Follow journalist Pierre Isnard-Dupuy (MarsActu) into the marshes of the Camargue to discover the long-term monitoring of European pond terrapins, carried out for over 25 years at Tour du Valat.
Almost every morning during the summer, Anthony Olivier, a research engineer and ranger at the Tour du Valat regional nature reserve, and Julie Mengarelli, a civic service worker, don their waders and head out into the marshes on the Tour du Valat estate. In a podcast produced for Marsactu, journalist Pierre Isnard-Dupuy set off to meet them and accompany them as they discovered the long-term monitoring being carried out on this species.
This small black freshwater turtle with yellow spots is the only species of freshwater turtle naturally present in a large part of Europe. Unfortunately, this species is now threatened, particularly by the destruction of wetlands, its natural habitat.
At Tour du Valat, it has been monitored for over 25 years. Its longevity, sedentary nature and position at the top of the food chain in its environment make it a ‘sentinel’ species, capable of bearing witness to the contaminants present in aquatic environments or the effects of ongoing climate change.
Every year, a capture-mark-recapture (CMR) campaign takes place from April to August on the Tour du Valat estate. This monitoring is carried out with the help of young researchers, students and civic service and/or European Solidarity Corps volunteers. From the management of the Regional Nature Reserve to the naturalist monitoring, via the analysis of the data collected, their time at the Tour du Valat enables them to put their knowledge into practice, to discover new knowledge and provides them with an enriching experience for their future.
Listen to the podcast (in french only): https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/marsactu9/episodes/En-Camargue–des-tortues-cistudes–sentinelles-de-lenvironnement-e2mfsbb
