WEBVTT 00:01.800 --> 00:03.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> That nest is getting ready to hatch. 00:03.700 --> 00:05.133 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% >> Look at 'em all. 00:05.166 --> 00:07.033 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% >> Are you kidding me? 00:07.066 --> 00:08.833 align:left position:35%,start line:89% size:55% >> Goodness! 00:08.866 --> 00:11.700 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% >> NARRATOR: Each year from late July to November, 00:11.733 --> 00:15.066 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% tiny sea turtle hatchlings seemingly vanish 00:15.100 --> 00:18.933 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% into the vast ocean along Florida's coast. 00:18.966 --> 00:21.700 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> The sea turtle lost years includes the time from which 00:21.733 --> 00:24.933 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% the turtles emerge from their nests, crawl down 00:24.966 --> 00:28.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% and enter into the ocean, and then they swim off shore. 00:28.600 --> 00:31.200 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: Bound for destinations unknown. 00:31.233 --> 00:34.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% For decades, researchers were left to guess 00:34.466 --> 00:37.766 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% where the hatchlings journeyed during their lost years. 00:37.800 --> 00:41.500 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> We don't really know what they do, where they go, 00:41.533 --> 00:43.300 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% in part because it's really difficult to access 00:43.333 --> 00:45.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% those offshore waters. 00:45.566 --> 00:49.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% That life history stage has been historically understudied. 00:49.700 --> 00:51.566 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% >> Before now we just called them "the lost years" 00:51.600 --> 00:53.300 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and kind of threw up our hands. 00:54.500 --> 00:56.800 align:left position:45%,start line:89% size:45% ♪ ♪ 00:58.233 --> 01:01.200 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% >> NARRATOR: Depending on the species, sea turtles can 01:01.233 --> 01:07.733 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% spend anywhere from two to upwards of eight years at sea. 01:07.766 --> 01:10.833 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> We had to just wave goodbye to a turtle off the beach 01:10.866 --> 01:12.766 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% and then see it again several years later 01:12.800 --> 01:15.300 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% when it came back into shallow coastal waters. 01:20.100 --> 01:22.666 align:left position:37.5%,start line:89% size:52.5% (cheering) 01:22.700 --> 01:26.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> NARRATOR: But now researchers are beginning to unravel 01:26.200 --> 01:29.533 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% the mysteries of the sea turtle's lost years. 01:30.766 --> 01:32.933 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> For this youngest stage of sea turtle, 01:32.966 --> 01:35.133 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% it's really important for us to understand where they are, 01:35.166 --> 01:37.800 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% when they're there, so we can better understand perhaps 01:37.833 --> 01:43.133 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% what potential impacts humans might have on these turtles. 01:43.166 --> 01:45.800 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: Where do sea turtles go 01:45.833 --> 01:48.066 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% during their lost years? 01:48.100 --> 01:51.400 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% And how are new technologies helping to solve 01:51.433 --> 01:54.333 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% this oceanic enigma? 02:20.166 --> 02:22.833 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> Major funding for this program was provided 02:22.866 --> 02:25.266 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75% by the Batchelor Foundation. 02:25.300 --> 02:27.733 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% Encouraging people to preserve and protect 02:27.766 --> 02:30.666 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% America's underwater resources. 02:33.066 --> 02:35.933 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% And by Divers Direct-- Emocean Club, 02:35.966 --> 02:38.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% inspiring the pursuit of tropical adventures 02:38.300 --> 02:40.133 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5% and scuba diving. 02:41.233 --> 02:43.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And by the Do Unto Others Trust. 02:54.900 --> 02:57.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> NARRATOR: Sea turtles have roamed the planet's oceans 02:57.666 --> 02:59.666 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% for 100 million years. 03:02.533 --> 03:05.100 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% >> The group the turtles are in as a whole has existed 03:05.133 --> 03:06.800 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75% since the dinosaurs existed. 03:06.833 --> 03:09.866 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: Just in the past few decades, 03:09.900 --> 03:13.233 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% sea turtle populations have declined in certain locations, 03:13.266 --> 03:16.833 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% due to poaching, destructive fishing practices, 03:16.866 --> 03:21.600 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% loss of habitat, water pollution, and other pressures. 03:21.633 --> 03:24.300 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75% >> There's issues that these sea turtles can't overcome 03:24.333 --> 03:26.366 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75% without a little bit of help 03:26.400 --> 03:29.333 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% and a little bit of conservation. 03:29.366 --> 03:31.600 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> NARRATOR: There are six species of sea turtles found 03:31.633 --> 03:34.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% in the United States, and those are protected 03:34.300 --> 03:38.033 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5% under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. 