Using satellite trackers, scientists have discovered the whereabouts of young sea turtles during a key part of their lives
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have uncovered new insights into the lives of young sea turtles, thanks to the use of satellite trackers.
“We’ve had significant gaps in our knowledge about the early stages of sea turtles’ lives,” explained Kate Mansfield, a marine scientist at the University of Central Florida. “This phase has remained a mystery for a long time.”
For years, researchers have been puzzled by what happens during the so-called “lost years,” the time between when tiny hatchlings leave the beach and when they return to the coasts fully grown — a period spanning anywhere from one to ten years.
New findings, published this week, are beginning to shed light on this elusive part of their lifecycle.
For more than a decade, Mansfield and her team attached GPS tags to the rapidly growing shells of wild sea turtles. They set out in small boats, searching for young turtles drifting through the algae-rich waters of the Gulf of Mexico, ultimately tagging 114 animals — including endangered species like green turtles, loggerheads, hawksbills, and Kemp’s ridleys.
As the turtles grew, the GPS tags naturally shed off because the outer layer of their shells is constantly replaced. “Young turtles shed their shells as they grow rapidly,” said Katrina Phillips, a marine ecologist at the University of Central Florida and co-author of the study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Though the tags eventually detached, they provided valuable location data for several weeks or months. The findings challenged some longstanding assumptions.
For years, scientists believed that young turtles simply drifted with ocean currents. However, the new research shows that these turtles are actually swimming actively.
“We discovered that the turtles are making their own decisions about where they go,” said Nathan Putman, a co-author and ecologist at LGL Ecological Research Associates in Texas.
To confirm this, the team compared the turtles’ locations with the movements of buoys released into the same waters. While many buoys were carried ashore, the turtles continued to swim.
“This little hatchling is actually choosing its path and avoiding certain areas,” said Bryan Wallace, a wildlife ecologist at Ecolibrium in Colorado.
The tracking data revealed more variation in the turtles’ locations than anticipated, with some moving between continental shelf waters and the open ocean.
The research also required the development of advanced, solar-powered tags that could stay attached long enough to transmit data.
“For years, the technology didn’t meet the demands,” said Jeffrey Seminoff, a marine biologist at NOAA who wasn’t involved in the study.
This new data helps biologists better understand how young turtles utilize the Gulf of Mexico, a vital area for four species of endangered sea turtles.
“It’s not that the sea turtles were ever lost; it’s that we had lost track of them,” said Jeanette Wyneken from Florida Atlantic University, who wasn’t involved in the research.