LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE TRACKING Grays' Reef NMS Satellite Tagging Project Follow previously tagged loggerhead sea turtles "Mary Lee" and "Johanna" Mary Lee was tagged June 27th, 2002, on Wassaw Island, Georgia. She was a new nester to Wassaw that season. Since Mary Lee only possessed tag scars, it was not known if she had nested on Wassaw previously or was tagged at another island. Johanna was tagged June 28th, 2002, and was a remigrant who had nested at Wassaw Island earlier that season on June 10, 2002. These turtles were tagged in partnership with the Caretta Research Project and WhaleNet. Other Gray's Reef Tagged Turtles Big Mama and ALESSA Humpty Dumpty (the injured turtle that was treated and released with a satellite tag) Previously tagged loggerhead sea turtles Background Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary is an important habitat for sea turtles including the threatened Loggerhead sea turtle. The ledges and overhangs of the reef provide the Loggerhead sea turtle with protected resting spots, a bountiful resource of food, and close proximity to nesting sites on barrier island beaches. Although observations by sanctuary staff have documented the presence of Loggerhead sea turtles within the sanctuary and along the South Atlantic Bight, little is known about the turtles daily and seasonal behavior nor their use of the ocean habitats, especially off the coast of Georgia. Many studies have focused on easily accessible nesting behavior and post nesting movement of adult females, while little work has been conducted on adult male and juvenile behavioral patterns and spatial use of coastal waters. GRNMS Sea Turtle Satellite Tagging Project utilized backpack satellite tags to monitor adult and juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtle behavior and movement in the South Atlantic Bight. Specifically, parameters including turtles position, time, and depth were electronically collected and transmitted via satellite simultaneously to scientists at GRNMS. The data allows scientists 1) to help explain movement and dive patterns of Loggerhead sea turtles, 2) to develop a biological model to increase the predictability of these patterns, 3) to obtain information concerning Loggerhead behavior and activity off the coast of Georgia, and 4) to explain the interactions between sea turtles and shrimp trawlers. The project methods included turtle capture, weight measurement, blood analysis, satellite tag attachment, and release of turtle. To capture a turtle, a loggerhead is directed by divers into a hand held net, carried to the surface, and lifted onto a boat. Turtles are returned to the capture site following a blood sample and the attachment of a satellite transmitter and identification tag. The Loggerhead Turtle has an elongate, heart shaped shell that is ridged and made of two layers. The first is a bony structure formed by the fusion of vertebrate and ribs, while the second is a covering of kerotinized scales or scutes (similar to our finger and toe nails) which make up the outer shell layer. The shell of the Loggerhead turtle called a "carapace" has 10 scales. For these studies, the satellite transmitters were attached to the turtle using a 2-part adhesive placed on the highest part of the animals carapace: the second scale. A sea turtle, like all reptiles, must surface to breath; when it does, an air bubble forms under its shell producing positive buoyancy, bringing the animal to the surface in a flat, prone position, rather than head first. As a result, the transmitter antenna is placed facing backwards so when the turtle surfaces, so too will the transmitter. As the turtle and transmitter are exposed to air, the data collected while underwater is transmitted via satellite. The transmitted information provides specific information concerning turtle position, time intervals between surfacing, migration behaviors, day/night swimming patterns, and inshore/offshore preferred water ranges through instantaneous data readout of the Loggerhead sea turtles Behavior Patterns.