‘Secret GPS’: Sea turtles use magnetic superpower to surf vast oceans for treats, home – Interesting Engineering

For decades, experts have suspected that these turtles can learn and recall the unique magnetic signatures of various locations.a day agoa day agoa day agoa day ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days agoan hour agoan hour ago2 hours ago2 hours ago3 hours ago3 hours ago4 hours ago6 hours ago6 hours ago7 hours agoMrigakshi DixitUNC-Chapel Hill researcher holding a Loggerhead Sea Turtle. Ken Lohmann, UNC-Chapel Hill

 Earth’s invisible magnetic field is essential for life. While humans can’t sense it, many animals have evolved the ability to perceive and use it for navigation.Loggerhead sea turtles are one of them. These marine reptiles undertake long-distance migrations across oceans to find food, reproduce, and maintain a suitable environment for survival.They navigate vast oceans with remarkable precision using a “secret GPS” or an internal magnetic map.Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have uncovered how loggerhead sea turtles navigate precisely from one location to another. For decades, experts have suspected that these turtles can learn and recall the unique magnetic signatures of various locations.But until now, this was just speculation. This new research provides the first concrete evidence that loggerhead turtles hone this remarkable ability.This superpower probably guides them home to the vital places where they nest and feed.“Our study investigated for the first time whether a migratory animal can learn to recognize the magnetic signatures of different geographic areas,” said Kayla Goforth, the study’s first author. “Researchers have speculated for decades that animals can learn magnetic signatures, but this is the first empirical demonstration of that ability, so it fills in an important gap in our knowledge,” Goforth added. The researchers designed controlled experiments where turtles were exposed to different magnetic fields while receiving food. The experiments utilized a specialized antenna system, which acted as a tool to create a controlled “magnetic environment” for the turtles. Interestingly, the turtles demonstrated the ability to “learn and remember” the magnetic fields associated with food locations. This demonstrates their ability to link magnetic signatures to specific locations.The turtles used this learned information to return to feeding areas, explaining their impressive navigation skills. In captivity, young loggerhead turtles displayed anticipatory “dancing” behavior when exposed to magnetic fields previously associated with feeding. The study also sheds light on the mechanisms behind this incredible sense. The findings suggest that turtles actually have two distinct magnetic senses: one for their magnetic map and another for their magnetic compass.One sense helps turtles know their location, while the other guides their direction.This research could be used to ramp up conservation efforts for large-headed turtles. Understanding how human-made structures interfere with natural magnetic cues could help protect these marine creatures. It could also inspire new navigation technologies.“We’ve known for 20 years that sea turtles have magnetic maps and now, by showing that they can learn new locations, we have learned how the maps might be built and modified,” said Catherine Lohmann, a biology professor at UNC-Chapel Hill. “It is amazing that sea turtles have access to a wealth of invisible information that they use to navigate in ways that are hard for us to even imagine,” Lohmann added. Researchers will continue investigating the limits of turtle learning, their sensitivity to magnetic fields, and how they use this information for real-world navigation. Magnetic field perception is widespread among animals and essential for navigation, orientation, and even creating cognitive maps.As per the press release, this fresh understanding may also apply to other migratory animals that use magnetic cues. “The ability to distinguish among magnetic fields of different geographic areas likely explains how many animals—not just sea turtles—can navigate long distances to specific locations,” said Ken Lohmann, a professor of biology at UNC-Chapel Hill.The findings were published in the journal Nature.Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.Stay up-to-date on engineering, tech, space, and science news with The Blueprint.By clicking sign up, you confirm that you accept this site’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policya day agoa day agoa day agoa day agoPremiumIE PROFollow

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/science/sea-turtles-use-magnetic-superpower-to-surf