Report Date: 2017-10-15

Sea turtles are a flagship species in the oceans, and today, are extremely rare in number. A strong sense of responsibility and mission arose for Professor Shi Haitao of the School of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University. A group of ordinary university teachers and students in the College of Biological Sciences are willing to dedicate their lives to the protection of sea turtles. They then wanted to try their best to save the sea turtles through their own efforts. Professor Shi has been working very hard and has been steadfastly involved in sea turtle conservation research. The School of Life Sciences has established a biodiversity research and conservation base on campus, the Ecological Park, where a turtle rescue team was set up in 2014 and a "hospital" was created for sea turtles, the Sea Turtle Rescue Station. -Sea Turtle Rescue Station. On the one hand, it allows sick or injured turtles to receive treatment and return to the sea healthily; on the other hand, it also creates conditions for the research of the college. The daily work here is done by volunteers led by faculty members. Not only is there a turtle rescue centre on campus, but it also contains secrets related to turtle research. The Chelonians' Pavilion is particularly noteworthy. In the 400 square metres of the Chelonians Pavilion, there are more than 120 specimens of chelonians of various species and shapes collected by Professor Shi from all over the world. Its scale and quantity are unique in Hainan and even in the whole country. Both the ecological garden and the museum are inseparable from Professor Shi's efforts.

Professor Shi Haitao (third from left) and students from Hainan Normal University's School of Life Sciences

Discussing the protection of sea turtles (Photo by Travel TV)

Attachment: Interview link：http://travel.cctv.com/2017/10/16/VIDEFto8Pbo3khSqgoWoeDPe171016.shtml