03:38.066 --> 03:42.333 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% >> So it's just a tremendously complicated problem to manage. 03:42.366 --> 03:44.500 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% >> And to do that you need knowledge. 03:44.533 --> 03:46.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% And to gain the knowledge you have to go out 03:46.600 --> 03:49.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and do research projects like the ones we're doing. 03:49.266 --> 03:52.766 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: Founded in the late 1970s 03:52.800 --> 03:57.133 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% by Dr. Llewellyn Ehrhart, the Marine Turtle Research Group 03:57.166 --> 04:00.133 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% at the University of Central Florida was established 04:00.166 --> 04:03.133 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% to better understand coastal sea turtles. 04:10.600 --> 04:14.133 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% >> There's a green just north of here, I think. 04:14.166 --> 04:16.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% But I want to know where the loggerhead is. 04:16.300 --> 04:18.233 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: Today, under the leadership 04:18.266 --> 04:21.466 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% of Dr. Kate Mansfield, the research group's scope 04:21.500 --> 04:24.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% has broadened to include the whole life history 04:24.700 --> 04:28.600 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% of sea turtles, from egg to adult, 04:28.633 --> 04:33.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% with study sites in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. 04:33.200 --> 04:37.100 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> So what I'm trying to do is create a center where we have 04:37.133 --> 04:40.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the early reproductive history, we have the in-water work, 04:40.266 --> 04:42.566 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% where we're catching those new recruits 04:42.600 --> 04:45.800 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% to the coastal environment, the larger juveniles. 04:45.833 --> 04:48.600 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% And then we have my offshore work, where I'm looking 04:48.633 --> 04:51.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% at the early dispersal and movements and behavior 04:51.566 --> 04:53.666 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5% of the lost years. 04:53.700 --> 04:56.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5% So I'm trying to tie that all together in a cohesive 04:56.466 --> 04:59.366 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% research program where we have a whole life history approach. 05:06.533 --> 05:07.833 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: One of Kate's study sites 05:07.866 --> 05:11.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% is in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge 05:11.100 --> 05:15.233 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% along Florida's Atlantic coast. 05:15.266 --> 05:20.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% The 248-acre refuge was established in 1991 to protect 05:20.700 --> 05:24.266 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% sea turtle foraging and nesting habitats 05:24.300 --> 05:28.766 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% along this developed barrier island. 05:28.800 --> 05:31.566 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge 05:31.600 --> 05:33.633 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% is one of the most important nesting beaches 05:33.666 --> 05:35.466 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5% in the Western Hemisphere. 05:35.500 --> 05:41.533 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% We get more turtle nests in a 13-mile or 20-kilometer stretch 05:41.566 --> 05:46.533 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% of beach than any other place in the U.S. 05:46.566 --> 05:50.533 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> NARRATOR: 30 years ago, only 8,000 sea turtle nests 05:50.566 --> 05:53.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% were laid in the refuge each year. 05:53.466 --> 05:57.466 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% But in 2013 it saw over 20,000 nests. 05:58.933 --> 06:00.466 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% >> So it's this really incredible 06:00.500 --> 06:03.200 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% exponential population growth that can be directly attributed 06:03.233 --> 06:05.166 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% to something like the Endangered Species Act 06:05.200 --> 06:07.533 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5% and to the protection that the refuge provides itself. 06:11.800 --> 06:15.033 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: The Marine Turtle Research Group monitors 06:15.066 --> 06:18.733 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% around 13 miles of coastline in the refuge, and has generated 06:18.766 --> 06:22.600 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% more than 30 years of data from these important habitats. 06:39.533 --> 06:42.733 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% The life cycle of a sea turtle begins after a nesting female 06:42.766 --> 06:47.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% lays her eggs in the sand, typically on a tropical beach. 06:47.733 --> 06:51.800 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% Six to 11 weeks later, hatchlings emerge. 06:53.500 --> 06:58.900 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% In the Archie Carr National Wildlife refuge, 06:58.933 --> 07:03.066 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% sea turtle nests are laid in the sand nearest the dunes 07:03.100 --> 07:06.700 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% and a turtle can lay more than 100 eggs per nest, 07:06.733 --> 07:09.400 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% upwards of three to five times per season, 07:09.433 --> 07:12.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5% depending on the species. 07:12.600 --> 07:14.500 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% >> When the hatchlings all hatch out of the eggs, 07:14.533 --> 07:16.600 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% it's really cool, because they all work together 07:16.633 --> 07:18.333 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% to get out of the nest. 07:18.366 --> 07:20.