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Magas gives scientists a peek at her whereabouts
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Posted on Jun 08 2011
Magas, a green sea turtle that regularly nests at the Lao Lao Bay Beach, became the second satellite tagged turtle in Saipan’s history, with the installation of a satellite tag on her shell on May 31, 2011.
The turtle was named Magas (boss in the Chamorro language) with the assistance of Rota High School students. The first satellite tagged sea turtle on Saipan was named Kumiko, in dedication and memorial to a volunteer and friend to the CNMI Sea Turtle Program who passed away after a fight with cancer on the same evening the turtle emerged to nest.
Sea turtles that nest in the CNMI only stay long enough to mate and lay several nests and are off again to their next destination: foraging grounds. These foraging grounds are places where turtles find food and shelter for several years until they return to their nesting grounds to lay eggs on Saipan beaches again.
The satellite tag will allow researchers to keep track of where Magas goes after nesting on Saipan. Satellite tags are radio transmitters that send signals to satellites orbiting earth. Information from the satellite is then relayed to computers via the ARGOS system. Scientists then plot tracks and produce maps showing the migration routes of each tagged turtle.
Satellite tagging provides immediate and detailed information on turtle movements, dive time, and water temperature, showing the actual route taken to foraging areas by turtles after nesting.
Once Magas’ tag is registered online, scientists, schoolchildren, and members of the community alike will be able to track her progress on www.seaturtle.org and www.ihaggan.com.
This project is supported by the CNMI Department of Lands & Natural Resources and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. [B][I](Tammy Summers)[/I][/B]
