuring they have a better chance at life right from their journey's start.
Our strategy involves leveraging AWS SageMaker to develop and train an AI model capable of recognizing sea turtles. By employing a curated dataset of hatchling sea turtle images, we have demonstrated the potential application of this technology for nest monitoring purposes. The model's training was conducted using a limited dataset to manage costs effectively while still proving the concept's viability. This preliminary phase allowed us to test and refine our AI model's ability to accurately identify sea turtles, setting the stage for future expansions and more comprehensive dataset utilization as resources permit.
