Behavior of Hatchling Sea Turtles During Their Off-Shore    Migration
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Fred Stollnitz', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
Sea turtles are large marine reptiles, which are an important source of         protein in many third-world countries.  All species of sea turtles are          either threatened or endangered.  This unfortunate situation comes about        because of overfishing of adult stocks, nest destruction and poaching of        eggs, and because the pristine oceanic beaches chosen as nest sites are         now prime areas for human recreation and land development.  A major             conservation thrust involves the protection of the most vulnerable sea          turtles--the small and virtually defenseless hatchlings--by rearing them        for about a year in large tanks before releasing them into the sea.                                                                                             Under natural conditions, hatchlings emerge from nests at night, crawl          down-beach, and migrate out to sea.  Hatchlings released at sea are             deprived of this experience.  In many migratory animals, such as birds          and salmonid fishes, cues perceived by young as they migrate are used           later by individuals as adults to find suitable breeding sites.  If sea         turtles behave similarly, hatchlings deprived of their off-beach                migration may survive but, as adults, be unable to locate appropriate           beaches in which to nest.                                                                                                                                       The long-term goal of the present research project is also to promote           hatchling survival, but Drs. Salmon and Wyneken believe that sound              conservation practices must be based upon a thorough understanding of           how hatchlings migrate and when, during their journey, they are most            vulnerable to predators.  Thus, Drs. Salmon and Wyneken will attempt to         determine how loggerhead sea turtles complete their 30-km migration             between the East coast of Florida and their goal, the Sargassum matts of        the Gulf Stream.  Drs. Salmon and Wyneken will follow hatchlings bearing        radio transmitters to determine how long the trip takes, will do                experiments to determine what cues guide them, and will determine what          predators take hatchlings at various portions of their journey.                                                                                                 Armed with this understanding, Drs. Salmon and Wyneken should be able to        specify under what conditions hatchlings might be released into the sea         at locations where predators are least likely to capture them, and under        conditions that are ideal for the completion of their migration.  The           potential benefits are several:  reestablishment of sufficient stocks           for intelligent harvesting; insights into the migratory behavior and            ecology of a fascinating and magnificent marine animal; and the                 implementation of sound conservation practices based upon a thorough            knowledge of the animal's biology.
[{'FirstName': 'Michael', 'LastName': 'Salmon', 'PI_MID_INIT': None, 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Michael Salmon', 'EmailAddress': None, 'NSF_ID': '000159892', 'StartDate': '09/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'Jeanette', 'LastName': 'Wyneken', 'PI_MID_INIT': None, 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Jeanette Wyneken', 'EmailAddress': 'jwyneken@fau.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000306113', 'StartDate': '09/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}]
{'Name': 'University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign', 'CityName': 'URBANA', 'ZipCode': '618013620', 'PhoneNumber': '2173332187', 'StreetAddress': '506 S WRIGHT ST', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Illinois', 'StateCode': 'IL', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '13', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'IL13', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'Y8CWNJRCNN91', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
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{'Code': '1160', 'Text': 'IBN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR'}
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