Sea Turtle Researchers

Each partner is responsible for finding different information. Your team will be assigned one of the following sea turtles that inhabit the waters of Long Island:

	GREEN TURTLE
	KEMP'S RIDLEY
	LOGGERHEAD
	LEATHERBACK

For each species of sea turtles, one partner is responsible for being the DESCRIPTION and NESTING SPECIALIST. The other partner is responsible for being THE DISTRIBUTION and STATUS SPECIALIST.

THE DESCRIPTION and NESTING SPECIALIST:
This person is responsible for describing the species and researching the breeding habits.

Use the checklist below to see what information you have to find out:

DESCRIPTION:

NESTING:

	NAME OF SPECIES
	WHAT IS ITS SIZE?
	WHAT IS ITS WEIGHT?
	DESCRIBE ITS COLOR
	HOW LONG DOES IT LIVE?
	WHAT DOES IT EAT?

	NAME OF SPECIES
	WHERE DOES IT MAKE ITS NEST?
	HOW LONG IS THE BREEDING SEASON?
	HOW MANY EGGS DOES THE FEMALE USUALLY LAY?
	HOW LONG UNTIL THE EGGS HATCH?
	WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE EGGS HATCH?

THE DISTRIBUTION and NESTING SPECIALIST:
This person is responsible for researching the habitat (where it lives) and for finding out if the species is endangered.

Use the checklist below to see what information you have to find out:

DISTRIBUTION:

STATUS:

	NAME OF SPECIES
	WHAT KIND OF WATER DOES IT LIVE IN?
	WHEN DOES IT MIGRATE (travel) TO OUR AREA?
	DESCRIBE ITS HABITAT
	HOW MANY WERE STRANDED IN THE YEAR 1999? (HINT: CHECK THE RIVERHEAD FOUNDATION WEBSITE!)
	OTHER INTERESTING FACTS

	NAME OF SPECIES
	IS IT CONSIDERED ENDANGERED?
	THREATS TO ITS SURVIVAL
	THREATS TO HATCHLINGS

Here are the resources you will need to carry out your tasks. Visit each site and find at least 2 interesting facts, ideas, or tips from each.

SITES FOR SEA TURTLE RESEARCHERS:

Description	Distribution	Nesting	Status
Turtle Org	Turtle Org	Turtle Org	Turtle Org
Turtle Time	Turtle Time	Sea World (Scroll down to "nesting behavior.")	Sea World
Sciencemaster (Scroll down the page, find the table of turtles, and click on your species.)	Sciencemaster (Scroll down the page, find the table of turtles, and click on your species.)	Sea World (Scroll down to "hatchling behavior.")	Sciencemaster
Riverhead Foundation	Riverhead Foundation	Riverhead Foundation	Riverhead Foundation