Research reveals sea turtle secrets
Sea turtles (milbi) live a mysterious life – we are still learning new things about turtles’ bodies, behaviour and journeys.
People can threaten sea turtles’ safety and habitats through fishing, boating, plastic and light pollution, nest disturbances, degraded feeding grounds, and increased spread of disease.
By combining knowledge from researchers, Butchulla People, volunteers and rangers, we can find answers about how best to rehabilitate and conserve milbi and their habitats.
Rehabilitation saves sea turtles
When sea turtles are sick or injured, trained volunteers and rangers rescue them from beaches and waterways and bring them to the UniSC Milbi Centre. The sea turtles are checked by vets, carefully treated and put into specialised tanks to recover.
The pattern of facial scales on each turtle is documented, and the turtles are microchipped before they are released so their movements can be tracked.
We always want to hear about any turtle you see – sick, injured or in distress – call the Turtles in Trouble Rescue Inc. hotline on 0493 242 903.
A centre built on partnerships
University of the Sunshine Coast
The centre is a collaborative project led by the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) in close partnership with the Butchulla Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) and Turtles In Trouble Rescue Inc. (TITR).
Partnerships like this connect informed conservation with broader regional efforts to protect and care for sea turtles.
Turtle research at UniSC is led by marine biologist Professor Kathy Townsend.
Video by Breannah Mitchell
Butchulla Native Title Aboriginal Corporation
Butchulla People’s connection to Country is interwoven with Land, Sea and Sky and they have a significant cultural connection with the milbi (sea turtle).
BNTAC provides cultural guidance and advice to the centre. BNTAC also has a Djaa Narawi (Land & Sea) Ranger providing first-hand care to sick and injured milbi.
BNTAC works in partnership with UniSC to ensure that the activities and practices carried out in the name of Traditional Owners are respectful and align with our cultural beliefs, practices and protocols.
Turtles In Trouble Rescue Inc.
Turtles in Trouble Rescue (TITR) is a not-for-profit group of volunteers and citizen scientists who help rescue, rehabilitate, release and conserve sea turtles and their marine environment.
TITR emerged in 2021 because people were finding more and more unwell sea turtles on the Fraser Coast after major back-to-back floods.
In just 4 years, TITR volunteers have responded to more than 1400 call outs and rescued over 350 turtles.
This centre helps TITR better assist with sick and injured turtles by providing more immediate first-aid care and less travel time for turtles to other centres.
You are welcome to volunteer with TITR.
More about the UniSC Milbi Centre
Fraser Coast's sea turtles
UniSC Milbi Centre explores Fraser Coast’s six sea turtle species, sharing facts on habitats, migration, threats and how you can help protect turtles in the wild.
Inside the UniSC Milbi Centre
UniSC Milbi Centre shows how rescued sea turtles are reported, treated and rehabilitated, highlighting partnerships, conservation efforts and how you can help protect milbi.
Butchulla People: an ancient and modern Milbi legacy
UniSC Milbi Centre shares the Butchulla People’s enduring connection to Country, culture and milbi, highlighting traditional knowledge, lores and conservation practices.
Investing in sea turtles improves our science, culture and communities
Sea turtles are living mirrors of ocean health – what we find in their bodies, from plastics to pollutants, reveals what they have been exposed to in the sea.
This ‘warning system’ in turtles means they are a ‘sentinel species’, showing us if things are going wrong with the environment due to pollution or climate change.
The more researchers can find out about sea turtles, the more we can understand how to protect these endangered animals.
Investment in the centre by UniSC, Traditional Owners, volunteers, governments and the community brings people, culture, knowledge and science together to protect and care for turtles and their fragile ocean habitats.
UniSC Milbi Centre supporters, we thank you
The centre was established by UniSC through a $1.29 million commitment from the Queensland Government, $250,000 from the Australian Government and through strong partnerships with the Fraser Coast Regional Council, the Member for Hinkler, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and philanthropic donations (Sandy Michell Legacy Fund, Harris Estate Charitable Foundation, Australian Marine Conservation Society and individual donors).
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, SeaWorld Foundation, SeaLife Mooloolaba and Quoin Island Turtle Rehabilitation Centre provided expert advice for establishing the centre.
Sponsor a sea turtle, their snacks, or first aid kits
Sea turtles heal slowly. Our turtle patients come in to the centre with all kinds of illnesses and injuries that can take from 2 months to 2 years to treat.
A sea turtle’s medical bills can be huge: it can cost an average of $10,000 to rehabilitate one sick sea turtle. The centre can cost up to $500,000 per year to run.
Even the smallest donations can help take a turtle from sick to a rescued-and-released success story. You and your friends could sponsor:
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a sea turtle snack for $10
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feeding a turtle for a day for $25
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turtle care for a day for $50
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a turtle toy to make their stay more enjoyable for $100
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housing a turtle for a week for $250
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a new patient vet check for $500
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a satellite tracking tag for $5500