Hello, Loggerhead Detectives!
Your mission today is to follow the loggerheads' latest movements, and see if they are still headed in the same direction. We have the new data from Dr. Standora, and we've put it below. Be sure to chart the turtles' new movements, and compare them to the earlier movements!!
In last week's update we challenged you to find our where the Loggerhead had to look for a crab dinner. Thanks to the third grade class from New Hope, Minnesota that answered without getting "crabby." We have put their response below.
After last week's update, a group of students called "The Loggerhead Turtle Group" from Lexington, Massachussetts sent in some very interesting theories and questions about where our loggerheads are going and why. Please read the note from The Loggerhead Turtle Group and then try to answer the Challenge Question that follows. (Instructions on how to respond are at the bottom of this update.)
From the Loggerhead Turtle Group:
"It looks to us like the turtles have been moving towards Europe and the Mediterranean Sea even though we see land close by (the U.S.). We know their favorite food is crabs and we think crabs live in shallow water. However, they seem to be moving towards the deeper water. Why are they going that way? What will they eat?." fpoor@poorhouse.lexington.ma.us
These are very good questions! In fact, scientists have tried to study what the loggerheads eat because this information is very important when the are working on conservation programs to protect the turtles and their habitat. Although scientists have studied what sea turtles eat in coastal and shallow areas, much is still not known about what other foods they eat--especially when they are in deep ocean waters, like our turtles appear to be. After all, you can imagine how hard it would be to ask a sea turtle what's for dinner when they're so far out at sea.
Challenge Question # 34 :
"Are there any well-known ocean currents that might have influenced where the turtles appear to have travelled? If you think there are, tell us the name of the currents, and be sure to tell us as much as you can about those currents."
New Migration Data:
Turtle # 09037
Feb. 23: 37.271N, 68.813W
Feb. 24: 37.277N, 68.241W
Feb. 25: 36.991N, 67.737W
Turtle # 09038
No data received
Turtle #09039
Feb. 23: 39.237N, 60.693W
Feb. 24: 39.540N, 60.441W
Feb. 25: 39.885N, 59.883W
Turtle # 11462
Feb. 23: 40.108N, 57.447W
Feb. 24: 41.106N, 55.907W
Feb. 25: 40.989N, 54.381W
Students' Answers to Challenge Question # 26:
From MINNESOTA:
"We used books from our library and found out spider crabs live in water up to 600 meters deep. Rock crabs lived along rocky seashores. Where the turtles are now, they won't be eating these crabs! Maybe they'll eat something else: seaweed or fish? We'll have to find out."
Katie Wilson (kwilson@metro2.k12.mn.us)
Sonnesyn Elementary 3rd grade New Hope MN
How to Respond to Journey North Challenge Question # 34:
"Are there any well-known ocean currents that might have influenced where the turtles appear to have travelled? If you think there are, tell us the name of the currents, and be sure to tell us as much as you can about those currents."
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of the message write: Challenge Question # 34.
3. In the body of the message, give your school's name and location and answer the question!
We'll share your ideas and those of other students in future reports. You can also see students' answers to Challenge Questions on Journey North's WWW site.
The Next Loggerhead Turtle Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 20, 1996.
 |
|
|---|
