Quick Start Guide
From download to your first observation in 10 minutes.
Download and Create an Account
Install TurtleOps from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Open the app and tap Sign Up.
- Enter your full name, email, and a password (6+ characters)
- You may need to confirm your email before signing in
Join or Create an Organization
After signing up, you'll choose one of two paths:
- Join an existing team: Enter the invite code from your coordinator (e.g.,
STCROIX2026). You'll be added to the team with the role your admin assigned. - Start a new project: Enter your organization name and you'll become the admin. You can invite your team later.
Team coordinators: Generate invite codes from the Operations tab. You can set the role (volunteer, coordinator, or admin) for each code.
Configure Your Project (Admins)
If you created a new organization, head to Operations > Project Setup to configure:
- Species: Enable the species your team monitors and set a primary species
- Beach location: Set your coordinates for automatic weather, tide, and moon data
- Nesting season: Define your start and end dates
- Data requirements: Choose which photos are required, whether to require measurements (CCL/CCW), and your survey mode (walking or ATV)
- Contact info: Add coordinator name and emergency contact for your team
Skip this if you joined a team. Your admin has already configured these settings.
Check In for a Survey
On the Dashboard, tap the check-in button. This starts your survey session and records:
- Your GPS location
- Current weather, tide, wave, and moon conditions
- Session start time and elapsed timer
You must be checked in to create observations. When you're done for the night, tap Check Out.
Auto-checkout: If you forget, the app will remind you after 6 hours and automatically check you out after 8 hours (configurable by your admin).
Record Your First Observation
Tap the New Observation tab. Here's the flow:
- Identify the turtle: Search by tag number or name. If it's a new turtle, a record is created automatically.
- Tags: Confirm existing tags are still present, or record new/missing tags. The app checks for duplicates across your organization.
- Behavior: What was the turtle doing? (nesting, crawling, in-water, etc.)
- Measurements: CCL and CCW if required by your project
- Nesting: Did she nest? Nest marked? Record the timeline.
- Photos: Capture datasheet, turtle, tag, and injury photos as needed
- Submit: Review and submit. Data syncs to the cloud automatically.
Auto-save: Your observation auto-saves as a draft every 30 seconds. If you get interrupted, find it in the Drafts tab later.
Invite Your Team
From the Operations tab, admins can generate invite codes for team members. Share the code and have them enter it during signup.
| Role | Observe | Team Stats | Pro Tools* | Manage Team | Configure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer | Yes | Yes | - | - | - |
| Coordinator | Yes | Yes | Yes | - | - |
| Admin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*Pro Tools (observation map, AI social posts, merge tool, fuzzy tag search) require a TurtleOps Pro subscription.
Good to Know
- Works offline: All data saves to your device first and syncs when you have a connection. No Wi-Fi on the beach? No problem.
- Dark theme: The red-on-black interface is designed to preserve your night vision during surveys.
- Relayed sightings: Admins can record observations reported by other surveyors without needing to check in themselves.
- Turtle alerts: Admins can create alerts for specific turtles (injured, research interest, do not disturb) that appear when any team member selects that turtle.
- CSV import: Have historical data? Admins can import turtles and observations from spreadsheets.
Need Help?
Contact us at hello@turtleops.org and we'll get you set up.