Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY SEPT 9

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SCIENCEWednesday 9 September
Sea turtles set new nesting records in U.S.
RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press
SAVANNAH, Georgia (AP)
— Sea turtle experts along
the southeastern U.S. coast
say new nesting numbers
reinforce their belief that
loggerhead sea turtles are
making a comeback after
37 years of protection as a
threatened species under
the federal Endangered
Species Act.
The high numbers bode
well for conservation efforts
put in place to aid a spe-
cies that was nearly extinct
in the 1980s. Researchers
say sea turtles rebounded
from a slump last year to
deliver one of the strongest
summer nesting seasons on
record on beaches from
the Carolinas to Florida.
Preliminary numbers from
Georgia show scientists
and volunteers counted a
record 2,292 loggerhead
sea turtles nests during the
season that runs from May
through August. It’s the
fifth season in six years that
Georgia, which has just 100
miles (160 kilometers) of
coastline, has surpassed its
previous record.
Astronauts have read ‘The Martian,’ now can’t wait for movie
MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida
(AP) — The book “The Mar-
tian” is earning high praise
from space, and the astro-
naut-reviewer can’t wait
to see the soon-to-be-re-
leased movie.
NASA astronaut Kjell Lind-
gren said Tuesday from the
International Space Station
that both he and crew-
mate Scott Kelly have read
the novel by Andy Weir.
Lindgren told reporters he
really enjoyed the book
and hopes to get a copy of
the film beamed up to or-
bit on Oct. 2, the day of re-
lease, or shortly thereafter.

In this Aug. 13, 2015 photo made available by the University of Central Florida, green turtle hatch- know for certain if current
lings emerge from their nests at the Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne, Fla. nesting trends are signs of
long-lasting recovery.
Associated Press Loggerhead sea turtles,
which grow to weigh up
“Every big year we get, the ing season doesn’t end un- Florida. It’s a new record for to 300 pounds (135 kilo-
more confident we are in til October, turtles are also the refuge. grams), dig their nests on
that conclusion that we’re breaking records. More Mansfield said these same beaches from the Caroli-
in a recovery period,” said than 12,000 endangered Florida beaches had fewer nas to Florida. Preliminary
Mark Dodd, the biologist green sea turtles have dug than 50 green sea turtle nesting numbers show a
who heads the sea turtle nests along the beach at nests annually in the 1980s. strong nesting comeback
recovery program for the the Archie Carr National Still, Mansfield says turtles in both North Carolina and
Georgia Department of Wildlife Refuge, said Kate need to live 25 or more South Carolina this summer
Natural Resources. “So we Mansfield, head of the Ma- years before they start to after numbers dropped by
feel really good about it.” rine Turtle Research Group reproduce, so it will be de- nearly half in 2014. Georgia
In Florida, where the nest- at the University of Central cades before researchers suffered a similar slump last
year, with nest numbers
dipping to 1,201.
Dodd and other experts
weren’t alarmed, noting
that female loggerheads
don’t lay eggs every year
and sometimes take two or
even three years off from
nesting.
Researchers have cred-
ited two specific conser-
vation efforts with helping
the species rebound. Turtle
nests discovered by gov-
ernment experts and vol-
unteers on state beaches
get covered with a mesh
that protects the eggs in-
side from hogs, raccoons
and other predators.q

The astronauts chatted “For the folks who go to ing lab until Friday, when signed up to have his name
with the star of the film, Mars, especially the first three of them — represent- sent to Mars aboard NASA’s
Matt Damon, last month by time, it’s going to be such ing Russia, Kazakhstan and next lander, named InSight.
phone. They called the ac- an incredible destination Denmark — will return to The spacecraft is due to
tor — who portrays fictional and event that they’re go- Earth. launch next March and ar-
astronaut Mark Watney, ing to be really psyched Kelly and Russian Mikhail rive at Mars next Septem-
who’s mistakenly left for up for getting there,” Kelly Kornienko will remain there ber. Posing with his “board-
dead on Mars — while he said. “I’m not saying I’m until next March. For NASA, ing pass” to the red planet,
was touring Jet Propulsion not psyched up for the it will represent the longest Kelly noted in a tweet over
Laboratory in Pasadena, rest of this. But in some space mission ever. NASA the weekend that in the
California. “That was a neat ways, almost being half- officials consider the year- time he’s already spent
conversation,” Lindgren re- way through, a lot of what long mission a necessary in orbit, he’d be almost to
called during a space-to- we’re going to be doing is step as the agency looks Mars. He and Kornienko
ground news conference. very similar to what we’ve ahead to even longer Mars took off from Kazakhstan
“It was certainly fun for us.” already done.” expeditions sometime in in March. NASA’s “board-
Kelly — who’s almost half- A Mars crew also won’t the 2030s. ing passes” to Mars, via the
way through a yearlong have people coming and With its sights set on the red InSight lander, were avail-
space station stay — said going, as is currently the planet, NASA is embracing able online until 11:59 p.m.
it’s difficult to compare his case at the space station. “The Martian” — and vice Eastern Time Tuesday, Sept.
experience in orbit with a Nine men from four coun- versa. 8. As of noon, the sign-up
Mars trip. tries are aboard the orbit- Like Kelly, Damon recently sheet exceeded 765,000.q