On June 16, 2020, SCCF staff affixed a satellite transmitter to a loggerhead sea turtle which had been nesting on Sanibel from 2018-2020. A month after she was tagged, the transmitter stopped sending signals. This month, the turtle SCCF named Junonia, phoned home…from Key West.
Junonia is the first loggerhead sea turtle ever to be satellite-tagged after nesting on Sanibel Island. She is part of a study to learn more about the post-nesting movements, migratory pathways, and foraging grounds of loggerhead sea turtles that nest on the gulf coast of Florida. Since Junonia was nesting during the 2018 red tide bloom, the data will also contribute to a research project investigating the long-term impacts of red tide events on the health and reproductive success of nesting sea turtles (Funded by the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence). All research is authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.