Loggerhead STRETCH
Sea Turtle Research Experiment on the Thermal Corridor Hypothesis
Known in northwestern Mexico as tortuga amarilla or caguama (yellow turtle or caguama), it was found in large numbers in habitats along the coastal Pacific, yet no nesting beaches were known to exist in the region.
It wasn’t until 1987, when a solitary loggerhead bearing Japanese flipper tags wound up in waters off San Diego USA, that the notion of a transpacific migration was ever considered. |
With the Mexico-Japan connection confirmed with genetics and more tag returns in the mid-90s, and the story of Adelita—the most famous transpacific loggerhead—in 2000, there was an undeniable loggerhead linkage between the eastern Pacific and Japan—where the turtles are known as Akaumigame.
Equipped with this knowledge, scientists are now deciphering how loggerheads actually pull off such an amazing journey. Where are the migratory routes? Which elements in their environment guide their behavior? |
Map Instructions:
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To view individual tracks, click on the color-coded track directly on the map or by name in the map legend on the right-hand side. Note that photos of the individual turtles are available below the map.
To view all deployments, select ‘See All’ blue text next to ‘Deployments’ heading in the map legend. Place cursor over each data point to see the latitude, longitude, and timestamp in UTC (also known as Coordinated Universal Time). To minimize the map legend, press 'X' to close. To maximize the map legend, click the triple bars ≡ in the upper right-corner of the map. |
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Loggerhead sea turtles at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium (PNPA).
Video credits: Dana Briscoe & Marc Rice |
Fifteen of the 30 juvenile loggerhead turtles being raised at PNPA were being fed when we visited them in November. They are growing quickly and look very healthy!
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RESEARCHDive into the details and learn more about the research behind the project.
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MAPFollow along on our journey and track the movements of the sea turtles in real time.
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FAQInterested in learning more? Browse our frequently asked questions.
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