15 Mar Survival of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Post-release

A Wildlife Computers survivorship pop-up tag (sPAT) pops off an animal after a set number of days unless a death event occurs—inferred from a combination of light and depth levels. Researchers deployed sPAT tags on olive ridley sea turtles captured in fish trawlers in Gabon, Africa. Olive ridley turtles seem to be caught in “disproportionately large numbers compared to the number of individuals in the local population.” When caught, these turtles can experience a comatose state which may affect them upon release.

There are resuscitation protocols for release but little is known about mortality post-release. During the study, three turtles were released with sPAT tags. Two of the three turtles survived. The third died but not as a result of being caught but because it was eaten. The tag helped provide a greater understanding of post-release mortality. Read the study.