Every year between December and June, thousands of green sea turtles migrate. They go to Ascension Island to nest - females crawling ashore to lay their eggs in the sand. Because of the remote location and cost of research though, scientists still do not understand exactly how they get there.
Now they've developed a model which simulates part of that arduous journey. What the scientists found is that the species uses a range of weak cues rather than a few strong ones, which could lead them off course. It makes sense - as relying on a singlenavigating cue, such as an inbuilt compass, could render them sensitive to change.
The scientists say that understanding how fish, animals and birds navigate could help them figure out how to protect those that are endangered, as well as what factors might affect their behaviour.