Sea Turtles Q&A

NY Times Video on Sea Turtles:
NY Times Science Times

Eleaor Sterling studied sea turtles on the Palymra Atoll in 2010:
"The acoustic tags transmit ultrasonic sounds, called “pings,” every few minutes. These ultrasonic frequencies are generally used underwater because, compared with radio frequencies, acoustic frequencies perform much better in water. We have a number of receivers deployed throughout Palmyra that “listen” for the pings when the turtles swim by the receivers. We can use this information to better understand the fine-scale movement and activity patterns of sea turtles. Our acoustic tags are 6 cm long — about the size of a stubby index finger — and weigh only 24 grams. The placement of the tag on the trailing edge of the turtle’s carapace helps minimize drag. And the epoxy we use to fasten the tag to the turtle helps reduce the drag by creating a smooth surface between the carapace and the epoxy. We apply tags only to larger animals, and previous studies suggest there are no long-term consequences in behavior or foraging habits/predation due to tagging."

The article in the NY Times:
Eleanor Sterling in Palmyra Atoll

Earlier July Post on NY Science Times blog about sea turtle work:
Eleanor Sterling in Atoll

Eleanor Sterling Writes about the Atoll's Ecosystem:

NY Times Science Times