[Coral-List] Air Guns on Social Media

[Eugene Shinn]

It has been pointed out that there is little knowledge on the effects of 
sound on turtles. As most everyone involved with the ocean knows mature 
turtles are really tough critters. I well remember the dead land turtle 
we used in my physiology class lab years ago. It was kept in a fridge 
for weeks. Each week we did experiments and the heart was still beating 
when we applied various chemicals to stimulate beats. Once when I was 
young I butchered a green turtle. I will never do that again. The heart 
kept beating. And yes before refrigeration turtles were a main source of 
food. So when we applied for a permit to core the Florida Middle Grounds 
with our diver operated hydraulic coring apparatus there were folks in 
the Sanctuary that resisted on the grounds the sound might harm turtles. 
I simply pointed out that it was the same device they used to install 
buoys on coral reefs for divers. Problem solved. Gene PS: I notice the 
social media segment of my earlier posting has not been addressed.

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No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
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E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
College of Marine Science Room 221A
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158
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