Aquarium in New England Aids Injured Marine Turtles, Enabling Their Wild Survival
Sea turtles rehabilitated by the New England Aquarium and released back into the wild are offering insights into their survival and behavior after recovery. Tales from the New England Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA have been saving sea turtles of various species for over three decades, with over 500 turtles admitted in just the last three years. Given the decline of loggerhead sea turtle populations, such work is vital for this specific species.
To delve deeper into the lives of these rehabbed loggerheads, Aquarium vetz and scientists received permission for a federal study to track turtles that were originally stranded near and then reintroduced to Massachusetts waters. Transmitters surgically inserted within the turtles sent data via satellite, allowing scientists to monitor their movements—a common method used for highly mobile ocean creatures.
Acoustic data from listening stations between Massachusetts and Florida, between August 2021 and July 2024, revealed nearly 6,000 pings from loggerheads. All tagged and released turtles in 2021 and 2022 appear to be thriving, with homecoming to established feeding grounds along the New England coast, particularly Cape Cod.
Dr. Kara Dodge, a research scientist at the Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, shares her optimism, "'These acoustic transmitters are telling us that rehabilitated sea turtles can survive beyond that first year, and they are showing up in well-established feeding areas. That gives us confidence in their ability to reintegrate into the wild population.'"
Future plans include expanding the transmitters to Kemp's ridley and green sea turtles, treated at the Aquarium. Insights from these tagged turtles could help shape conservation management and policy actions. Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, all three species face common threats such as entanglement in fishing gear, habitat loss, illegal harvesting, marine debris, vessel strikes, and climate change.
The tracking project's next phase aims to gather data through 2032. Dr. Charles Innis, senior scientist and Aquarium veterinarian, sets high expectations for the program, "If we continue to gather data for larger numbers of turtles in New England waters, we will likely have a better understanding of when they are typically present and where they spend their time."
The public can partake in the research by visiting the Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life's Sea Turtle Tracker. This interactive map traces the journeys of individual sea turtles, offering insights into each species.
The New England Aquarium's rehabilitated loggerhead sea turtles, tagged with acoustic transmitters, are thriving and returning to their established feeding grounds along the New England coast, particularly at Cape Cod. The gathered data from these turtles, including their movements between Massachusetts and Florida, are providing valuable insights for conservation management and policy actions related to endangered species like loggerheads. With plans to expand the tracking project to Kemp's ridley and green sea turtles, the public can engage in the research by visiting the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Tracker.
