Tracking Turtles

scientists tracked endangered Atlantic Loggerhead turtles with satellite telemetry, illuminating for the first time their migratory journey of thousands of miles.

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scientists tracked endangered Atlantic Loggerhead turtles with satellite telemetry, illuminating for the first time their migratory journey of thousands of miles. Led by researchers from the University of Exeter in England, the team found that adult loggerheads feed in much deeper water than was previously suspected. This puts the breeding population in danger from commercial fishing and underscores the need for an international effort to protect the turtles, according to the scientists. Here, one of the 10 turtles the researchers tracked prepares to leave Cape Verde Beach in West Africa. The transmittor on the turtle's shell sends its location to a satellite every time the animal surfaces to breathe. The research is detailed in the May 23 issue of the journal Current Biology.

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