Tracking endangered turtles from space

Par 1 = 5 ; Par 2 = write a short description (10-20 sentence) that describes how it relates to concepts or processes discussed in class. https://www.bbcearth.com/blog/?article=tracking-endangered-turtles-from-space Science Blog #9: Biology and Conservation of Marine Reptiles Tracking endangered turtles from space Marine Reptiles are by no means abundant throughout the ocean relative to fish or plankton, yet these unique and often ancient organisms play just as important role as the rest of the marine organisms. Sea turtles graze sea grass beds in much the same way sheep and cows graze pastures, and in doing so, sea turtles help maintain healthy sea grass beds. A healthy sea grass bed can then acts as protective shelter, breeding grounds and nurseries for many marine organisms worldwide. In this particular article, “Tracking endangered turtles from space”, the author Jeff Schmid discusses how monitoring the world’s smallest and most endangered marine turtle species; known as Kemp’s ridley turtle, can potentially help save this marine reptile from extinction. Needless to say that additional conservation efforts are required to save the Kemp’s ridley turtles, however, the advantage of knowing just where the turtles frequent most often can dramatically narrow the focus of conservational techniques implemented by environmentalists. The necessity to tag and track Kemp’s ridley turtles stems from the radical declination of their population from 1947 to 1985 all along The Gulf of Mexico. During this time period, the recorded estimate for Kemp’s ridley turtle nests on a beach near Rancho Nuevo, Mexico dropped from roughly 40,000 nests to a meager 702. This alarming decrease in nests initiated a wave of “conservation efforts aimed at protecting nesting beaches and reducing incidental captures in fisheries…” which have prevented the complete extinction of this species of turtle. However, due to several unknown factors about how the Kemp’s ridley turtle interacted with its environment, including the mystery of where the Kemp’s ridleys of northwest Florida disappeared to during winter, prompted environmental conservationists to begin tracking the critically endangered turtles. “Satellite telemetry has become a popular tool for studying patterns of marine turtle distribution over time. This is a fundamental aspect to conservation and provides the basis for all other aspects of research.” The method of satellite telemetry requires a transmitter to be harmlessly attached to the dorsal side of the shell which can then communicate with orbiting satellites whenever the Kemp’s ridley specimen surfaces to breathe. The ability to track Kemp’s ridley turtles allowed for the discovery of not only their unknown seasonal migration patterns and routes, but also how the species interacts with waters contaminated with harmful algal blooms. The species specific interaction with marine environments containing high levels of brevetoxins produced during red tides was recorded inadvertently through observation of migratory patterns and local movements that occurred simultaneously with harmful algal blooms. “Combining the turtle’s locational data with that of red tide water sampling programs indicated Kemp’s ridleys may exhibit “red tide avoidance”. This behavior has never been documented before and suggests turtles are somehow able to detect the concentration of red tide toxin in water and try to find other areas with lower concentrations.” This incredibly helpful data indicates that conservation efforts need not worry too much about the detrimental effects of harmful algal blooms on Kemp’s ridley turtles and instead, environmental conservationists can focus on more detrimental environmental issues such as marine plastics or ocean acidification. Furthermore, additional conservation areas can be determined and maintained due to the data gathered through satellite telemetry. Works cited Schmid, Jeff. “Tracking Endangered Turtles from Space.” BBC Earth, BBC Earth, 23 Oct. 2018, www.bbcearth.com/blog/?article=tracking-endangered-turtles-from-space. Jeff Schmid is Research Manager with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida where he conducts in-water studies of marine turtles.