Study with turtles on a treadmill reveals their stamina

Once a baby sea turtle hatches from its egg, the lure of the ocean is immediate; hatchlings make the trek from their nest to the water within the first 24 hours, in what’s known as a ‘frenzy’ period.

The journey itself should take just minutes, but disorientation along the way can cause the freshly hatched turtles to spend hours crawling through the sand.

In a new study using specially designed mini-treadmills and swimsuits, conservationists observed how hatchlings cope with disorientation – and, they were shocked to find the young turtles are ‘crawling machines.’

 

The hatchlings came from 27 loggerhead turtle nests and 18 green turtle nests, and were released back into the ocean shortly after

Sea turtle hatchlings are thought to follow the brightest low horizon to get to the ocean – so, the researchers simulated this lighting to guide their path, using tiny treadmills to track their movements. The hatchlings were released back to the ocean shortly after

HOW THEY DID IT 

Sea turtle hatchlings are thought to follow the brightest low horizon to get to the ocean – so, the researchers simulated this lighting to guide their path.

After walking on the treadmill, the hatchlings were fitted with a tiny swim suit and placed into a small tank, where the team measured their breathing rates and stroke rates.

For both scenarios, the researchers also measured their oxygen consumption and lactate accumulation.

In addition to the laboratory experiments, the researchers conducted a number of field studies, to see how the hatchlings behaved in a natural setting, and how disorientation affected their ‘frenzy.’

They then compared the results from both settings, revealing the lab studies matched the field studies. 

‘What prompted our study was the desire to understand what happens to these hatchlings after they spend hours crawling on the beach because they are disoriented,’ said lead author Sarah L Milton, PhD, associate professor of biological sciences in Florida Atlantic University’s College of Science.

‘We wanted to know if they would even be able to swim after crawling 500 meters or more, which could take them as long as seven hours to complete.’

The team observed 150 hatchlings collected just as they emerged from nests in Palm Beach Country.

The hatchlings came from 27 loggerhead turtle nests and 18 green turtle nests, and were released back to the ocean shortly after.

To study their movements, the researchers used tiny enclosed treadmills.

Sea turtle hatchlings are thought to follow the brightest low horizon to get to the ocean – so, the researchers simulated this lighting to guide their path.

After walking on the treadmill, the hatchlings were fitted with a tiny swimsuit and placed into a small tank, where the team measured their breathing rates and stroke rates.

For both scenarios, the researchers also measured their oxygen consumption and lactate accumulation.

In addition to the laboratory experiments, the researchers conducted a number of field studies, to see how the hatchlings behaved in a natural setting, and how disorientation affected their ‘frenzy.’

And, after comparing the two, the researchers were shocked to find the hatchlings were far more physically capable than previously suspected.

‘We were completely surprised by the results of this study,’ Milton said.

‘We were expecting that the hatchlings would be really tired from the extended crawling and that they would not be able to swim well.

After walking on the treadmill, the hatchlings were fitted with a tiny swimsuit and placed into a small tank, where the team measured their breathing rates and stroke rates

After walking on the treadmill, the hatchlings were fitted with a tiny swimsuit and placed into a small tank, where the team measured their breathing rates and stroke rates

‘It turned out not to be the case and that they are in fact crawling machines. They crawl and rest, crawl and rest and that’s why they weren’t too tired to swim.’

Still, the researchers warn that disorientation may have other consequences for the hatchlings.

While they may be able to crawl for hours and still manage to swim, spending prolonged periods on the beach puts them at risk of being eaten or injured.

‘One of the goals of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is to reduce hatchling disorientation and our study provides the scientific basis to support lighting ordinances during turtle hatching season,’ said Milton.

‘We all need to do our part in helping to conserve these incredible animals.’ 



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