The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : See! Life infuses this exhibition

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Thursday, Jan 08, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

See! Life infuses this exhibition

Staff Reporter

— Photo: M.Vedhan

Curious : Students examine the specimen of a sea turtle at an exhibition that opened at Government Museum, Egmore on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: Young visitors to the Government Museum, Egmore, on Wednesday had an opportunity to learn about sea turtles, which many of them would have otherwise seen only in pictures.

Several of them were excited to see the specimens of seven species of turtles, including loggerhead turtles, olive ridley and green turtles, that were on display at the week-long exhibition on ‘Marine Turtles.’

The exhibition had on display photographs and information about the marine turtles that face the threat of extinction. The photographs traced the biology of the turtles and also outlined the threats faced by them, including being killed for consumption , commercial turtle harvest, and targeted for their shells, which are used as decorative items. The displays included that of a photograph of a sea turtle fitted with a satellite transmitter, which helped researchers to track the turtle’s movement and study the migration of turtles.

Inaugurating the exhibition, C.K. Sreedharan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said only one hatchling of the 1,000 eggs laid, had the chance of survival to adulthood. The climate changes would also affect turtle nesting as temperature also played an important role in sex determination of the hatchlings.

He also highlighted the conservation measures taken by the government agencies and the voluntary organisations for turtle protection. Besides creating awareness about the conservation of the endangered species among the people of the coastal region, the government has also instructed the fishermen to use turtle excluder devices in fishing nets to allow the captured turtles to escape through the device. But several fishermen are yet to use the device, he said.

He motivated the students to involve themselves in activities, including egg collection, for turtle conservation.

T.S. Sridharan, Commissioner of Museums (in-charge), said that such exhibitions were organised to create awareness about the turtles among the students and public, and also increase their knowledge about the endangered species.

J.R. Asokan, zoology curator, Government Museum, said that the exhibition would be open between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. till Tuesday.

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