Two sea turtles nesting in Cyprus are being tracked by satellite for the first time, allowing the public to follow their movements across the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean Turtle Research and Conservation Society announced on Wednesday that satellite transmitters were fitted in June to a female green turtle and a female loggerhead turtle nesting in Lara Bay, one of the Levant’s most important breeding sites for both species.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Sea Turtle Conservancy as part of efforts to better understand the migration of Cyprus’ sea turtles.

MedTRACS said the monitoring programme will provide researchers with information on migration routes, feeding grounds, habitat use and the threats turtles face during their journeys.

The turtles have been named Andrea and Lara.

Andrea was named in honour of Andreas Dimitropoulos, who founded Cyprus’ Sea Turtle Conservation Programme in 1978.

MedTRACS said his “pioneering work laid the foundations for the conservation of sea turtles in Cyprus and the wider region.”

Lara was named after Lara Beach, which the organisation described as “the heart of the programme” and one of the Mediterranean’s most important nesting beaches for both green and loggerhead turtles.

The organisation said the satellite tracking initiative marks the first time transmitters have been attached to female turtles nesting in the Gulf of Lara.

Members of the public can follow the movements of both turtles through online tracking maps, allowing them to observe their migration across the Mediterranean in real time.

Sea turtles are highly migratory species, travelling vast distances between nesting and feeding grounds.