Loggerhead Turtle Release Provides Vital Information To Scientific Community

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On Thursday, November 6, 2008, Dr. Kirt Rusenko, Marine Conservationist, and staff from Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton will release two juvenile loggerhead sea turtles raised in captivity into the Indian River Lagoon near Sebastian Inlet.

The loggerheads, dubbed Milton and FeeBee, hatched on Boca Raton’s beaches in July 2002 and were part of a sex ratio study conducted by Dr. Jeanette Wyneken of Florida Atlantic University. The gender of sea turtles is determined mostly by the temperature of the sand. Warmer temperatures produce more females, while cooler temperatures produce more males. The study aims to better learn how many males and females are born every year to more successfully determine the health of threatened sea turtle populations. The sex of sea turtles cannot be determined using obvious external characteristics until they are adults.

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Related articles on the web:

• More protection sought for sea turtles
• Sea Turtle Set for Release in the Wild
• Sea Turtle Setbacks

Tagged as: Florida Atlantic University, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Jeanette Wyneken, Kirt Rusenko, Loggerhead Seaturtles, Loggerhead Turtles, Loggerheads, Miami, Sea Turtles, Sebastian Inlet

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