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That nest is getting ready to hatch.

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Look at em all.

3
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Are you kidding me?

4
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Goodness!

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Each year, from late July to November, tiny 
sea turtle hatchlings seemingly vanish into

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the vast ocean along Florida s coast.

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The sea turtle lost years includes the time 
from which the turtles emerge from their nests,

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crawl down and enter into the ocean, and then 
they swim off shore.

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Bound for destinations unknown, for decades 
researchers were left to guess where the hatchlings

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journeyed during their lost years.

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We don t really know what they do, where 
they go, in part because it s really difficult

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to access those off shore waters.

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That life history stage has been historically 
understudied.

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Before now we just called them the lost 
years and kind of threw up our hands.

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Depending on the species, sea turtles can 
spend anywhere from two to upwards of eight years at sea.

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We had to just wave goodbye to a turtle off 
the beach, and then see it again several years

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later when it came back into near shore waters.

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But now, researchers are beginning to unravel 
the mysteries of the sea turtle s lost years.

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For this youngest stage of sea turtle, it s 
really important for us to understand where

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they are, when they re there, so we can 
better understand perhaps what potential impacts

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humans might have on these turtles.

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Where do sea turtles go during their lost 
years?

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And how are new technologies helping to solve 
this oceanic enigma?