Turtle Tracks

Research conducted by an SMU graduate student may help protect an endangered species.

Dana Biasatti, who studied the migration of ancient sea turtles for her Master’s thesis in paleontology at SMU, tracked their movements by conducting chemical analyses of the turtles’ bones as well as barnacles growing on their shells.

Bones and barnacles can be used to tell a chemical story of the turtles' past.

Because turtles incorporate elements from the environment into their bodies, Biasatti says bones and barnacles can be used to tell a chemical story of the turtles’ past. Her research could help scientists better understand where turtles travel, as well as protect them from hazards such as toxic spills or overfishing.

Her research will be published this year in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. Biasatti plans to continue her research on the correlation of marine animal skeletal chemistry with migration and ecology while pursuing a Ph.D. at Florida State University.

For more information: Dana Biasatti
biasatti@magnet.fsu.edu