Scientists follow hatchlings from Cape Verde with tiny
acoustic transmitters
With new nano-sized acoustic transmitters, scientists from
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, the Turtle Foundation and
Queen Mary University of London were able to follow the pathways of loggerhead
turtle hatchlings from Cape Verde. The tiny animals quickly swim through
predator-rich coastal waters and are then dispersed by nearby ocean currents.
According to the study, which was primarily funded by the Kiel Cluster of
Excellence “The Future Ocean”, the local oceanic conditions are believed to
drive the evolution of some unique swimming behaviours. The results are
published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.