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Three Kemp’s ridleys — the most endangered sea turtle spces on Earth — will be returned to the wild Thursday in Pinellas County following rehabilitation by Mote Marine Laboratory. Two of the turtles will be tagged with special tracking devices, and their case histories are contributing to a major research study by Mote and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

“Allison” and “Squeaky,” juvenile Kemp’s ridleys, were rescued in October from Lee County waters in Charlotte Harbor after being harmed by toxins from Florida red tide. Another juvenile Kemp’s ridley, “Jax 2,” that will also be released, was originally rescued in May in Pinellas County waters after swallowing fishing line and a hook.

All three turtles will be returned to sea by Mote caregivers on Thursday morning, Dec. 6 from a beach on Honeymoon Island in Pinellas County — an area with suitable habitat for young Kemp’s ridleys.

About Allison and Squeaky
Allison and Squeaky were found floating and unable to dive successfully in two different locations in Lee County that were both experiencing red tide blooms. They were transported to Mote, where samples of their feces and blood plasma confirmed that they had been affected by red tide toxins. The Florida red tide alga, Karenia brevis, produces toxins that affect the nervous system and can sicken or even kill marine animals.

These two turtles were rescued from the same general area where Mote and Conservancy of Southwest Florida scientists have been studying Kemp’s ridleys since 2003. Kemp’s ridleys spend their lives at sea and adult females only come ashore to nest, while juveniles like Allison and Squeaky remain in the water and may only surface for moments before diving, making them difficult to observe directly. Many questions remain about the mysterious life history of this species — for instance, what types of habitats are most important, what prey they eat in different locations and where they go during different times of the year.

The Mote-Conservancy research partnership has revealed hotspots where Kemp’s ridleys aggregate during warmer months of the year and possibly during some warm winters in the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary, and since 2009 the study has focused on answering the other questions.

“By rehabilitating these turtles in Mote’s hospital, we could provide them critical care while gaining useful knowledge for our ongoing study,” said Dr. Tony Tucker, manager of Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program. “For instance, we learned that these turtles had been eating tunicates — filter-feeding animals, also known as ‘sea squirts’ — that sometimes accumulate toxins from red tide. Eating tunicates might have contributed to the turtles’ illness. It was also interesting that these turtles had eaten tunicates because most Kemp’s ridleys we have studied in Charlotte Harbor fed on spider crabs or other hard-shelled prey.”

While the turtles were at Mote, scientists also collected small skin samples from each of them to look at isotope signatures — different versions of their chemical building blocks — which may shed more light on what these turtles eat, where they are feeding and how they fit into the complex marine food web.

Samples of the turtles’ feces and blood plasma are also contributing to a separate Mote research project about the effects of red tide toxins on the immune systems of marine vertebrates.

Before their release, Allison and Squeaky will be fitted with satellite-linked tracking tags provided by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Providing these tags was possible thanks to generous donors to the "Fund a Need" silent auction at the Conservancy annual fundraiser, Magic Under the Mangroves™ traditionally held in March.

"Mote Marine Laboratory and Conservancy of Southwest Florida have been working on joint Kemp's ridley research for several years in Charlotte Harbor, so it only made sense to assist in providing the satellite tracking tags for this turtle release," said Andrew McElwaine, Conservancy of Southwest Florida president.

The tags will track where the turtles go and send that information to Mote and Conservancy scientists, revealing what these turtles do during a vulnerable and challenging stage of their lives. Kemp’s ridleys have received important protections at their nesting beaches, where young turtles start their life cycle, but they may be threatened by human activities during many parts of their life cycle in the water. Tracking these turtles and learning about their feeding ecology is helping reveal their mysterious lives.

• The public can follow the turtles’ travels online at http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?project_id=569

About Jax 2
Jax 2 was admitted to Mote’s hospital with monofilament fishing line coming out of its mouth. X-rays also revealed a hook inside Jax 2’s stomach.

After about two weeks of feeding and treatment, Jax 2 was able to pass the hook and line. The turtle received further treatments, including antibiotics and iron, and it showed a healthy appetite, nearly doubling its weight since arrival.

Jax 2 was named by Mote supporters attending a special fundraiser that benefits Mote’s nationally-recognized hospitals for marine mammals and sea turtles. This turtle’s case is a reminder that human activities can affect marine life. Below are tips for keeping our waters safe for sea turtles:

• Stow your trash (especially cigarette butts and plastic) and dispose of it in a closed container on shore.
• Make sure your fishing line is in good condition to help reduce breakage.
• Use corrodible hooks — that way, if you accidentally hook a sea turtle, the hook will rust away.