The satellite tags that have been affixed to eight turtles, our scientists will be able to follow their movements on a daily basis as well as discovering their preferences with regard to feeding depths and hours of activity throughout the day.

It is known that a large number of sea turtles, after leaving the nest in which they were born, set off on a long transatlantic migration that takes them to the waters of the western Mediterranean. They then start their return journey using the Gulf Stream until returning once again to their laying beaches, having completed a round trip of more than 10,000 miles. But much of the biology of these animals is still unknown, such as where they spend a large part of the year, especially in their sub-adult stage and during the winter season.

In previous experiments, tracking turtles by satellite tags has allowed some light to be shed on their habits. We now know that the turtles spend part of their life in Atlantic waters and part in the Mediterranean, and that adult females can lay their eggs on different beaches throughout the same year.

The measures adopted in the next few years to protect sea turtles could be vital for the survival of this species. In the last six years, the number of reproductive female loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) that have returned to the laying beaches of Florida (United States) has dropped to less than half. And it is these American populations that represent almost 40% of the world sea turtle population.