STONE HARBOR-- Despite growing global recognition of the Asian Turtle Crisis, efforts to protect Southeast Asia’s 72 species have been slow to move forward. Researchers from Asia are spending the summer at the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor to see how they protect the terrapin species right here in South Jersey.

Pelf Nyok Chen from Malaysia and Koulang Chey of Cambodia have been spending the summer in the Asian Scholarship Program at the Wetlands Institute.

Here along the east coast, the Diamondback Terrapin is a species of concern, while Malaysia’s River Terrapin and Cambodia’s Royal Terrapin face extinction. "In Asia right now there's what we call the Asian Turtle Crisis...that crisis exists because many populations of turtles are being taken to market and eaten out of existence," said Dr. Roger Wood, Director of Research at the Wetlands Institute.

10 million animals are traded in Southeast Asia every year, and roughly 90 percent end up not only eaten, but also used for medicinal purposes.

"More than in any other part of the world it's important to get people out in the field to study these turtles," said Wood.

"We need to teach them about not eating eggs and saving...conservation purposes, otherwise in 10 years we won't have any River Terrapins anymore," said Pelf Nyok Chen, visiting Scholar from Malaysia.

"Many of the kinds of problems we have here are not all that different from problems in, for example, of home countries of our visitors," said Wood.

The Wetlands Institute works with the public in protecting the Diamondback Terrapin population. They incubate, hatch and release terrapins rescued from road kills.

In Southeast Asia, they do much of the same, but with slightly different resources. Nyok Chen explained, "Our terrapins don't cross roads...ha ha."

And work on getting adults who work as turtle harvesters involved in understanding conservation. "We invite them to come and release the terrapin and get them involved," explained Nyok Chen.

Distant countries with a similar goal-to protect the turtle species for years to come.