Book 6, Question 140
Why Do Scientists Tag Fish and Turtles?
You can't follow a turtle across the ocean on a bike! So scientists use small tags and satellite packs, so animals can report where they feed, nest, and hide. A tag is like a postcard that says: I swam here, and here, and here!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 6
More fun facts
- Scientists attach electronic tags to ocean animals to learn where they go and which routes they take.
- Animals that get tags include fish, sea snakes, sea turtles and whales.
- NOAA scientists tag everything from salmon, eels and squid to sharks, seals and seabirds like albatross.
- A satellite tag on a sea turtle lets scientists track its travels.
- Putting tag data together with satellite pictures of the ocean shows how animals use the sea.
- Scientists want tags that last longer and tags small enough to fit on smaller animals.
- At a 2019 science fair, a student showed a fish tag powered by the fish itself.
Sources: NOAA, Science News Explores, NOAA Ocean Service, NOAA
Questions kids ask
How do scientists follow a sea turtle across the ocean?
They attach a satellite tag that tracks where it goes.