Turtle season

Even the smallest satellite tags that we use for our neonate sea turtles are too large for hatchlings. So, the neonate green turtles, caught at the nest, grow in our laboratory for several months before we test various ways to attach the tags. These turtles effectively become ambassadors until they are released offshore. Visitors to our lab’s observation deck constantly ask us questions about sea turtles, and the threats they might face at sea. In addition asking about what the turtles eat, many visitors are concerned about pollution in the Atlantic Ocean and about predatory birds and fish. These questions give us the opportunity to talk about the differences between made-made threats and natural threats and the likely resiliency of marine species in each case.