Publications, Papers, and Projects

ETC is involved in many exciting research projects! Take a look at some of the work ETC has contributed to over the years:

Sea Turtle Research

Long-term In-water Recaptures of Adult Black Turtles (Chelonia mydas) Provide Implications for Flipper Tagging Methods in the Eastern Pacific

Stable isotope (carbon and nitrogen) signatures of Pacific green and hawksbill sea turtles in Costa Rica

A Male East-Pacific Green Turtle that Associates with Small Fishing Boats and Eats Fish

Stingray Research

Abundance and habitat use of rays in shallow waters of the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica

The devil is coming: Feeding behavior of juvenile Munk’s devil rays (Mobula munkiana) in very shallow waters of Punta Descartes, Costa Rica

Occurrence of the rough eagle ray Aetomylaeus asperrimus (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatidae) along the north Pacific coast of Costa Rica

Other Research Projects

Characterization of seagrasses at two new locations in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (El Jobo and Matapalito, Costa Rica) – ScienceDirect

Ongoing Investigations

Humpback Whales: Conservation Projects and Surveys – Two populations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) use Punta Descartes as a breeding site: The Central American population from the North Pacific is considered endangered and breeds in Guanacaste from January to March, and the population from the South Pacific from July to October.  Together with the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG), ETC monitors both the populations and their behavior.  The information collected includes position, group type, activity among others and is stored in a shared database.  This information can be used for planning conservation strategies and sustainable coastal development.

Counting and research of Yellow-naped Parrots (Amazona auropalliata) – Since 2016, ETC has participated in the counting of yellow-naped parrots. The data they collect is very significant in the conservation of these endangered animals. ETC collects data on the flight patterns of parrots through a natural corridor when they are moving to nesting grounds at dusk. The weather, numbers, and group sizes are detailed by ETC volunteers. This objective of this monitoring is to observe, after having collected several months of data, a possible growth or decrease of the population and also to observe how the climate can affect their behavior or customs. Since 2020, ETC has collaborated with the Macao Recovery Network Association to obtain more accurate data and to monitor the nests.