Does attaching a satellite transmitter hurt the sea turtle?
There are currently three common methods to attach a transmitter a sea turtle. Two methods are for all sea turtles, except leatherbacks. The first of these methods uses fiberglass and resin to create a hard cover that goes over the transmitter and attaches to the shell. You can see the fiberglass method being used on Marjorie. The second method uses a non-heat epoxy to “glue” the bottom of the transmitter to the turtle’s shell. You can see the epoxy method being used on Perdita. Because of their unique shell, neither of these methods can be used for a leatherback. Instead, the transmitter is attached to a harness that is placed on the turtle like a backpack. While researchers continue to modify and develop new techniques to reduce any impacts to sea turtles, having a transmitter attached does create some additional drag while the turtle is swimming. Proper attachment methods are designed not to harm the sea turtle, damage its shell or increase the turtle’s chances of being tangled. Res
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