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Thesis
Growing pains: investigating satellite tag epoxy attachments on juvenile turtles
University of West Florida,
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2021
Abstract
While nesting behavior of sea turtles is well understood, gaps in knowledge exist for inwater movements. This is especially true for neonate and small juvenile turtles, which are overall data poor at pelagic and early neritic stages. The use of satellite-linked platform terminal transmitters (PTTs) allows scientists to study sea turtle movements; however, long-term tracking of sea turtles comes with a unique set of challenges. Tracking durations can be brief and limited by technical failures. Most PTTs on small juveniles fail within one year. There is a general consensus among many biologists who tag small juvenile turtles that tags are failing due to premature detachment from carapace expansion. I tested this growth-caused detachment hypothesis through a series of controlled experiments. First, using empty red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) shells, I conducted axial load testing with model transmitters attached. Second, using juvenile red-eared sliders with model PTTs, I recreated the stress of shell growth on the epoxied-tag attachment. In both experiments, a suite of epoxies were tested, expansion factors were measured, and data was compared to sea turtle growth rates. This research contributes to the knowledge of how adhesives interact with a growing turtle shell.
Details
- Title
- Growing pains
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Publisher
- University of West Florida,; [Pensacola, Florida] :
- Format
- text;electronic resource;remote;computer;online resource
- Number of pages
- 1 online resource (viii, 78 leaves : illustrations, charts)
- Copyright
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
- Identifiers
- 99380090845106600
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Science (MS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida