To: Journey North
From: Dr. Ed Standora,
State University College, Buffalo, NY
From VIRGINIA:
Q. How deep can a sea turtle go before the radio transmitter is no longer effective?
A. The transmitters can go down to a depth of 3,000m before they
crush. We have the loggerhead transmitters calibrated to record data
down to a depth of 250m. The transmitters do not transmit when they
are underwater. A saltwater switch turns the unit off if it is
submerged. This saves on battery life because high frequency radio
waves (401 MHz) do not travel well through sea water. When the transmitter
antenna breaks the surface the data which has been stored is transmitted
in a short burst. We can record depths to an accuracy of 1 meter.
From: The students at Columbia Elementary
Brassard.CAndace@epamail.epa.gov or cgarfiel@osf1.gmu.edu
From MINNESOTA:
Here are the Questions that my seventh grade science students wanted sent to the expert on loggerhead sea turtles:
Q. How old will loggerhead sea turtles live to be, and what is the usual cause of death?
A. There is a lot of guessing as to sea turtle ages. Some say they don't mature until they are twenty years old. Some nesting animals have been tagged over 29 years ago on nesting beaches. This would indicate ages of at least around 50 years (20+29). Some researchers say the maximum ages may be twice this value.
Q. How far can they swim without pausing for rest?
A. We really don't know how far they can swim without resting. Some of the animals have covered 3,000 km in about 3 months. An average speed would be about 20km/day.
Q. We learned that loggerhead sea turtles can eat Portugese Man of War. What protects them from the stinging cells in their eyes and mouth?
A. I could not find any references as to why the stinging cells of jellyfish do not affect the eyes of loggerheads. I don't remember hearing reports of loggerheads eating jellyfish, they are however the main component of the diet of leatherback sea turtles. I have have looked down the esophagus of leatherbacks and they have many finger like projections pointing towards the stomach. That is so the jellyfish can't slide back up. Yuk!
Margaret Menzies
Fosston High School
rjohnso@InforMNs.k12.mn.us
Q. Where and when do the turtles breed? How many eggs are laid at one time?
A. Along the Southeast portions of the U.S. the loggerheads nest April to September, peaking in June and July. The east coast of Florida and the area around Cape Canaveral has the largest loggerhead nesting population in the western hemisphere.
Q. Are the turtles endangered? How many are left?
A. All sea turtles are endangered or threatened. The loggerheads we tracked are on the threatened list which is not as critical as being endangered. In Florida there have been 31,000 nests in one season.
Phillis Wheatley School
Roxbury, MA
robinsj@meol.mass.edu
From FLORIDA:
Q. What is their diet and how much do they eat in one day?
A. The diet of the loggerhead changes geographically. We know they eat spider crabs when in northern waters.
Q. What is the population of the Loggerhead?
A. There are approximately 30,000 nesting females in the S.E. U.S.
Q .How old is the oldest one on record?
A.There is a lot of guessing as to sea turtle ages. Some say they don't mature until they are twenty years old. Some nesting animals have been tagged over 29 years ago on nesting beaches. This would indicate ages of at least around 50 years (20+29). Some researchers say the maximum ages may be twice this value.
From: Molly Godley
From ONTARIO:
Q. Do the turtles travel by themselves or with a pack/group?
A. Turtles appear to travel by themselves, but often along the same route.
Q. How far does the Loggerhead turtle swim each day?
A. We really don't know how far they can swim without resting. Some of the animals have covered 3,000 km in about 3 months. An average speed would be about 20km/day.
Q. How long can the turtles stay under water for?
A. Traveling turtles stay underwater for 40-60 minutes. This value varies greatly depending on temperature and level of activity. Cold inactive turtles have mud stains on their shells indicating they may have been submerged for days.
Q. Do the turtles travel by themselves or with a pack/group? How far does the Loggerhead turtle swim each day?
A. The loggeheads swim 20-40 km/day but can move up to 80km/day when they are in the Gulf Stream. No one really knows what the animals eat in the open ocean, probably small floating items as I mentioned in an earlier message about convergent lines. The turtles travel as individuals but then congregate at feeding locations or off the nesting beachs.
Q. How long can the turtles stay under water for?
A. The turtles often spend over an hour diving, but this can vary greatly depending on many factors as mentioned in an earlier message.
Scott Young Public School By Rosemarie Harrison syoung@web.apc.org
From SOUTH CAROLINA:
We are third graders from Oak Grove Elem. in Lexington, S.C. We are enjoying Journey North! Here are our questions for the expert.
Q. How fast do loggerheads swim when they are out to sea? See above.
Q. How long can they stay underwater? See above.
Q. What do loggerheads mainly diet on when they are in deep ocean waters?
See above.
From: Theresa Harmon <oge@scsn.net>
From CONNECTICUT:
We are from Pomfret, Connecticut. Can you answer my question ?
Q.How many times a year does a Loggerhead Turtle lay it's eggs ? Please write back soon
A. Loggerheads lay every 2, 3, or 4 years. During the season the female will come ashore every 14 days for up to 6 times. I think the record is 7 times. It is difficult to do long term studies because the flipper tags fall off the animals.
JDearyGYM@aol.com Patrick Deary
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