Sounds Therapy For Sea Turtles
Sea turtles are an integral part of marine ecosystems, yet are threatened by human activities like incidental fishing, pollution and habitat degradation. To conserve sea turtles, protection and rehabilitation for sick or injured individuals are necessary. Sounds therapy (also referred to as environmental enrichment (EE)) may improve the welfare of rehabilitated sea turtles.
Extrinsic Enrichment (EE) involves providing novel food items, man-made objects and natural acoustic cues to encourage behavior such as swimming, hunting, foraging, seeking shelter and relieving boredom and stress. This technique has been demonstrated to reduce mortality rates and enhance behavior in rehabilitated sea turtles when released back into their natural environment.
New research published in Nature Communications suggests sea turtles and other acoustically understudied vertebrates possess more vocal repertoire than previously believed. Researchers examined recordings from 53 species, such as turtles, lungfish, caecilians (limbless amphibians) and the tuatara–a New Zealand endemic with lizard-like features–for their vocal repertoires.
Researchers discovered sounds that sound similar to those made by vertebrates capable of singing, such as humans. But their discoveries date back more than 100 million years, potentially providing insight into the evolution of our own vocal abilities.
Injured turtles often require hospitalization due to their high mortality rate and difficulty obtaining accurate information on clinical signs and treatment duration for cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles [5,6,11]. The primary objectives of medical management for these turtles include increasing hydration levels and metabolic functions, decreasing cardiorespiratory depression, and relieving pain. Furthermore, empirical antimicrobial treatment may be started at admission due to the high prevalence of pneumonia and other infections.
Sound presents a challenge for Piniak and her team because halibut, the target fish they work with, are unable to hear very high frequencies like sea turtles can. The devices they make to deter halibut only operate between 200 hertz and 1,600 hertz; on the other hand, sea turtles possess an audible range of up to 20,000 hertz.
Piniak and her team used mathematical techniques and acoustic modeling to find the optimal frequency. Results show that sounds between 200 hertz and 20,000 hertz are effective at deterring halibut from breeding.
This is an inspiring example of how researchers are applying their expertise to a pressing problem that affects us all. Their work is making a difference in the lives of many animals, such as endangered sea turtles.
Extemporaneous electrotherapy (EE) is an effective treatment for injured sea turtles, helping them recover faster from their injuries. It increases their physical activity level, helps them adapt to new environmental conditions, and can reduce stress when released back into the wild.
In 2016, a three-flippered sea turtle with an injured left flipper was successfully released back into the wild. Research has since demonstrated that using electroacupuncture (EE) can enhance a turtle’s capacity for adaptation in a new environment and may even be applicable to other endangered marine species.
