Scientists monitor Green Sea Turtles in Rio

Researchers are conducting a project to monitor turtles near Rio de Janeiro this week, aided by local fishermen and volunteers.
Scientists and volunteers from the Aruanã Project have taken care of these marine creatures for the last 13 years.
The shore of Itaipu is a feeding site where turtles from Brazilian oceanic islands, Africa, the Caribbean and even Hawaii come with their younglings and stay until they reach mating maturity, which can take up to 25 years.
Twice a year, biologists and volunteers capture the local population of turtles for a week to monitor newly arrived and old individuals, as well as their growth and overall health.
Green Sea Turtles are found all over the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans and can migrate huge distances from mating sites to feeding sites. Although spread throughout the globe, the species is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.