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% So what they do is that all the little hatchlings 07:20.233 --> 07:22.133 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% push the sand behind them as they go. 07:22.166 --> 07:24.133 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% And so it kind of just makes this elevator where the sand 07:24.166 --> 07:26.366 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75% just is rising beneath them. 07:26.400 --> 07:28.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% This whole process takes like maybe two or three days 07:28.133 --> 07:30.366 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% for them to get to the surface. 07:30.400 --> 07:33.200 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% >> Most likely they've evolved to emerge at night 07:33.233 --> 07:36.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% where visual predators may not be out as much. 07:36.133 --> 07:39.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> And the sand looks like it's boiling with all these 07:39.466 --> 07:41.933 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% little hatchling heads and flippers. 07:41.966 --> 07:45.233 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> NARRATOR: And if all goes well, the hatchlings will race 07:45.266 --> 07:48.000 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% toward the sea-- an innate behavior 07:48.033 --> 07:50.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% they've been reenacting for millennia. 07:50.800 --> 07:54.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> They'll focus on the lightest horizon, so in a natural setting 07:54.266 --> 07:57.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% it's the ocean horizon, even on a moonless night. 07:57.666 --> 08:02.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The back dune area is very dark, pitch black, but there's 08:02.033 --> 08:04.266 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% a lighter horizon and that's where those hatchlings 08:04.300 --> 08:07.233 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% are meant to go, is to the ocean. 08:08.866 --> 08:11.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> NARRATOR: These first few minutes after they hatch 08:11.500 --> 08:15.266 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% are a dangerous time for the tiny turtles. 08:15.300 --> 08:17.733 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% >> The biggest threat to small hatchlings 08:17.766 --> 08:20.766 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% on the nesting beach, as they emerge from the nest, 08:20.800 --> 08:25.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% crabs, raccoons, birds may pick them off. 08:25.866 --> 08:29.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> NARRATOR: And in some highly developed coastal areas, 08:29.433 --> 08:32.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% sea turtles may mistake beachfront lighting 08:32.233 --> 08:36.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% for the horizon and run toward the lights along busy streets, 08:36.100 --> 08:39.533 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% rather than the ocean. 08:39.566 --> 08:43.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% Along the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, where there is 08:43.700 --> 08:46.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% less beachfront lighting from homes and businesses, 08:46.166 --> 08:49.566 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% most hatchlings know just where to go. 08:49.600 --> 08:52.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> And they all run down the beach and into the water 08:52.866 --> 08:54.566 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% as fast as they can. 08:54.600 --> 08:56.233 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: But even in the water, 08:56.266 --> 08:59.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% they are not safe from potential predators. 08:59.300 --> 09:03.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> Once they get into the water, near-shore reef fish, barracuda, 09:03.100 --> 09:06.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% snapper, a lot of other species, may eat them. 09:06.566 --> 09:08.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And birds may also pick them off because they're swimming 09:08.766 --> 09:10.200 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% at the sea surface. 09:10.233 --> 09:12.800 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So there are a lot of near-shore predators, coastal predators, 09:12.833 --> 09:15.733 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% that they have to get through in order to get offshore. 09:18.500 --> 09:21.066 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> NARRATOR: No one knows how many hatchlings survive 09:21.100 --> 09:23.266 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% their first day. 09:23.300 --> 09:27.333 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% Some experts estimate that as few as one in 10,000 turtles 09:27.366 --> 09:30.033 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% will reach adulthood. 09:30.066 --> 09:32.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> It is an extremely low survivability. 09:32.466 --> 09:35.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> NARRATOR: Once in the water, they disappear 09:35.633 --> 09:38.266 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% into the open ocean. 09:38.300 --> 09:42.300 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% What follows is a period known as "“the Lost Years,"” 09:42.333 --> 09:46.100 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% since until recently, the exact whereabouts of the sea turtles 09:46.133 --> 09:50.233 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% during that time was largely a mystery. 09:50.266 --> 09:55.800 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> These turtles are hardwired to swim as soon as they hatch. 09:55.833 --> 09:58.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% They get in that water and they just swim for the horizon. 09:58.900 --> 10:03.133 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: To get offshore, hatchlings have a long way to go 10:03.166 --> 10:05.933 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% in a short time. 10:05.966 --> 10:07.600 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% >> They just swim like little wind-up toys. 10:07.633 --> 10:10.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> Through that 24-hour swimming frenzy, they swim as fast 10:10.500 --> 10:12.933 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% as they can so they're getting as far away 10:12.966 --> 10:16.066 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% as quickly as possible from the coast. 