2026年3月26日 / 美国东部时间上午7:13 / 美联社
佛罗里达州朱诺海滩电 — 佛罗里达州一家海龟医院的兽医团队正借助太空技术的帮助，监测他们救治过的海龟。他们尤其关注那些失去肢体的海龟。
洛矶山海洋生物中心与史密森尼保护生物学研究所合作，使用卫星追踪设备，科学家们正在研究海龟失去一只肢体后在野外的生存能力。
该中心表示，一只右前肢被捕食者（最有可能是鲨鱼）咬伤截肢的肯氏丽龟“艾米丽”（Amelie）于周三被送往海滩，进行备受期待的放归。海龟停顿了约30秒，然后缓缓游向大西洋，围观者欢呼喝彩。
佛罗里达州朱诺海滩，2026年3月25日 — 观众观看一只成年雌性肯氏丽龟在康复后被放归大西洋。科迪·杰克逊 / 美联社
艾米丽七周前在佛罗里达州圣露西港被Inwater研究小组救助，当时她因严重截肢而受伤。她在中心的水箱中接受了伤口清理缝合手术，并治疗了肺炎。当兽医认为她健康状况足以重返大海时，他们在她的龟壳上安装了一个追踪装置。
超声波检查确认艾米丽正在产卵，这为研究人员追踪她的活动提供了另一个理由。
该中心总裁兼首席执行官安迪·迪哈特表示，肯氏丽龟是最稀有的海龟物种，通常多见于佛罗里达墨西哥湾沿岸，因此救治艾米丽具有特殊意义。
佛罗里达州朱诺海滩，2026年3月25日 — 一只康复的成年雌性肯氏丽龟在放归过程中爬向大海。科迪·杰克逊 / 美联社
洛矶山研究主任莎拉·赫希表示，艾米丽实际上是该中心追踪的第四只截肢海龟。追踪数据显示，其中一只名为“帕里”（Pyari）的三肢海龟自1月放归以来已游行了近700英里。
“我们确实知道它们能在野外成功生存，因为我们在筑巢海滩上看到过它们，但我们非常想了解它们的潜水行为，以及它们重返野外后的迁徙情况，”赫希说。
卫星标签配备有盐水开关，可检测海龟何时浮出水面呼吸，从而触发数据传输至卫星。其位置会在24小时延迟后在线显示。访问洛矶山中心网站可查看艾米丽及其他用于各类研究项目追踪的海龟。
“它们经历了很多，”赫希说，“在这里获得了大量医疗护理，看到它们能够重返大海并为种群繁衍贡献力量，这真的很有价值。”
访问洛矶山中心网站可查看艾米丽及其他用于各类研究项目追踪的海龟。
Amputee sea turtle being tracked at sea from space
March 26, 2026 / 7:13 AM EDT / AP
Juno Beach, Fla. — The veterinary staff at a Florida sea turtle hospital is getting help from space to monitor the animals they’ve rehabilitated. They’re particularly interested in amputees.
Using satellite tracking devices in a collaboration between the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, scientists are learning how well sea turtles can survive in the wild after losing a limb.
Amelie, a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle who lost her right forelimb to a predator – most likely a shark, the center said – was taken to the beach on Wednesday for her highly anticipated release. The turtle paused for about 30 seconds, then slowly made her way into the Atlantic Ocean as onlookers cheered.
Spectators watch as an adult female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is released into the Atlantic Ocean after rehabilitation in Juno Beach, Fla. on March 25, 2026. Cody Jackson / AP
Amelie had been rescued and brought to the center by the Inwater Research Group in Port St. Lucie, Florida, seven weeks earlier after a traumatic amputation. She underwent surgery to clean and close the wound, and was treated for pneumonia while in a tank at the center. When veterinarians deemed her healthy enough to return to the sea, they glued a tracking device to her shell.
An ultrasound confirmed that Amelie is developing eggs, giving researchers another reason to track her movements.
Kemp’s ridley turtles, the rarest of sea turtle species, are more typically found on Florida’s Gulf Coast, so treating Amelie was especially significant, said Andy Dehart, the center’s president and CEO.
A rehabilitated adult female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle crawls toward the ocean during a release in Juno Beach, Fla. on March 25, 2026. Cody Jackson / AP
Amelie is actually the fourth amputee sea turtle being tracked by the center, Loggerhead research director Sarah Hirsch said. They include a three-limbed turtle named Pyari who has traveled nearly 700 miles since her release in January, her tracker shows.
“We do know that they can be successful in the wild because we have seen them on our nesting beaches, but we really want to understand their dive behaviors, how they’re migrating once they’re back in the wild,” Hirsch said.
The satellite tags have a saltwater switch that detects when the turtle comes up to the surface to breathe, triggering the transmission of data to the satellites. Their location appears online after a 24-hour delay. To view Amelie and other turtles tracked for various research projects, visit the Loggerhead website.
“They’ve been through a lot,” Hirsch said. “They’ve gotten a lot of medical care here, and to see them be able to go back out and contribute to the population is really rewarding.”
To view Amelie and other turtles tracked for various research projects, visit the Loggerhead website.