More turtles will be tagged and seabirds monitored at Rose Island as a team of scientists from the Dept. of Marine and Wildlife Resources, the National Park of American Samoa, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service travel to the Monument to conduct further studies of these animal species.

The goal is to find out where turtles—which hatch on Rose Island—spend their time. Eight turtles were tagged with satellite monitoring devices last year and since then, one has been tracked to Fiji while two others have made their way to the Solomon Islands and islands near Papua New Guinea.

DMWR marine biologist Mark McDonald explained earlier this year that after baby turtles hatch, they are not able to swim against the ocean currents to return to Rose Island, so they literally go wherever the waters take them, and they end up staying away for years.

However, when those same turtles are ready to lay their own eggs, they always return to their birthplace. In an initial interview with the Samoa News, DMWR Director Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga stressed the importance of returning stranded baby turtles back in the water, so the ‘circle of life’ can continue.

She encourages anyone who finds a stranded turtle or any beached sea creature to contact the DMWR at 633-4456 for immediate assistance.