ipl-logo

Loggerhead Balloon Research Paper

276 Words2 Pages
The term juvenile is used to describe turtles in the pelagic rafting life stage. In juvenile loggerhead turtles, the center of the dorsal scutes is elevated to form a sharp spine. Juveniles are approximately 40 centimeters in length (Dodd 1988). The oceanic juvenile stage begins when turtles enter the oceanic zone. As juveniles, loggerhead turtles reside in costal areas and migrate seasonally between summer and winter habitats (Lohmann and Lohmann 2003). In this stage, turtles spend 75% of their time at the top 5 meters of the water column and sometimes dive to depths greater than 200 meters. When they are near seamounts, oceanic banks, and ridges around oceanic islands, the turtles can spend more time at the bottom of the ocean for feeding.
Open Document