The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies who alerted us to the alarming record number of dolphin deaths poses a theory for how oil may be a contributing factor to the record number of turtle deaths. They believe that the oil may have reduced the turtles ability to retain oxygen which makes them more vulnerable to trawling net deaths.
“It’s a phenomenal distance covered,” Solangi said.
One of the six died and one lost his tracking device early. Crush returned without his device, but he had it until April 24.
What they have demonstrated, Solangi said, is significant.
“For the first time ever, we now know their habitat and range,” Solangi said.
The map of their travels shows they roamed all through the northern, western and central Gulf -- from Dauphin Island, Ala., to Grand Isle, La.
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All but the one that lost his tracking device early were recorded returning to Mississippi inshore waters.
“That means this area is home,” he said. And Solangi’s betting the six turtles the IMMS released in Florida in April will try to come home, too.
The only problem with “home” right now is the range these turtles traveled was some of area hardest-hit by oil.
Recent deaths
In April, 183 Kemp’s Ridleys washed ashore dead in Mississippi and Alabama, mostly in Mississippi. The IMMS also brought in seven alive, including Crush.
In the one month, there were more dead Kemp’s Ridleys found in the northern Gulf than any other April since 1986 for Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, Princetich said.
“We have a lot of theories,” he said.
“A lead one is that they were all a little bit poisoned and couldn’t make the normal trip through a shrimp trawler. One boat, in one day, can kill a lot of turtles. Normally a turtle can hold its breath for longer than 30 minutes, giving it time to get out of a shrimp net.
He said it has been proven oil inhibits turtles’ ability to hold oxygen in their blood.
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