10:16.100 --> 10:18.166 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> What they're trying to do is get into the currents. 10:18.200 --> 10:22.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> And they keep swimming until they encounter some good habitat 10:22.533 --> 10:23.900 align:left position:37.5%,start line:89% size:52.5% for them. 10:23.933 --> 10:27.800 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5% >> One of the longstanding hypotheses is that the turtles 10:27.833 --> 10:29.900 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75% do associate with sargassum. 10:29.933 --> 10:33.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And they receive benefit from associating 10:33.966 --> 10:36.333 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5% with this floating macroalgae. 10:36.366 --> 10:38.366 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% >> And that provides two essential things. 10:38.400 --> 10:41.066 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% It's a place to hide from predators, and it's a place 10:41.100 --> 10:43.666 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5% to find something to eat. 10:43.700 --> 10:48.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: Sargassum floats freely in the Gulf of Mexico 10:48.700 --> 10:54.066 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% and in the Atlantic, providing a critical habitat for sea life. 10:54.100 --> 10:56.100 align:left position:25%,start line:5% size:65% >> The sort of base of the food chain 10:56.133 --> 10:57.866 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% is this drifting sargassum algae. 10:57.900 --> 11:01.366 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% >> It's basically this golden oasis out in the ocean. 11:01.400 --> 11:04.733 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: Sargassum habitat is known to be transient 11:04.766 --> 11:08.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and can move, depending on particular oceanic features. 11:21.700 --> 11:24.200 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> We typically have to go into blue water, we have to go 11:24.233 --> 11:27.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% into oceanic water, which means that we have to move 11:27.600 --> 11:30.233 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% off the continental shelf, for the most part. 11:30.266 --> 11:32.933 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% In the Gulf of Mexico, we are going out 11:32.966 --> 11:37.100 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% off of Louisiana anywhere from tens of miles offshore 11:37.133 --> 11:39.100 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% to upwards of a 100 miles offshore 11:39.133 --> 11:40.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% in order to encounter this habitat 11:40.866 --> 11:43.600 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5% which is ideal for the smaller turtles. 11:47.300 --> 11:49.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> NARRATOR: In the Gulf of Mexico, the warm, blue, 11:49.866 --> 11:52.433 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% salty waters of the Gulf collide 11:52.466 --> 11:55.066 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% with the Mississippi River's cold, murky outflow 11:55.100 --> 11:57.200 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% of fresh water. 11:57.233 --> 12:01.766 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% Along this rip, an undulating ribbon of sargassum develops 12:01.800 --> 12:05.400 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% into what is known as a "weed line." 12:05.433 --> 12:08.633 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% That's where turtles will get pushed to, and that's where fish 12:08.666 --> 12:11.766 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75% will collect, and crabs and things that turtles like to eat. 12:11.800 --> 12:16.533 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> Anything from microscopic up to a whale will be 12:16.566 --> 12:18.466 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% around these weed lines. 12:18.500 --> 12:21.133 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% They're really neat environments. 12:21.166 --> 12:23.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> NARRATOR: It's along the weed lines that form 12:23.966 --> 12:26.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% between the Loop Current and the Mississippi River 12:26.500 --> 12:30.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% where Dr. Kate Mansfield and her research team are hoping 12:30.233 --> 12:33.400 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% to find one- to two-year-old sea turtles that drift 12:33.433 --> 12:36.733 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% with the sargassum. 12:36.766 --> 12:40.400 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% Researchers believe young turtles in the Gulf of Mexico 12:40.433 --> 12:43.500 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% swim from nesting grounds in Central America 12:43.533 --> 12:46.833 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5% and ride along the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current 12:46.866 --> 12:49.233 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% into North America. 12:49.266 --> 12:52.600 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% >> We look for very long lines of sargassum and we'll just 12:52.633 --> 12:55.766 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% take the boat and cruise along. 12:55.800 --> 12:58.300 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% We'll look for little dark objects in the sargassum, 12:58.333 --> 13:00.033 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% things that look like floating coconuts 13:00.066 --> 13:02.566 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75% or an upside-down flip-flop. 13:02.600 --> 13:06.166 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> Once we do decide that yeah that's a turtle, then a lot 13:06.200 --> 13:08.566 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75% of things do happen at once. 13:08.600 --> 13:16.333 align:left position:45%,start line:89% size:45% ♪ ♪ 13:16.366 --> 13:19.266 align:left position:35%,start line:89% size:55% Where is he? 13:20.700 --> 13:23.600 align:left position:45%,start line:89% size:45% ♪ ♪ 13:41.133 --> 13:43.233 align:left position:37.5%,start line:89% size:52.5% (cheering) 13:43.266 --> 13:45.000 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: Once the turtles are on board, 13:45.033 --> 13:47.000 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% the work-up begins. 