FIRST SEA TURTLES TO CARRY NEW
SOLAR-POWERED MINI SAT TAGS
Two loggerhead turtles raised at Florida Atlantic University's (FAU) Gumbo Limbo laboratory for the past several months, were loaded onto a boat on Saturday, May 9 in West Palm Beach, and driven 10 miles offshore to be released. The turtles are released at the end of each study into currents that serve as nursery areas for the species. These young turtles are unique in that each carry new solar-powered miniature satellite tags, which will enable the researchers to track their movements.
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| Wyneken and Mansfield tagging turtles |
The sea turtles are part of conservation-based research studies conducted by Dr. Jeanette Wyneken, associate professor of biological sciences in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. The turtles were released the help of several FAU students, Rosenstiel School Post-Doc Dr. Kate Mansfield , a remote tracking and turtle expert, and Dr. Dan Rittchof from Duke University's Marine Lab. Together the team has developed a tagging system that doesn't interfere with the turtles swimming or growth.
© Soundings, RSMAS, U. Miami, May 2009
This work funded in part by a grant from the LPRC to Dr. K. Mansfield
