North Carolina Aquarium receives sea turtle satellite tracking grant.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island received $49,800 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to use satellite telemetry to track rehabilitated cold-stunned juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), in order to assess post-release survival and behavior. The Aquarium's sea turtle tracking project was one of only 86 out of 234 applicants to receive funding. An additional $9,975 was awarded for educational activities to disseminate results of the IMLS conservation project to the public via the Internet, and to develop multidisciplinary curriculum activities for grades six through twelve. Results will also be incorporated into existing education programs and live sea turtle exhibits at the North Carolina Aquariums.

Satellite telemetry provides a cost effective and efficient means of monitoring sea turtle migration and behavioral parameters in the field, and has been used successfully by many researchers. Transmitters are now smaller, better hydro-dynamically designed, more reliable, and methods for transmitter attachment have been refined and published. Live cold-stunned animals that are rescued along the North Carolina coast will be held for rehabilitation purposes and then released back to coastal waters. Satellite transmitters will be securely fastened onto the carapace of each turtle before release, and the device will be programmed to collect the turtles' geographical location data, water temperature, and dive profiles (i.e. duration and maximum depth).