Satellite Tags Tested

 Friday, 12/23/2022


Above are the three Sea Trks Iridium satellite tags we plan to deploy on post-nesting hawksbill turtles on Moso Island in January, 2023.

Telonics (manufacturer of the Iridium Sea Trkr tags we use) recommends testing the tags prior to deployment.  I placed the tags out in the field by our tech center and left them on for 30 minutes.  I found that two of the tags (14A & 16A) had transmitted and were picked up by the Iridium satellites.  I had to put 87A out for the rest of the day at my house but it was finally picked up by the satellites.  Below is the status report/location of the tags resulting from the tests.

The bottom three tags are our current ones.  

All three tags are ready for deployment.  All we need now is to get to Moso Island and find some of wonderful hawksbill females who have traveled hundreds, maybe thousands, of Kilometers from their home forage grounds to Moso to nest.  WISH US LUCK!



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