13:47.033 --> 13:49.500 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% >> So from the time that we capture the turtles 13:49.533 --> 13:52.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and bring them on board, we'll put them in our cabin, 13:52.666 --> 13:54.866 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% keep them shaded, and we'll work them up. 13:54.900 --> 13:58.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We'll take basic information on the turtles: how long they are, 13:58.266 --> 14:01.133 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% how wide they are, how big their heads might be. 14:01.166 --> 14:04.400 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And we will weigh them as well. 14:04.433 --> 14:08.600 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% We'll then also insert a little tiny chip or pit tag 14:08.633 --> 14:10.433 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% into their flipper. 14:10.466 --> 14:13.000 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> Those little implanted pit tags are like the ones 14:13.033 --> 14:16.033 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% the vet uses microchipping your dog or cat. 14:16.066 --> 14:18.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% Those are really wonderful tools, 14:18.733 --> 14:20.066 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5% and they're a forever tag. 14:20.100 --> 14:22.133 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> It's so we can identify those turtles later 14:22.166 --> 14:23.600 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% if they're recaptured. 14:23.633 --> 14:27.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We take tissue samples, we will take scute samples. 14:27.033 --> 14:31.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% If they happen to poop on board, we'll take fecal samples. 14:31.466 --> 14:34.900 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> NARRATOR: The researchers also gather sargassum 14:34.933 --> 14:37.966 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% with the creatures that live inside it, from the same areas 14:38.000 --> 14:40.933 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% where they found the turtles floating in the weed line. 14:40.966 --> 14:44.366 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% This will help them to better understand what the turtles eat 14:44.400 --> 14:46.866 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% during their lost years. 14:46.900 --> 14:49.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> We are finding little crustaceans, little crabs, 14:49.800 --> 14:53.300 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% little fish, some fish larvae, it's a real variety. 14:53.333 --> 14:56.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Very little is known about these little turtles, so anything 14:56.100 --> 14:58.333 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% that we can collect, we try to do. 14:58.366 --> 15:01.266 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> NARRATOR: In the future, experts hope to compare 15:01.300 --> 15:03.433 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5% the stable isotope ratios 15:03.466 --> 15:04.966 align:left position:37.5%,start line:83% size:52.5% collected from the turtles' tissue 15:05.000 --> 15:09.533 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% to those of the prey items living in the sargassum. 15:09.566 --> 15:12.033 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% >> So the stable isotope analysis gives us a general idea 15:12.066 --> 15:13.500 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% of where the turtles have been 15:13.533 --> 15:15.466 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% and what they might have been eating. 15:15.500 --> 15:19.633 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% >> And it's real kind of cutting edge science. 15:19.666 --> 15:23.366 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: Once the work-up is completed, the team begins 15:23.400 --> 15:26.933 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% the process of satellite tagging the small turtles-- 15:26.966 --> 15:31.500 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% something that up until recently was thought impossible. 15:31.533 --> 15:34.266 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5% >> For a number of years, the satellite tag technology 15:34.300 --> 15:36.966 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% just wasn't small enough to be able to put on the backs 15:37.000 --> 15:39.800 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5% of little turtles swimming long distances. 15:39.833 --> 15:42.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% The tags themselves had very large batteries 15:42.666 --> 15:43.600 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5% that were required 15:43.633 --> 15:46.133 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% to communicate with the overhead satellites. 15:46.166 --> 15:48.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> So there was too much weight and too much drag 15:48.300 --> 15:50.700 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% on the turtles. 15:50.733 --> 15:54.233 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> And only several years ago did a company come up 15:54.266 --> 15:58.300 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% with a solar-powered, tiny little tag for birds 15:58.333 --> 16:02.600 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% that we were able to have them modify slightly to be able 16:02.633 --> 16:04.966 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5% to use in a marine environment 16:05.000 --> 16:07.400 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% and use on the backs of tiny little turtles. 16:09.900 --> 16:12.033 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: Kate and her collaborator, 16:12.066 --> 16:15.200 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% Dr. Jeanette Wyneken from Florida Atlantic University, 16:15.233 --> 16:19.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% spent a lot of time making sure the tags were just right. 16:19.800 --> 16:22.000 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> Working with endangered and threatened sea turtles, 16:22.033 --> 16:24.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% we wanted to make sure that what we were doing to the turtles 16:24.900 --> 16:29.766 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% would not unduly harm their ability to survive in the wild, 16:29.800 --> 16:30.933 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5% would not affect their growth, 16:30.966 --> 16:35.466 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% would not affect their feeding behavior. 