Big Pic: A Sea Turtle In A Wind Tunnel
Well Lit Photo by T. Todd Jones This is a fiberglass cast of a sea turtle, and it's inside a wind tunnel. Researchers from Canada and the U.S. set up this experiment to test how tagging devices increase drag—and make life harder—for marine animals. They found tags increased drag by less than five percent for turtles at least two feet in size. Smaller turtles, however, suffer more. A foot-wide turtle feels more than 20 percent more drag with a tracker on, while a half-foot-wide turtle's drag increases by more than 100 percent. Trackers on sea turtles, fish, dolphins, and other animals send data to researchers about where its wearer travels, to what depths the animal dives, and more. This information is important for learning about different marine species and protecting them. At the same time, if the instruments subject animals...