Have you seen this terrapin???

She should be easy to pick out of a crowd with the various transmitters on her back! On the top of her carapace you'll see a radio transmitter, which sends signals for reception in the air (when the she's catching a breath at the surface or basking on land). At the back, by her tail is a sonic transmitter, whose signal can be heard through the brackish water with our Dukane underwater receiver.

These transmitters were placed on terrapin BCOPX, my first 'bionic' turtle, on June 17th after she was found crossing the trail at our field station. As a gravid (egg-bearing) female, this was the perfect opportunity for me to begin my preliminary research regarding the movement and nesting behaviors of terrapins in Barnegat Bay. What better place to monitor this turtle than in our own field station canal?

After being released, I have been monitoring BCOPX's movement using Submersible Underwater Receivers (SUR, Sonotronics Inc.) which remotely log data regarding her time and place thanks to the sonic transmitter on her back. This information will be useful in my study as I determine if these SUR units are valid indicators of the nesting behavior of gravid females.

However, the last step of the process has proven to be a difficult one. Recently, I've attempted various methods towards re-capture of BCOPX. Currently I have a 6-element radio receiver set up, which will receive her radio signal up to a mile away. Also, I've set hoop-net traps in the canal near where she was released, hoping she swims in. Yesterday we caught a female terrapin about her size in the nets, so I'm optimistic that BCOPX may be caught soon also!

I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime keep your eyes peeled!