The old adage "you are what you eat" is helping scientists better understand the threatened loggerhead turtle, which is the primary nester on Central Florida's beaches.
A study published today in the journal PLOS ONE describes how scientists at the University of Central Florida used a technique that links chemical signatures of the turtles' diets and their watery environments to their migratory routes. They found the technique just as effective as expensive satellite tracking.
Little is known about the turtles, which spend 99 percent of their time in the water and return to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge's beach to nest once every two to three years. The 13-mile-long beach is home to the second-largest population of loggerheads in the world and to about one of every four nests those turtles lay in the United States.
While other turtles' nests are increasing along the refuge's shores, the loggerheads' have been declining since 2000. The technique validated by the UCF scientists could help managers preserve the turtles' nesting grounds, migration routes and foraging grounds, all of which are critical to their survival.
"We need good information so policy makers can focus the limited conservation funds available where they can make the greatest impact," said Simona Ceriani, the UCF graduate student who led the study. "We all want our children to see these beautiful creatures and not just read about them in a book."
In addition to validating the tracking technique, the study found that the foraging area for the Florida turtles is much broader than previously thought.
"Think of these turtles as Florida tourists and snowbirds," Ceriani said. "They come and nest and then go back to lots of different places. And while we knew some went back north, we had no idea that this was a popular destination."
Based on her tracking, some turtles head for the water off the shores of Virginia and Delaw
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| Contact: Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala zenaida.kotala@ucf.edu 407-823-6120 University of Central Florida Source:Eurekalert |
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