New research from Monash University suggests that vacuum bags help protect sea turtle eggs during transport
Sea turtles are notoriously difficult to protect since they spend most of their lives in the ocean, with only females returning to land when nesting. So when Monash University scientists in Australia noticed that vacuum bags seem to reduce mortality rates by preventing oxygen from reaching the eggs inside, it drew a lot of attention! Embryos begin developing when the eggs in which they reside are exposed to oxygen. Once exposed, they are incredibly sensitive to disruption, often dying if moved from their original location. Temporarily restricting exposure to oxygen through the use of a vacuum bag during transport appears to pause embryonic development and reduce the sensitivity of the embryo to outside disruptions. Ultimately, this could greatly reduce mortality rates and allow for a higher hatching success rate, not only for sea turtle species but for reptiles as a whole.
ALSO: check out the info on the spiny softshell turtle in the education section below!
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
India: Odisha government prepares for olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting season, plans for research center
Ecology
Arabian Gulf: USS Howard divers rescue entangled sea turtle from half sunken vessel
Education
Myanmar: learn about the Burmese star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) breeding program at the Minzontaung Wildlife Sanctuary
USA: learn about the spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera) from Vermont’s Fish and Wildlife Service (VIDEO, AUDIO, PHOTOS!)
Did You Know…
Reptiles developed the ability to lay eggs in order to produce offspring on land rather than in the water. The inside of the egg provides its own watery environment for the developing embryo. Species that develop this way are known as ambiotes.
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Photo from Monash University.
