2º Satellite Telemetry Program (2004/2005)
In 2004/2005 a new study called “Study of the biology of the sea turtles through the satellite telemetry” is being carried out as a part of the “Program of priority studies for the support to the research about biology of the sea turtles”, developed by TAMAR Project with the support of CENPES/Petrobras (Petrobras Research Center). The proposal of this study is to analyze the reproductive and post-reproductive locomotions of the threatened species of sea turtles that occur in the Brazilian coast through the use of satellite tags.
The satellite telemetry program started in February of 2005, when satellite tags were installed in 15 females of the hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), in the North coast of Bahia state.
In continuity to this Study, 03 transmitters KiwiSat 101(with capacity to work for up to 450 days) were installed in females of the Dermochelys coriacea (leatherback sea turtle) in north coast of Espírito Santo, only reproductive area of this species in the Brazilian coast. With the death of one of those females, the transmitter is being reused in another turtle captured accidentally in a fishing net in the coast of São Paulo in February of 2006.
The species
Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle) and
Lepidochelys olivacea (olive
ridley sea turtle) they are also monitored. In the middle of January and
February of this year, 10 females of each one of those species received
transmitters in the coast of Bahia and north coast of Sergipe,
respectively.
All of the transmitters were acquired of the “Sirtrack Limited”, they are
of the model KiwiSat 101, with batteries for up to 450 days.
All monitoring will be based,
again, in the ARGOS satellite system.