"Pablo the Turtle" Rescued: Police Retrieve Student Climate Research Device from Remote Island
A local police department successfully recovered a GPS-equipped surface drifter named “Pablo the Turtle” on Wednesday morning, rescuing the research device from Wills Island.
The Scituate Police Department successfully recovered a GPS-equipped surface drifter named “Pablo the Turtle” on Wednesday morning, rescuing the research device from Wills Island after it had drifted hundreds of miles as part of a middle school climate study. Lt. Norton and Officer Oar, operating aboard Scituate Police Marine Unit 2, located the turtle-shaped drifter on the eastern edge of Wills Island in the North River. With assistance from a local resident and aerial drone coverage provided by Detective Sergeant Steverman, the device was transported back to the Scituate Police Station for minor repairs before its anticipated re-launch.
“We received an email from Amy Perrault, middle school STEM teacher at Wellan, informing us that ‘Pablo’ had come ashore on Wills Island,” said SPD Chief Mark Thompson. “Since the island is only accessible by boat, we were thrilled to play a small role in this educational mission by ensuring the drifter’s rescue and safe return to his seafaring mission.”
“Pablo” is the third surface drifter built by students at Wellan Montessori School in Newton, Massachusetts, constructed in the school’s MakerSpace under the guidance of Design Lab Specialist Merav Rosen. The project, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, allows students to track ocean currents via satellite for six months, analyzing the data to better understand climate change and oceanography.
The device had been launched off the coast of Maine into the Gulf Stream several weeks ago. Recent strong northerly winds pushed the drifter off course, leading to its unexpected arrival in Scituate. Previous turtle drifters from the school have traveled across the North Atlantic, approaching the Azores and North Africa by the end of their tracking periods.
Wellan teachers expressed appreciation for the department’s efforts. “What began as a lesson about climate and oceanography has become–thanks to the generous support of Scituate Police officers–a lesson about community and collaboration as well,” they stated. “For our students to have their work valued by these professionals is especially meaningful.”
The Scituate Police Department is now coordinating with the STEM class and NOAA to relaunch Pablo within the next few days, allowing the drifter to continue its ocean journey and provide valuable data for the students’ ongoing research project.
