We at Call For The Wild always talk about the importance of the environmental and animal research that our amazing Conservation Partners are doing. But what does this research actually entail?
This week, take a peak into the world of Sea Turtle Conservancy’s essential research! This project is just one of many research projects that the STC have going on world-wide.
In 2018, the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) started a project to study sea turtles in the waters of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, off the west coast of Florida in an area called “The Big Bend”. Stories from local people, historical records, and scientific studies all suggest that this ecosystem is an important feeding area and sanctuary for young sea turtles. This region contains the second-largest seagrass estuary (about 3,000 square kilometers) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. By studying the number and species of sea turtles in these feeding areas, scientists can work to measure long-term population trends, understand how turtles use coastal habitats, and learn ways to better manage protected wild areas. The Florida Panhandle and Big Bend regions are important growth areas for many marine species, but they usually receive less research attention than other parts of Florida.
This research is a collaborative project between STC and Dr. Raymond Carthy from the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Both STC staff members and University of Florida students spend many long hours working on the project. One important tool for this work is a modern research boat called the “R/V Lavinia.” The boat was donated to STC by Carolina Skiff Boats, and STC paid for a new engine and a custom observation tower with help from generous donors, including Gimme Snacks.
The main goals of the project are to:
1) Find out where and when sea turtles are in the area by doing sighting surveys.
2) Evaluate sea turtles in places where many are found so scientists can measure their size and check their health, genetics, sex, and diet.
3) Use satellite tags, GPS, small cameras attached to the turtles, and acoustic tracking devices to study their behavior and movements compared to each other and their surrounding habitat.
4) Study how sea turtles in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico are affected by problems such as harmful algal blooms, fishing activity, marine debris, and boat traffic.
Environmental and Conservation research can often be very complex, and scientists and researchers need to take many aspects and details into consideration. This short blog post is just a small peek into all of the information they are working to study. But the results of their findings help protect all sorts of ecosystems and organisms, including humans, for decades to come!
Check out Conserveturtles.org/projects to see what other amazing research that our partners at the Sea Turtle Conservancy are working on!