SoylentNews

janrinok [soylentnews.org] writes:

The birth of Loggerhead turtles is a spectacular and frequently observed event, and the return of the adult turtle to the same shores to lay eggs some years later is equally well observed. However, until recently, very little was known about the early years of neonate turtles. In a paper [royalsocietypublishing.org] published by the Royal Society, scientists have explained how using satellite tracking has solved many of the mysteries.

Genetics studies, bycatch, strandings and opportunistic sightings offshore had given broad hints — that they travel in a huge circle within the currents associated with the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, reaching the Azores and Cape Verde before heading back to the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. But it is now known that the neonates actually spend a significant portion of time in the Sargasso Sea. The huge amount of sargassum seaweed [wikipedia.org] causes the water temperature to rise by several degrees more than would otherwise be the case, and provides the young turtles with a food-rich environment and protection from predators.

Using solar powered beacons and satellite tracking is not, in itself, novel but overcoming the problems caused by rapidly-growing turtles has presented its own challenges. The information that the tracking has revealed was also unexpected. The link provided above is to the abstract of the paper, and a PDF of the full report [royalsocietypublishing.org] is also available.

---

Original Submission