Tracking Mayor Mort
MAYOR MORT’S TRACKING STATISTICS
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Transmitter Type: Wildlife Computers Splash10F-351
Data Collected: GPS location, Water Temperature, and Behavior Information
Expected Lifespan of Tag: 1 Year, depending on battery life
Distance From Juno Beach: (straight line distance): 24 miles
Current Water Temperature: 80.2°F
Nearest City: Jensen Beach, Florida
Recent Coordinates: Latitude 27.290, Longitude -80.201
Total Distance Traveled: 611 miles
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Final Update 5/23/2017:
Mayor Mort’s tag stopped transmitting on May 12, 87 days after the turtle was released from Juno Beach, Florida. The last location we received placed Mayor Mort just offshore of Hutchinson Island. Since Mayor Mort has been documented at the St. Lucie Power Plant, we have notified our colleagues at Inwater Research Group to be on the lookout for our turtle.
If the turtle is found with the tag still attached, we could retrieve the tag from the turtle. Getting these tags back can provide additional data that is archived on the tag. Furthermore, tags can be refurbished and used again if they are still in good condition.
Update 5/1/2017:
Since being released back into the Atlantic Ocean by our partners at Inwater Research Group, Mayor Mort traveled north along the coast before entering the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) at the Fort Pierce Inlet on April 22. Mayor Mort has been swimming south in the ICW since then. This is a good reminder to boaters to practice safe boating and to be alert for wildlife.
Update 4/10/2017:
Mayor Mort was swimming close to the St. Lucie Power Plant, where the turtle was originally captured. When LMC biologists noticed this, they notified our friends at the Inwater Research Group (IRG) who monitor that area. On April 9, biologists with IRG notified LMC that they had recaptured Mayor Mort. The turtle and the tag looked to be in good condition, so after a quick cleaning of the tag Mayor Mort was once again released into the Atlantic Ocean.
Update 4/3/2017:
Mayor Mort has moved north a bit and is now in the area of the St. Lucie Power Plant; where the turtle originally stranded.
Update 3/14/2017:
Mayor Mort seems to have settled in the area just north of Jensen Beach Park on Hutchinson Island. This is just south of the St. Lucie Power Plant, where the turtle originally stranded.
Update 3/6/2017:
Mayor Mort started swimming north on February 28, after spending the first two weeks post-release right around the center. Mayor Mort has stayed close to shore, making shallow dives.
Update 2/16/2017:
Mayor Mort has stayed close to shore since being release on Valentine’s Day. Although some of the locations appear to place the turtle on land, this is actually just a result of normal error in the satellite readings. Location information is calculated by measuring the Doppler shift of the transmitter messages. The Doppler effect is the change in frequency of a wave for an observer relative to its source. A classic example is a person standing at a train station. As the train approaches, barrels by you, and moves away the sound you hear changes. In this case, the frequency of the signals sent from the turtle’s transmitter is picked up the passing satellites overhead.