Sea Turtle Tracking: Satellite Tracking Large Green

Even after decades of study, much remains unknown about green turtle life history. In Florida, small to mid-sized green turtles are abundant in nearshore waters while the largest immature animals between 70 cm and 90 cm are rarely seen. Adult green turtles are found foraging in the lower Florida Keys.Recently the Inwater Research Group made an extraordinary discovery in an area west of the Marquesas Keys in Florida. They identified, for the first time in the United States, a large foraging area shared by large subadult and adult green turtles. Using Fast-GPS satellite technology and sonic tags we intend to follow the local movements of these immature and adult green turtles to better understand home range and habitat use. If immature turtles migrate to other waters, we will learn their routes and destinations. Should the adults migrate to the nesting beach, we will learn which beaches. To the best of our knowledge, no one has tracked adult green turtles from foraging grounds to the nesting beach. The information gained from this study should allow managers to make important conservation and management decisions for this endangered species, and provide us with greater insight into the life history of green turtles.

This project was funded by a grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at www.helpingseaturtles.org

For more information on sea turtles, check out the Sea Turtles Information section of our website.

TICA RICA – Tica Rica is an adult female green sea turtle captured west of the Marquesas, Florida on September 30, 2008 by the Inwater Research Group. Her name means “rich girl” in Spanish. She was first encountered by on a nesting beach by CCC researchers in Tortuguero, Costa Rica on August 8, 2005. She mesured 101.5 cm in shell length. A GPS tag was attached to her shell before being released.

CAROLINE – Caroline is an adult green sea turtle captured west of the Marquesas, Florida on September 28, 2008 by the Inwater Research Group. She was named for the “There’s a lady going crazy on Caroline Street” Buffett song, and for the street the researchers were staying on at the time. She measured 70.4 cm in shell length. A GPS tag was attached to her shell before being released.