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Inconel Tag
A metal tag that is attached to the trailing edge of a sea turtles flipper to provide a means of unique identification. Inconel is a metal alloy that was designed to be particularly resistant to degradation in extreme environments, including the ocean. Other metal tags used on sea turtles are usually made of a different alloy called monel. Inconel tags are pierced through the flipper using a special applicator and last, on average, for a period up to a few years; in extraordinary cases, they can remain intact for decades. Most sea turtles are tagged on both front flippers with these style tags, and injected with a PIT tag as well; other turtles, such as leatherbacks or juvenile loggerheads, are given tags on their rear flippers. Inconel tags are embossed with a unique identification number that is often 3 letters followed by 3 numbers. Most Inconel tag numbers are registered at a centralized taggind database coordinated by the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at the University of Florida, USA.
See also: PIT tag Rototag Titanium tag
WWW References:
- Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research Tag Inventory
- SEATURTLE.ORG Tag Finder
- SEATURTLE.ORG Tagging Site
- SEATURTLE.ORG Tagging Photos
Citations:
- Balazs GH (1999) Factors to consider in the tagging of sea turtles. In: Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea Turtles (eds. Eckert KL, Bjorndal KA, Abreu-Grobois FA, Donnelly M), pp. 101-109. IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group.
Entered by: Lucy Hawkes
Modified by: Janice Blumenthal, Matthew Godfrey, Michael Coyne,
Entered: 2005-05-06 09:43:57
Last modified: 2014-05-03 13:40:35