my main interest is understanding how or specifically what the mechanism is for
specifically what the mechanism is for
specifically what the mechanism is for these sea turtles to synchronize their
these sea turtles to synchronize their
these sea turtles to synchronize their nesting behaviors we do not know why the
nesting behaviors we do not know why the
nesting behaviors we do not know why the sea turtles specifically come to Austin
sea turtles specifically come to Austin
sea turtles specifically come to Austin el sea turtles are renowned for their
el sea turtles are renowned for their
el sea turtles are renowned for their ability to travel extremely long
ability to travel extremely long
ability to travel extremely long distances as young turtles before
distances as young turtles before
distances as young turtles before returning to the same geographic area
returning to the same geographic area
returning to the same geographic area where they hatched to lay their eggs as
where they hatched to lay their eggs as
where they hatched to lay their eggs as adults this is a behavior called natal
adults this is a behavior called natal
adults this is a behavior called natal homing that exists in all species of sea
homing that exists in all species of sea
homing that exists in all species of sea turtles but we really don’t have a very
turtles but we really don’t have a very
turtles but we really don’t have a very good idea for how they do it possible
good idea for how they do it possible
good idea for how they do it possible that a sea turtle has a pheromone that
that a sea turtle has a pheromone that
that a sea turtle has a pheromone that they secrete into the ocean and that
they secrete into the ocean and that
they secrete into the ocean and that perhaps this concentration of this
perhaps this concentration of this
perhaps this concentration of this chemical reaches some sort of threshold
chemical reaches some sort of threshold
chemical reaches some sort of threshold where all of a sudden the turtles know
where all of a sudden the turtles know
where all of a sudden the turtles know that it’s time to net and come up on the
that it’s time to net and come up on the
that it’s time to net and come up on the beach at that point if a sea turtle
beach at that point if a sea turtle
beach at that point if a sea turtle needs to smell a pheromone or be able to
needs to smell a pheromone or be able to
needs to smell a pheromone or be able to perceive it then they need their sense
perceive it then they need their sense
perceive it then they need their sense of smell in order to know that it’s time
of smell in order to know that it’s time
of smell in order to know that it’s time to do this math nesting
we are taking a boat that we hire with a
we are taking a boat that we hire with a local fisherman out to the offshore
local fisherman out to the offshore
local fisherman out to the offshore waters of Austin L and we are about two
waters of Austin L and we are about two
waters of Austin L and we are about two miles off the shore
once we reach that area we’re looking
once we reach that area we’re looking over the horizon for aggregations of sea
over the horizon for aggregations of sea
over the horizon for aggregations of sea turtles in the water once we find the
turtles in the water once we find the
turtles in the water once we find the sea turtles
sea turtles
sea turtles Roger is helping me and going into the
Roger is helping me and going into the
Roger is helping me and going into the water and safely capturing them and
water and safely capturing them and
water and safely capturing them and bringing them onto the boat some days
bringing them onto the boat some days
bringing them onto the boat some days they’re much more likely to swim away
they’re much more likely to swim away
they’re much more likely to swim away and try to escape but other days they
and try to escape but other days they
and try to escape but other days they don’t seem on the experiment that we’re
don’t seem on the experiment that we’re
don’t seem on the experiment that we’re focusing on is trying to see whether we
focusing on is trying to see whether we
focusing on is trying to see whether we take away that sense of smell if a sea
take away that sense of smell if a sea
take away that sense of smell if a sea turtle is less likely to come up on the
turtle is less likely to come up on the
turtle is less likely to come up on the beach and participate in a mass nesting
beach and participate in a mass nesting
beach and participate in a mass nesting event once we have the sea turtle on the
event once we have the sea turtle on the
event once we have the sea turtle on the boat then we are doing two different
boat then we are doing two different
boat then we are doing two different treatments that we’re applying to the
treatments that we’re applying to the
treatments that we’re applying to the nostrils of the sea turtle we are doing
nostrils of the sea turtle we are doing
nostrils of the sea turtle we are doing one treatment that is sea water and this
one treatment that is sea water and this
one treatment that is sea water and this is a control and the treatment that
is a control and the treatment that
is a control and the treatment that we’re actually doing experimental E is
we’re actually doing experimental E is
we’re actually doing experimental E is called zinc sulfate and this is a
called zinc sulfate and this is a
called zinc sulfate and this is a chemical that temporarily an FC sizes
chemical that temporarily an FC sizes
chemical that temporarily an FC sizes the olfactory bulb of sea turtles so
the olfactory bulb of sea turtles so
the olfactory bulb of sea turtles so that the sea turtle will temporarily be
that the sea turtle will temporarily be
that the sea turtle will temporarily be unable to smell anything in the few days
unable to smell anything in the few days
unable to smell anything in the few days leading up to a mass nesting event that
leading up to a mass nesting event that
leading up to a mass nesting event that we’re expecting we have been going out
we’re expecting we have been going out
we’re expecting we have been going out on the boat and capturing as many sea
on the boat and capturing as many sea
on the boat and capturing as many sea turtles as possible before we release
turtles as possible before we release
turtles as possible before we release the turtle we’ve been drying the
the turtle we’ve been drying the
the turtle we’ve been drying the carapace and
carapace and
carapace and using spray-paint to mark a line either
using spray-paint to mark a line either
using spray-paint to mark a line either horizontally or vertically on the
horizontally or vertically on the
horizontally or vertically on the carapace depending on the treatment and
carapace depending on the treatment and
carapace depending on the treatment and then we released a sea turtle during
then we released a sea turtle during
then we released a sea turtle during every mass nesting event we always have
every mass nesting event we always have
every mass nesting event we always have people on the beach surveying the beach
people on the beach surveying the beach
people on the beach surveying the beach and transact surveys to count the number
and transact surveys to count the number
and transact surveys to count the number of nesting females so I have these
of nesting females so I have these
of nesting females so I have these volunteers looking for the females that
volunteers looking for the females that
volunteers looking for the females that we have marked to see how many of each
we have marked to see how many of each
we have marked to see how many of each type of sea turtle is actually coming up
type of sea turtle is actually coming up
type of sea turtle is actually coming up on the beach nest I certainly don’t
on the beach nest I certainly don’t
on the beach nest I certainly don’t think this is a question that I can
think this is a question that I can
think this is a question that I can answer in the scope of my PhD so my hope
answer in the scope of my PhD so my hope
answer in the scope of my PhD so my hope is that I can then move forward and take
is that I can then move forward and take
is that I can then move forward and take this as you know a careers worth of
this as you know a careers worth of
this as you know a careers worth of research that I can keep keep trying to
research that I can keep keep trying to
research that I can keep keep trying to answer more and more questions for
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