Teddy

UNH Large Pelagics Research Center - 2009 Cape Cod Leatherbacks

A project of Large Pelagics Research Center, UNH.

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Species: Leatherback
Life Stage: Sub-Adult
Gender: Unknown
Release Date: 2009-08-27 19:00:00
Release Location: Nantucket Sound, Cape Cod, USA
Last Location: 2010-06-01 22:06:04

Adoptive Parents:
Leatherback Printing
Beth Johnson
Ann Conlin
Bryan Burnham
Ken Maze
Becca Veazey
Axel Failla
Corinne Gardner + Clyde Roberts
Lincoln-Hubbard 5th Grade
Tom
Michelle Venturella
Madison
Tomas Pelaez
Yanna Hanscomb
~Hilton~

Background

On 27 August, 2009, we tagged a sub-adult leatherback in Nantucket Sound off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. This turtle was short but stout and had clearly been finding and consuming an abundance of local jellyfish! We named "Teddy" for the late Massachusetts senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, a fellow enthusiast of Nantucket Sound who devoted the greater part of his life to helping the most vulnerable among us.
After departing Nantucket Sound, Teddy spent almost a month on Nantucket shoals. This productive area was also a leatherback hotspot in 2008 where we observed an abundance of jellyfish. Teddy then spent time in an area SW of Block Island that was also used by Bruce and Ethan. Teddy began to migrate S/SW on the shelf in mid-October, making use of the shelf break, slope waters and canyons enroute. Teddy entered Gulf Stream waters in early November and followed the Gulf Stream E/NE to just south of the New England Seamounts before circling back and re-entering the Gulf Stream. Teddy then moved through the Gulf Stream and has followed a path remarkably similar to that taken by Bruce.
Teddy has been spending the winter N/NE of South America on the edge of a large cold-core ring (see close-up map of track). Cold-core (cyclonic) rings are dynamic ocean features associated with enhanced productivity, so Teddy may be finding good foraging opportunities.