Date of report: 2017-12-03

On 3 December 2017, CCTV Travel Channel reported on the sea turtle conservation work of Professor Shi Haitao of the School of Life Sciences of Hainan Normal University in Sansha. Professor Shi Haitao is known as Dr Turtle, and he is currently an expert in the study of chelonians in China. Invited by the Sansha Municipal Government, a five-member turtle research team consisting of Professor Shi Haitao, Associate Professor Lin Liu, and postgraduate student Zhang Ting travelled to the Xisha Islands to carry out research and conservation work on sea turtles. Sea turtle nesting grounds have basically disappeared in mainland China, and the Xisha Islands is the last refuge for sea turtles, which urgently needs people to carry out corresponding research and formulate corresponding protection strategies. In order to obtain more research information, the research team was divided into two groups: Associate Professor Lin Liu and graduate student Zhang Ting travelled to the North Island of Qilianyu to investigate the breeding ecology of sea turtles, including egg laying and hatching, while Professor Shi led the rest of the team to check the current environmental status of Qilianyu islands. After 15 days, the team visited 11 islands and reefs, collected 25 tissue samples and tagged 20 sea turtle samples. Professor Shi believes that ecological environmental protection is an eternal theme for mankind, and he is full of confidence in the protection and research of sea turtles, hoping that more people will participate in this work.

Professor Shi Haitao (first from left) and his team from the School of Life Sciences of Hainan Normal University travelled to the Xisha Islands to carry out research on sea turtles (Photo by Travel TV)

Attachment: Interview link：http://culture-travel.cctv.com/2017/12/03/VIDECsWHcG5UCpRzBCV9rHCh171203.shtml