楽天 ビンゴ Car Carrier Firmament Ace Joins Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium's Loggerhead Turtle Migration Research Project

July 11, 2024

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (楽天 ビンゴ; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that one of its car carriers, the Firmament Ace, teamed up with 楽天 ビンゴ Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium on a project to study the migration patterns of loggerhead turtles (Note 1), with the vessel transporting turtles and aquarium staff. This is the second time an 楽天 ビンゴ Group vessel has joined this project including last year (Note 2).

On June 27 (local time), 28 loggerhead turtles were loaded onto 楽天 ビンゴ vessel at 楽天 ビンゴ Port of Nagoya's Kinjo, and on July 7, two research members aboard 楽天 ビンゴ vessel released them into 楽天 ビンゴ Pacific Ocean.

楽天 ビンゴ Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is conducting this research in collaboration with domestic and international research institutions, including Stanford University to verify 楽天 ビンゴ Thermal Corridor Hypothesis(Note 3) that loggerhead turtles in 楽天 ビンゴ eastern end of 楽天 ビンゴ central North Pacific Transition Zone reach 楽天 ビンゴ waters off California in El Niño years, when 楽天 ビンゴ sea surface is warmer. This research can provide valuable knowledge about 楽天 ビンゴ ecology of these endangered turtles and link it to conservation activities, by monitoring their migration route using 楽天 ビンゴ location information from 楽天 ビンゴ transmitters attached to 楽天 ビンゴ turtles.

All of 楽天 ビンゴ released loggerheads are about two years old and relatively large, with carapace length of 35 cm to 45 cm and weight of approximately 9 kg. Unlike turtles immediately after hatching, they are less likely to be attacked by marine predators.

楽天 ビンゴ has positioned environmental strategy as one of the key elements of its "BLUE ACTION 2035" management plan, and has established 楽天 ビンゴ "楽天 ビンゴ Group Environmental Vision 2.2." Recognizing the impact of its business activities on the marine environment and ecosystems, the group is proactively engaged in a wide variety of corporate citizenship activities to contribute to the conservation of the marine environment and biodiversity, as the ocean is not only the site of 楽天 ビンゴ Group business activities, but also the common property of all people around the world.

(Note 1) Commonly known "Sea Turtle Research Experiment on 楽天 ビンゴ Thermal Corridor Hypothesis (STRETCH)
Loggerhead turtles are found in temperate and tropical regions of 楽天 ビンゴ world, and their nesting grounds in 楽天 ビンゴ North Pacific are mostly limited to 楽天 ビンゴ Japanese coastal areas influenced by 楽天 ビンゴ Kuroshio Current. They are known to migrate across 楽天 ビンゴ Pacific Ocean to waters off 楽天 ビンゴ Baja California Peninsula in El Niño years, but it is unknown how and when they migrate, or what route they take. Detailed analysis of loggerhead migration and marine environment data collected through this study will help elucidate 楽天 ビンゴ migration ecology and contribute to effective conservation activities for endangered loggerhead turtles.
楽天 ビンゴ location of all 28 loggerhead turtles released can be checked from this site
(URL: https://www.loggerheadstretch.org/) in real time.

(Note 2) For details, please refer to 楽天 ビンゴ following press release:
July 14, 2023: 楽天 ビンゴ Car Carrier Galaxy Ace Cooperates with Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium for Loggerhead Turtle Migration Research

(Note 3) There are "biogeographic barriers" proposed by Darwin to 楽天 ビンゴ east of 楽天 ビンゴ Pacific Ocean. Typically, 楽天 ビンゴ passage of marine organisms ranging from larvae to large swimming species is impeded. But 楽天 ビンゴ mechanism by which 楽天 ビンゴ intermittent appearance of a warm seawater path, or "thermal corridor," enables loggerhead turtles to migrate from 楽天 ビンゴ Central North Pacific to 楽天 ビンゴ coast of Baja California in Mexico, is proposed as 楽天 ビンゴ Thermal Corridor Hypothesis.

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楽天 ビンゴ Group 5 Sustainability Issues
楽天 ビンゴ Group identifies "Sustainability Issues" (Materiality) as our key issues for sustainable growth with society through realization of the Group Vision.
We anticipate this initiative to contribute especially to the realization of "Environment -Conservation for Marine and global environment-" and "Human & Community -Contributing to the growth and development of people and communities-."