16:35.500 --> 16:38.266 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: Once they found a satellite tag that would work, 16:38.300 --> 16:41.266 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% they needed to figure out how to attach the tags 16:41.300 --> 16:44.300 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% to the rapidly growing sea turtles. 16:44.333 --> 16:46.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> We'll prep the shell really well. 16:46.766 --> 16:48.633 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% We'll sand down the shell, make sure that there 16:48.666 --> 16:51.300 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% are no little bits and pieces that can peel. 16:51.333 --> 16:53.233 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% There were no previous methods. 16:53.266 --> 16:56.766 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% Traditional hard epoxies that are used on larger sea turtles 16:56.800 --> 17:00.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% may stay on for a year, two years, three years. 17:00.333 --> 17:03.533 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% Those hard epoxies don't allow for the turtles to grow. 17:03.566 --> 17:07.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% There's not flexibility to those harder attachments. 17:07.666 --> 17:10.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> NARRATOR: So Kate and her team had to be creative 17:10.366 --> 17:12.033 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% to find a solution. 17:12.066 --> 17:15.600 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> The sea turtle shells, in general, for loggerheads 17:15.633 --> 17:17.866 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5% and hawksbills and other species, 17:17.900 --> 17:20.100 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% they're made of keratin. 17:20.133 --> 17:21.866 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% And they have this outer keratin layer. 17:21.900 --> 17:25.166 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% It's the same thing as our fingernails and toenails. 17:25.200 --> 17:26.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% The turtles are growing and they shed 17:26.833 --> 17:29.166 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% the thin layers of keratin as they grow. 17:29.200 --> 17:32.266 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% We were having trouble initially with putting tags 17:32.300 --> 17:35.166 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% on turtles using a variety of different attachment methods. 17:35.200 --> 17:38.033 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% We tested all of this in the laboratory. 17:38.066 --> 17:41.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And the tag attachments were falling off 17:41.166 --> 17:43.300 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% within one to two weeks. 17:43.333 --> 17:46.933 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% They would have a little tiny bit of shell attached to it. 17:46.966 --> 17:49.733 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% So we finally put two and two together and realized 17:49.766 --> 17:52.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that we could seal the keratin, or seal the shell 17:52.766 --> 17:55.200 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% with acrylic nail fill. 17:55.233 --> 17:57.533 align:left position:35%,start line:83% size:55% >> NARRATOR: The acrylic nail fill delays 17:57.566 --> 18:00.800 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% the natural peeling process by sealing the sea turtle's shell, 18:00.833 --> 18:03.366 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% but without harming the animal. 18:03.400 --> 18:05.266 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% >> That nail acrylic is really critically important to keep 18:05.300 --> 18:07.266 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% the tag on as long as possible. 18:07.300 --> 18:08.966 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% >> The next step, with these turtles, 18:09.000 --> 18:12.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% unlike the green turtles, there's this vertebral ridge. 18:12.400 --> 18:15.966 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% What we need to do is build up the sides, so we're going to put 18:16.000 --> 18:20.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% two strips of old wetsuits onto the shell, we're going 18:20.400 --> 18:24.266 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% to glue it with hair extension glue, and we'll let that cure 18:24.300 --> 18:26.400 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% for just a couple of minutes, it's very fast. 18:26.433 --> 18:30.866 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% And then we'll attach the tag with aquarium silicone. 18:30.900 --> 18:33.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> NARRATOR: This method allows the tags to stay on 18:33.533 --> 18:37.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% for several months before they naturally slough off. 18:37.733 --> 18:40.100 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% This gives the experts the chance to collect 18:40.133 --> 18:44.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% longer-term data on the movement of the turtles. 18:44.066 --> 18:45.400 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5% >> What they came up with 18:45.433 --> 18:47.166 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% with this solar-powered little transmitter 18:47.200 --> 18:50.333 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% and attachment technique took years of lab work 18:50.366 --> 18:53.266 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5% and it really goes to their persistence. 18:53.300 --> 18:58.166 align:left position:12.5%,start line:5% size:77.5% >> She's learned an awful lot about it and is really a pioneer 18:58.200 --> 19:00.100 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5% with these very small turtles. 19:00.133 --> 19:04.500 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: Shell composition can vary by species, so they had 19:04.533 --> 19:07.700 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% to use a different method to attach satellite tags 19:07.733 --> 19:09.966 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5% to green turtles. 19:10.000 --> 19:12.666 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> For the green turtles, their shell is very different, 19:12.700 --> 19:14.200 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% and it feels different. 19:14.233 --> 19:16.766 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% The shell is almost like Teflon. 