 |
| |
ELEVEN LEATHERBACK TURTLES TO COMPETE IN THE GREAT TURTLE RACE ACROSS THE
PACIFIC OCEAN!
Looking for a fun way to address conservation issues with your students? Support Mojave Max's marine
cousins and participate in the Great Turtle Race!
Your students can choose one of the 11 leatherback sea turtles that are racing from their nesting grounds
in Indonesia to their feeding grounds off California. The turtles have been equipped with satellite equipment
so that their progress can be tracked minute by minute. Students can sign up, choose a turtle, and then cheer them on as
they make their way across the Pacific. The website can also be used to research information about sea
turtles and ocean conservation. Curriculum materials are also available.
More information from the website:
International Race to Save 100-million-year-old Species from Extinction
goes to China
The Great Turtle Race II, a unique international sea turtle conservation
event bringing together the Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists, Drexel University and
other academic institutions, and conservation organizations, will take
place from June 2 to June 16 in a global bid to raise awareness and funds
for the critically endangered leatherback turtle. The Great Turtle Race II
will be the first large-scale outreach effort to the people of China by a
US-based conservation NGO. A simultaneous, mandarin-language version of
Great Turtle Race II website is expected to bring the race’s messages to
approximately 100 million Chinese citizens.
Eleven institutions and sponsors from America, China, and Indonesia will
compete in the Great Turtle Race II, including: the Chinese Academy of the
Sciences, Drexel University, University of Papua, Indiana Purdue
University, the Children and Youth Science and Technology Center of the
China Association for Science and Technology, Kalamazoo College, Offield
Center for Billfish, Bullis Charter School, Haddonfield High School,
Hillside School, and World Wildlife Fund Indonesia. The Great Turtle Race
II is organized by The Leatherback Trust, NOAA, Global Cause, Tagging of
Pacific Pelagics, Sea Turtle Restoration Project, and Drexel University.
The eleven sponsored turtles have been equipped with satellite tags and
are “racing” toward the International Dateline (or the middle of the
Pacific Ocean) from nesting beaches in Indonesia and feeding areas along
the U.S. West Coast. The leatherback is a 100 million-year-old massive
sea turtle that outlived the dinosaurs but is now dangerously close to
extinction. Leatherback numbers in the Pacific Ocean have decreased from
about 115,000 two decades ago to fewer than 5,000 today. This online
event will raise funds to protect leatherback turtle-nesting areas in
Indonesia and raise awareness about what individuals can do—on both sides
of the Pacific Ocean—to help protect sea turtles in our daily actions.
James Spotila, president of the Leatherback Trust and Drexel professor,
said “This Olympic-like event joins scientists, conservationists and
educators in China, Indonesia and the Unites States in an effort to inform
children and adults about the turtles while they enjoy another exciting
race. The school children of the United States and the school children of
China will cheer on their turtles and, in doing so, promote friendship."
Starting June 2nd, race fans will have a chance to choose a favorite
turtle to cheer during the race at www.greatturtlerace.com. Throughout
the race, viewers can follow each turtle’s journey across the Pacific and
learn about the obstacles it will face along the way—fishing lines and
nets, plastic bags that look like jellyfish (leatherbacks’ primary food
source), and many other human-related hazards. Activities for fans
include a chance to try to pick the winning turtle, an interactive
animation of a leatherback’s life, opportunities to ask questions, and sea
turtle educational curriculum for teachers.
“The Great Turtle Race is about sharing information on one of the most
amazing inhabitants of our Ocean, a Volkswagen Beetle-sized turtle that
has outlived the dinosaurs, with the public,” said Mike Milne of the Sea
Turtle Restoration Project. “The race and the story it tells about
leatherback sea turtles give people a tangible reason to care about the
ocean.”
As the leatherbacks surface to breath every several minutes, satellite
tags transmit data such as location and water temperature to satellites in
space, which then transmit the data back down to computer servers in the
U.S. This data is combined with remotely-sensed information about sea
surface temperature, sea surface height, and more to build a comprehensive
understanding of leatherbacks’ epic, trans-Pacific migrations. Scientists
and managers will be able to use this information on oceanography, animal
behaviors, and human pressures to develop innovative ways to conserve
leatherbacks and other sea turtles.
Go Jingjing!
Stacy Irvin
Mojave Max Program Manager
Office Phone: 702-258-7097
Cell Phone: 702-501-8060
Fax: 702-258-7599
6755 W. Charleston, Ste. D
Las Vegas, NV 89146
| ||