The normal technique for attaching satellite transmitters to sea turtles is by glueing them directly to the carapace. Not with flatbacks however. They have a soft skin which covers their carapace – when you scratch it, it actually bleeds. Attaching via this method is ineffective as the turtle sheds it’s skin and they detach quite easily. Therefore we have designed a harness or ‘backpack’ for attaching the transmitters. They are made out of nylon webbing and stainless steel. We have incorporated a ‘weak link’ which will eventually corrode and release the harness and transmitter from the turtle.
No comments:
Post a Comment