{"id":3144,"date":"2019-05-29T12:43:42","date_gmt":"2019-05-29T16:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmast.ncsu.edu\/?p=3144"},"modified":"2020-12-01T14:49:47","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T19:49:47","slug":"cmast-and-noaa-study-leatherback-sea-turtle-for-protected-species-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmast.ncsu.edu\/2019\/05\/cmast-and-noaa-study-leatherback-sea-turtle-for-protected-species-program\/","title":{"rendered":"CMAST and NOAA Study Leatherback Sea Turtle for Protected Species Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Marine Health Program at NC State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) recently took part in 10 days of field work off the North Carolina coast to study leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea<\/em>) migratory patterns, movements, and health status.<\/p>\n This is the second year of the project, working with NOAA Fisheries researchers in the Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species<\/a> (AMAPPS).<\/p>\n Leatherback sea turtles weighing approximately 500 \u2013 750 pounds were captured at sea off of Cape Lookout, using hoop nets deployed from small boats guided by an overhead spotter plane. Turtles spent about 15 minutes on an inflatable platform being measured and tagged (satellite, flipper, and microchip), having blood drawn (hematology, plasma chemistry analysis, blood gases, and NMR metabolomics), temperature recorded (leatherback sea turtles maintain an internal temperature warmer than their environment), fat thickness determined by ultrasound, and electrocardiogram (ECG) monitored. Thirteen turtles were captured this year, adding to the seven tagged and sampled last year.<\/p>\n