Results show that, as they grow, turtles dive deeper, for longer, and in a more structured way, which is essential information for future conservation strategies.

Findings may help anticipate risks in the open ocean and define conservation measures more suited to how juvenile turtles use their habitat.

Zoomarine Algarve participated in an international scientific study that reveals new data on the diving behaviour of juvenile sea turtles during one of the least known phases of their life cycle: the first years in the open ocean.

Part of the Lost Years Initiative, promoted by Upwell, the study “Pioneering insights into the diving behaviour of early-stage sea turtles revealed by novel marine miniaturised satellite tags” used miniaturised satellite transmitters to track sea turtles at a stage that, for decades, remained virtually invisible to science.

The research analysed more than 2,400 daily records collected from 71 juvenile turtles equipped with this technology in different ocean regions. The data allowed the identification of unprecedented patterns of underwater behaviour, revealing that, as they grow, turtles tend to dive progressively deeper, for longer, and in a more structured way.

This data helps researchers better understand how these species move, adapt, and survive in a wild environment during a particularly sensitive phase of their development.

“Projects like this demonstrate that marine conservation increasingly depends on collaboration between institutions, science, and technology. By better understanding what happens in the first years of sea turtles' lives, we can anticipate risks, support more informed decisions, and contribute to more effective protection strategies. For Zoomarine, participating in this study is also a natural extension of the work we have been developing for over two decades in our Harbour,” says João Neves, Conservation Director of Zoomarine Algarve.

George Shillinger, CEO of Upwell, adds, “It is with great enthusiasm that we see this unique global scientific collaboration generating results that help shed light on an enigmatic and vulnerable phase of the sea turtle life cycle. Our goal is that these findings can be applied to management and conservation measures that contribute to protecting sea turtles throughout their life cycle.”

According to the researchers, the knowledge now obtained could help predict the movements of juvenile turtles in the open ocean and identify potential risks associated with human activity, such as intensive fishing grounds. Knowledge of the depth and duration of dives could also inform the development of more tailored conservation measures, including adapting certain fishing gear or designing marine protected areas that account for the actual habitat use by these species.

The study is the result of an international scientific collaboration between 17 institutions in seven countries, including Upwell, Mercator Ocean International, Aquarium La Rochelle, Centre d'Etudes et de Soins pour les Tortues Marines, Blue Wave Consulting, LLC, FAU Marine Science Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences and Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at Florida Atlantic University, Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, Nelson Mandela University, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Phuket Marine Biological Center, the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center — Upper Andaman Sea, the Sea Turtle Ecology Lab, the Okinawa Churashima Foundation, the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, the Institute of Marine Sciences, the IICM Okeanos, the University of the Azores, the Institute of Marine Research, IMAR, the Rotterdam Zoo and Zoomarine Algarve.

Participation in this study underscores Zoomarine Algarve's role in international marine research and conservation networks, reinforcing the importance of cooperation between scientific entities, research centres, zoological institutions, and organisations dedicated to ocean protection. This international collaboration continues the work developed by Zoomarine since 2002 through Porto d’Abrigo - Marine Species Rehabilitation Centre - in the areas of marine fauna rehabilitation, research, environmental awareness, and conservation of endangered species.