19:16.800 --> 19:19.100 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> The green turtles seem to have a little more 19:19.133 --> 19:22.300 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% of a waxy coating on their carapace. 19:22.333 --> 19:24.633 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> And anything that we would put on the turtle would just 19:24.666 --> 19:27.000 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% fall right off within a... less than a week. 19:27.033 --> 19:32.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So we ended up testing a number of other different options 19:32.133 --> 19:34.600 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% and came up with a very simple solution, which is just 19:34.633 --> 19:38.933 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% a flexible boat adhesive, and it works pretty well. 19:38.966 --> 19:42.433 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: Once the turtles are tagged, the team waits 19:42.466 --> 19:45.700 align:left position:32.5%,start line:83% size:57.5% an hour or so for the adhesives to dry. 19:45.733 --> 19:48.700 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% The animals are then released in the same general area 19:48.733 --> 19:50.666 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5% where they were captured. 19:50.700 --> 19:53.600 align:left position:45%,start line:89% size:45% ♪ ♪ 20:40.700 --> 20:43.633 align:left position:17.5%,start line:5% size:72.5% >> One of the longstanding hypotheses about these 20:43.666 --> 20:47.733 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75% young oceanic stage turtles is that they tend to just drift. 20:47.766 --> 20:50.566 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5% They get offshore and they're passive drifters 20:50.600 --> 20:54.000 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% for a number of years, we don't know how long. 20:54.033 --> 20:56.666 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% >> And so we release the drifter at the same time that we release 20:56.700 --> 20:58.200 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% the turtle with the satellite tag 20:58.233 --> 21:00.333 align:left position:15%,start line:5% size:75% and then compare the tracks to see how they differ. 21:00.366 --> 21:05.033 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% And they definitely do differ quite a bit over time. 21:05.066 --> 21:06.833 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% >> The turtles, they're actually actively moving 21:06.866 --> 21:08.133 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% to different habitat. 21:08.166 --> 21:09.966 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Which would probably make sense. 21:10.000 --> 21:13.600 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> Because these oceanographic features, these weed lines 21:13.633 --> 21:15.566 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% and convergence zones, they disappear. 21:15.600 --> 21:17.500 align:left position:32.5%,start line:89% size:57.5% And they move. 21:17.533 --> 21:20.366 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> And they actively seek out other big hunks of sargassum 21:20.400 --> 21:22.000 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% where they're going to find food. 21:22.033 --> 21:24.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And that's just a matter of survival, looking for food. 21:24.500 --> 21:28.866 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% But to prove that is pretty unique. 21:28.900 --> 21:31.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: Young sea turtles Kate satellite-tagged 21:31.033 --> 21:33.800 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% in the North Atlantic Ocean provided the first 21:33.833 --> 21:37.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% conclusive evidence detailing what happens to sea turtles 21:37.700 --> 21:40.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% during their lost years. 21:40.766 --> 21:43.433 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% >> They can cover tremendous distances 21:43.466 --> 21:47.766 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% and sort of ride the big ocean highways of these currents, 21:47.800 --> 21:51.100 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% coming back around, making trips that last years, 21:51.133 --> 21:53.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% and covering thousands and thousands of miles. 21:53.866 --> 21:55.633 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% So they're really world travelers. 21:55.666 --> 21:59.366 align:left position:45%,start line:89% size:45% ♪ ♪ 21:59.400 --> 22:02.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> NARRATOR: And the sea turtles didn't just travel far. 22:02.733 --> 22:05.300 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> I think it's astonishing how quickly they travel 22:05.333 --> 22:06.800 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% when they're released. 22:06.833 --> 22:10.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We had turtles that after maybe one or two weeks were already 22:10.033 --> 22:11.266 align:left position:22.5%,start line:89% size:67.5% up off North Carolina 22:11.300 --> 22:13.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% when Kate released them off the coast of Florida. 22:13.800 --> 22:16.433 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% And so traveling hundreds upon hundreds of miles in two weeks 22:16.466 --> 22:19.266 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% is unheard of for most species. 22:19.300 --> 22:21.466 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% But for turtles it's practically normal. 22:21.500 --> 22:23.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's not even really surprising but it's really cool to see it. 22:27.600 --> 22:29.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> NARRATOR: Data on the sea turtles her team captured 22:29.700 --> 22:33.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and tagged in the Gulf of Mexico is still emerging but revealed 22:34.000 --> 22:38.666 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% no less surprising preliminary results. 22:38.700 --> 22:42.066 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% >> Here is a map from the turtles that we tracked 22:42.100 --> 22:45.200 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% this year in the Gulf of Mexico. 22:45.233 --> 22:47.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We're seeing a real mix of behaviors. 22:47.166 --> 22:50.