COMMON: training activities to protect marine endangered species

On 28 and 29 January 2020, the NGO Legambiente, with its Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Manfredonia (Italy), will host the first COMMON training course for monitoring endangered species in the marine environment, organized by the University of Siena in area of ​​the master’s degree in ‘Sustainability and Environmental Ecotoxicology’.

Maria Cristina Fossi, teacher of the course and partner of the COMMON project, will lead the training and transfer activities within the PlasticBusters MPAs and COMMON Projects. The event is proposed as a training course not only for university students, but also for the partners of the COMMON project, who will be involved in a video conference to assist and exchange views on sampling and monitoring activities for hospitalized sea turtles, but also in the exchange of good practices. The event will end with the release of Uragano and Tempesta, two Caretta caretta victims of accidental capture, which after weeks of care and assistance at the center of Manfredonia, will be returned to the sea.

Final Agenda

January, 28

3 pm: start of the activities

• Visit to the Rescue Centre
• Presentation by the Turtle Rescue Centre managers about main operational activities (Giovanni Furii, Legambiente Onlus)
• Anthropogenic impacts on Mediterranean sea turtles: focus on Marine Litter (Matteo Baini, University of Siena)
• Ecotoxicological investigations and sampling methods on beached and hospitalized sea turtles (Ilaria Caliani, Matteo Baini, University of Siena)
• Presentation of the COMMON project and synergies with other ones (Cristina Fossi, Cristina Panti, University of Siena)
• Planning and preparation of sampling on hospitalized species (subdivision into work groups)
• Operative discussion between COMMON project partners

January, 29

9 am: start of the activities

• Realization of sampling on hospitalized species, subdivision into work groups, conservation of biological materials (blood, serum, cutaneous, carapace, etc.). Compilation of the technical sheets

11 am: Moving to the second operating site, where the Skype connection with COMMON partners (Tunisia and Lebanon) will take place and subsequent sampling on a Caretta caretta turtle

2.00 pm: Release of two Caretta caretta turtles