BOSTON – New research by the New England Aquarium has found that loggerhead sea turtles released into the ocean in 2021 and 2022 following rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy are still alive and well and returning to regional waters years later.
The data was gathered using transmissions from surgically implanted acoustic tags placed during their rehab, which operate similarly to an EZ-pass during listening sessions when the turtles come near.
The findings open a window into the lives and survivorship of the marine reptiles as they reintegrate into the wild after enduring traumatic sickness and injury and offer an encouraging prognosis on the efficacy of turtle rehabilitation efforts.
“These acoustic transmitters are telling us that rehabilitated sea turtles can survive beyond that first year, and they are showing up in well-established feeding areas,” said Dr. Kara Dodge, research scientist with the New England Aquarium.
“We’re also finding that some turtles are returning to New England waters in the summer and fall,” she said, “which was surprising and tells us this area may be more important for loggerheads than we previously thought.”
Looking forward, the Aquarium aims to expand the program to track other species, such as Kemp’s ridley and green sea turtles, to aid in conservation efforts in the region and beyond.
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