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While the effects of HABs on marine mammals have been well documented, much less is known about their potential impact on sea turtles. Under the mentorship of Upwell Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Heather Harris, Cal Poly veterinary student Brenna Eikenbary is investigating the likelihood of HAB exposure among sea turtles stranded along the West Coast since 1990.
Last year in July, we deployed 10 micro-satellite tags on juvenile loggerheads in partnership with the Aquarium La Rochelle in France. Of this cohort, all of which are named after European scientists, the tags on turtles Archimede, Nicolas Copernic and Charles Darwin have continued to transmit for an astounding 312 days and counting (a new record)! As we prepare to release another set of turtles, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the observations from this first deployment, and how they help us to take the next steps in our research.
Why do we tag turtles? Upwell contributed our sea turtle telemetry data and expertise to the global UN-endorsed research project, MegaMove, which involves almost 400 scientists from over 50 countries in an effort to identify the most critical locations in our global oceans for better marine conservation efforts. The research found that the targets of the current BBNJ Treaty - signed by 115 countries but still to be ratified – is a step in the right direction and will be key to assist conservation but insufficient to cover all critical areas used by threatened marine megafauna, suggesting that additional threat mitigation measures are also needed.