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% A number of the turtles that we tagged have dispersed 22:50.433 --> 22:53.200 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% fairly far from where we initially released them 22:53.233 --> 22:56.800 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5% off of the coast of Louisiana. 22:56.833 --> 23:01.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% These data are the first in-water captured sea turtles 23:01.066 --> 23:03.066 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% that have been satellite-tagged. 23:03.100 --> 23:06.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% So it's really the first information on where the turtles 23:06.200 --> 23:08.200 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% are going, what they're doing, how they're interacting 23:08.233 --> 23:11.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% with their physical environment in the open ocean. 23:11.800 --> 23:16.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> The key message is, the lost years are no longer lost years. 23:16.933 --> 23:18.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% We have some ideas now. 23:18.700 --> 23:20.966 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% >> 698. 23:21.000 --> 23:23.433 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> NARRATOR: While Kate's team has gained insight 23:23.466 --> 23:24.866 align:left position:25%,start line:83% size:65% into the lost years of sea turtles 23:24.900 --> 23:26.233 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75% in the North Atlantic Ocean 23:26.266 --> 23:30.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and the Gulf of Mexico, there is much left to learn. 23:30.400 --> 23:32.400 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5% >> It's still a great mystery. 23:32.433 --> 23:34.366 align:left position:17.5%,start line:89% size:72.5% >> And it's kind of neat, 23:34.400 --> 23:37.266 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% because we're asking some really basic, fundamental, 23:37.300 --> 23:40.866 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% almost naturalist questions about the life history 23:40.900 --> 23:45.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and the behavior of the turtles that haven't been answered yet. 23:53.000 --> 23:55.833 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> NARRATOR: Once they grow to about dinner-plate size, 23:55.866 --> 23:58.700 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% sea turtles leave their open ocean home 23:58.733 --> 24:02.800 align:left position:12.5%,start line:89% size:77.5% and migrate to coastal areas. 24:02.833 --> 24:05.366 align:left position:15%,start line:83% size:75% >> So we don't know how long the Lost Year time frame is, 24:05.400 --> 24:07.233 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% that oceanic stage. 24:07.266 --> 24:10.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% But after several years, depending upon the species, 24:10.133 --> 24:14.600 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% the turtles will then recruit into near-shore habitats 24:14.633 --> 24:17.200 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% as larger juvenile sea turtles. 24:17.233 --> 24:21.000 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> They're programmed to turn around and head back 24:21.033 --> 24:22.600 align:left position:25%,start line:89% size:65% into shallow water. 24:22.633 --> 24:24.300 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75% Except for the leatherbacks. 24:24.333 --> 24:25.733 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% They'll stay out there their whole lives. 24:25.766 --> 24:28.966 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> NARRATOR: Those species that do migrate to the coast 24:29.000 --> 24:33.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% have grown large and fast enough to avoid near-shore predators, 24:33.233 --> 24:35.600 align:left position:35%,start line:89% size:55% like sharks. 24:35.633 --> 24:38.800 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% >> And that's a place where there is more food items 24:38.833 --> 24:41.133 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% and shelter places that are appropriate 24:41.166 --> 24:43.033 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75% for a little bigger turtle. 24:43.066 --> 24:46.966 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> We don't know how long that juvenile coastal phase is 24:47.000 --> 24:49.466 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% but they will reach maturity, depending upon species, 24:49.500 --> 24:52.300 align:left position:27.5%,start line:89% size:62.5% in 20 to 30 years. 24:52.333 --> 24:55.766 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> As they approach sexual maturity, the teenage years, 24:55.800 --> 24:58.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% they'll start migrating to a nesting beach. 25:02.333 --> 25:05.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% >> NARRATOR: After they've mated offshore, pregnant females 25:05.800 --> 25:11.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% come to shore to lay their eggs along the beach, 25:11.566 --> 25:17.900 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% an ancient ritual that repeats itself with each new generation. 25:17.933 --> 25:21.533 align:left position:12.5%,start line:83% size:77.5% >> Most turtles lay their eggs on the nesting beach 25:21.566 --> 25:23.600 align:left position:22.5%,start line:83% size:67.5% where they themselves were hatched. 25:23.633 --> 25:27.300 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% They remember and imprint on that beach. 25:27.333 --> 25:29.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% >> The life cycle comes full circle. 25:29.733 --> 25:33.100 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> And start that process over again. 26:02.566 --> 26:05.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH, access.wgbh.org 26:14.000 --> 26:16.566 align:left position:17.5%,start line:83% size:72.5% >> Major funding for this program was provided 26:16.600 --> 26:18.566 align:left position:15%,start line:89% size:75% by the Batchelor Foundation. 26:18.600 --> 26:21.533 align:left position:27.5%,start line:83% size:62.5% Encouraging people to preserve and protect 26:21.566 --> 26:24.466 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% America's underwater resources. 26:27.100 --> 26:29.833 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% And by Divers Direct-- Emocean Club, 26:29.866 --> 26:32.966 align:left position:22.5%,start line:5% size:67.5% inspiring the pursuit of tropical adventures 26:33.000 --> 26:34.900 align:left position:27.5%,start line:5% size:62.5% and scuba diving. 26:34.933 --> 26:36.866 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And by the Do Unto Others Trust.