P R E S S  R E L E A S E from MEDASSET
(26.01.2000)

SEA TURTLE WEBSITE WINS BEST IN EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL AWARD!

The award was given by  - visit their website by clicking on this logo

http://www.en.eun.org/vs/environment/ecogallery/ecogallery.html 

EuroTurtle - a Mediterranean sea turtle Biology & Conservation web site for Science and Education is based at the University of Exeter in UK, is a result of collaboration between the University, the Biology Department of Kings College, Taunton and MEDASSET (The Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles).

Set up in January 1997, the site is believed to be the first in Europe to be exclusively devoted to the conservation and biology of Mediterranean sea turtles. Its style and content is very different from other educational sites on the web.

It contains overviews of all sea turtle species, a section on the threats to turtles in the Mediterranean (e.g. tourism), identification keys and even an adventure game involving a loggerhead turtle on a Greek island. 

The site is packed with high quality graphics, photographs, work sheets, diagrams and data. The University of Exeter has included the EuroTurtle project in their "research on education via Internet", and it is part of a PhD study by Roger Poland, originator of the site and a member of the MEDASSET Scientific Committee.

EUROTURTLE is providing a home for several Mediterranean sea turtle conservation groups, a forum where their opinions and scientific data can be fully available. All agree that the site is making a real contribution towards the survival of sea turtles in the Mediterranean.

GREENTRACK. - This ancillary site brings excitement and conservation to the student, scientist and web surfer alike. Sparking imaginations with the unique opportunity to follow by satellite tracking, the migratory route of an endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas) named "Esmeralda", from her island-nesting site out into the Mediterranean Sea.

This is a joint project between the Marine Turtle Research Group (University of Wales), BCG (British Chelonia Group) and MEDASSET.

THE VIRTUAL FIELD STATION. - is a novel web-based software application that is designed to be used by A-level and undergraduate Biology/Environmental studies students wishing to gain experience in ecological fieldwork. Students can visit the field station where they will be given specific fieldwork tasks linked to the ecology and conservation of sea turtles.

Accessed from the EuroTurtle home page, the design is based on real locations and actual fieldwork in the Greek Ionian islands. 

For further information contact: ROGER POLAND, Scientific Committee of MEDASSET, Exeter University - PhD researcher - roger@kings-taunton.co.uk

   The adventure game has been selected by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) The game was reviewed by their team of teachers who reviewed it using a stringent set of criteria that ensure selected materials have accurate content and effective pedagogy. You can review the criteria they used by visiting: http://www.scilinks.org/criteria.htm