Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




EARTH OBSERVATION
Satellite tracking of sea turtles reveals potential threat posed by manmade chemicals
by Staff Writers
London, UK (SPX) Apr 27, 2011


This is a turtle from Port Canaveral. Credit: Dr. Jennifer Keller, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The first research to actively analyze adult male sea turtles (Caretta caretta) using satellite tracking to link geography with pollutants has revealed the potential risks posed to this threatened species by manmade chemicals. The research, published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, examines the different levels of chemicals in the blood of both migratory and residential turtles.

"The risks posed by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) remain largely a mystery for threatened loggerhead sea turtles," said lead author Jared Ragland from the College of Charleston, South Carolina. "A clear understanding of these risks is critical for wildlife managers trying to maintain both the health of reproductively active individuals and a sustainable population overall."

Twenty-nine turtles were captured near Port Canaveral, Florida and fitted with satellite transmitters as part of a National Marine Fisheries Service-funded project. Blood was analyzed for traces of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and toxaphenes, chemicals documented to have carcinogenic and neurodevelopmental effects.

Of the 29 turtles tracked, 19 were analyzed for POPs for which they were separated into two groups and tracked for 60 days. Ten transient turtles travelled north along the U.S. Atlantic coast, eventually arriving in shelf water between New Jersey and South Carolina, while nine turtles remained resident at Cape Canaveral.

The tracking data revealed significantly different movement patterns between transient and resident adult males. Individuals migrating north after breeding season were found to have elevated blood plasma concentrations of POPs, putting them at higher risk to toxic effects compared to the turtles that remained in Florida.

The findings support the idea that foraging location can influence exposure to, and patterns of, POPs in highly mobile species such as sea turtles. Migrating turtles face cumulative poisoning as contaminants infiltrate the food chain through prey species, such as crabs.

"Our research is the first to examine POPs in the rarely studied adult male sea turtle and to couple contaminant measurements with satellite tracking," concluded Ragland. "Although the turtle has been listed as threatened for more than 30 years, it is only now that we can begin to examine the effects of manmade chemicals on these animals in the wild."

.


Related Links
Wiley-Blackwell
Earth Observation News - Suppiliers, Technology and Application






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








EARTH OBSERVATION
GOES-13 Satellite Eyeing System With High Risk of Severe Weather
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Apr 27, 2011
A low pressure area currently over northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin has created conditions that call for a forecast of severe weather in the eastern third of the U.S. and one area is even labeled "high risk." The GOES-13 Satellite captured a visible image of the system as daytime heating was boiling up strong and severe thunderstorms. What's unusual about the system is that there a ... read more


EARTH OBSERVATION
BRP To Contribute To Canadian Moon And Mars Exploration Programs

Naveen Jain Co-Founder And Chairman Of Moon Express

Project Morpheus To Begin Testing At NASA's Johnson Space Center

NASA Announces Winners Of 18th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race

EARTH OBSERVATION
NASA Orbiter Reveals Big Changes in Mars' Atmosphere

Dry ice find hints Mars was a wetter place: study

A Tale Of Two Deserts

Mars Rover's 'Gagarin' Moment Applauded Exploration

EARTH OBSERVATION
The Big Picture Wins Big

T-38s Soar as Spaceflight Trainers

Tugboats in Space

SpaceX Wins NASA Contract To Complete Development Of Successor To Space Shuttle

EARTH OBSERVATION
Countdown begins for Chineses space station program

Asia's star ever brighter in space

What Future for Chang'e-2

China setting up new rocket production base

EARTH OBSERVATION
See You On The ISS Said The Spider To The Fly

Russia launches cargo vessel for space station

Russia's Progress M-09M spacecraft to be sunk in Pacific

Russia prepares to launch space freighter to ISS

EARTH OBSERVATION
GSAT-8 put through its paces

Ariane Ariane 5 enjoys second successful launch for 2011

Ariane rocket launches two telecoms satellites

SpaceX aims to put man on Mars in 10-20 years

EARTH OBSERVATION
Tuning Into ExoPlanet Radio

The Shocking Environment Of Hot Jupiters

Radio signals could 'tag' distant planets

Titan-Like Exoplanets

EARTH OBSERVATION
Lake life around Chernobyl said thriving

Researchers working to advance predictability research initiatives

Researchers Discover Optical Secrets of Metallic Beetles

New material creates invisibility




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement