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A leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is captured off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia by scientists from the Canadian Sea Turtle Network.聽 The specialized shape of their upper jaw allows leatherbacks to slice chunks out of meaty jellyfish. |
That old Aesop鈥檚 fable about the turtle and the hare might have you underestimating the turtle; after all, that hare would have won if only it stayed on track鈥攔ight?
Fact is, while turtles are slow and clumsy on land, they can travel at great speeds for vast distances in the ocean鈥攁s the Great Turtle Race will undoubtedly show. For the race, 11 endangered leatherback turtles are being tracked from their feeding areas in the chilly waters off Atlantic Canada to breeding areas in the warm, tropical waters of the Caribbean: a distance of approximately 6,000 kilometres.
The race officially kicks off Thursday, April 16 and finishes in two weeks鈥� time. Race fans will be able follow the competitors鈥� progress on a race map updated daily at .
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| A leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) captured off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia聽slips into the water聽after being tagged with a satellite transmitter by scientists from the Canadian Sea Turtle Network. |
Each of the competing leatherbacks鈥攊ncluding both males and females, mature and juvenile turtles鈥攁re sponsored by the likes of R.E.M. and Pearl Jam. Olympic swimmers, including gold medalists Janet Evans, Jason Lezak and Eric Shanteau, will act as 鈥渃oaches鈥� for the contestants and Olympian-turned-analyst Rowdy Gaines will be calling the race on the website.
鈥淧eople need to know more about these amazing animals鈥攖hey鈥檙e endangered and they need protection,鈥� says Paul Robert MacDonald, a AV俱乐部 student who was part of the field research team which attached satellite transmitters to the animals off the waters of Nova Scotia back in July. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 definitely cool that the rock bands are onboard鈥攊t gets mainstream attention and makes people that much more aware.
鈥淚鈥檝e already met the turtles. I wonder if I could meet R.E.M. too?鈥�
Just heading into an exam on differential equations, the 22-year-old mathematics and biology major was happy to take a break to talk about the summer job of a lifetime. Working as part of a team with the Canadian Sea Turtle Network under Mike James, director of science for the network and adjunct professor at AV俱乐部, the job was to study the foraging behavior of leatherbacks. Working with fishermen, the researchers would identify leatherbacks and bring some aboard the fishing boat for further study: taking measurements of their carapace, body length and weight, taking DNA samples, and of course, attaching the satellite transmitters to their shells.
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| AV俱乐部 student Paul Robert MacDonald. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Leatherbacks are the largest turtles on Earth with evolutionary roots that go back more than 100 million years. But their numbers are on the decline due to egg harvest, fishery bycatch, coastal development, plastic ingestion and run-ins with propellers.
鈥淭hese turtles have one of the oldest family trees in the world and so much is unknown about them,鈥� says Mr. MacDonald, who is graduating this spring. 鈥淭he tags give us an accurate depiction of their migration routes, distances, averages speeds, depth of diving 鈥� the race is cool and everything, but this is data that can be used.鈥�
Last summer, the researchers came across the largest leatherback Dr. James had ever seen: a 1,400-pound female the researchers nicknamed 鈥淏ruiser.鈥� As they brought the leatherback aboard, its weight strained the platform they work from, attached to the back of the fishing boat.
鈥淚t was fast and furious鈥攚e were really scrambling,鈥� says Dr. James, who can鈥檛 help but root for Bruiser, renamed 鈥淲awa Bear,鈥� in the race.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e had two previous races like this before, but this is the first time they鈥檝e looked at the leatherbacks鈥� movements from north to south,鈥� says Dr. James, whose pioneering work is featured in the current issue of National Geographic.
鈥淪o I think it鈥檚 a great opportunity to enhance awareness of these animals in Canada; they spend months in the waters off Atlantic Canada foraging before returning south. The race will really let you see them moving these vast distances in the ocean.鈥�
The actual journeys take months to complete, but have been condensed to two weeks for the purpose of the race.
鈥淭he fate of sea turtles, the global marine environment and humanity itself are inextricably tied to the choices we make today,鈥� says Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard in a press release from the Canadian Sea Turtle Network. 鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to be a part of the Great Turtle race, and we are encouraging all our fans and friends to join the fun, cheer on our turtle, and help save the seas.鈥�
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