Green sea turtles navigate with an imprecise magnetic sense, requiring mid-journey reorientation
By
Phie Jacobs
Summary
Green sea turtles migrating from Brazil to Ascension Island use an "approximate" sense of Earth's magnetic fields to navigate, but their magnetic map is imprecise, requiring them to occasionally reorient during long ocean voyages. The article explores how these turtles have a rough sense of direction rather than a precise navigational system, based on scientific research into their magnetic sensing abilities.
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Key quotes
· 3 pulledWhen Charles Darwin visited Ascension Island in 1836, he was perplexed by the vast numbers of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) nesting on its beaches.
Every mating season, these intrepid reptiles leave their feeding grounds along the coast of Brazil and journey more than 2000 kilometers across the sea to lay their eggs.
An 'approximate' sense of Earth's magnetic fields means the animals must occasionally reorient during long ocean voyages
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