Novel Bio-Logging Tool for Studying Fine-Scale Behaviors of Marine Turtles in Response to Sound

Tyson, Reny B.; Piniak, Wendy E. Dow; Domit, Camila; Mann, David A.; Hall, Michael R.; Nowacek, Douglas P.; Fuentes, Mariana M. P. B.

doi:10.3389/fmars.2017.00219

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 66 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Anthropogenic perturbations can also illicit direct or indirect changes to sea turtle behavior. Multiple low-sample-size studies suggest the possibility that sound may trigger a response in turtles [ 54 , 55 ]. Dredge operations were associated with changes in flatback sea turtle ( Natator depressus ) distribution and dive behavior, possibly due to noise impacts and changes to the benthos [ 56 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riders on the storm: loggerhead sea turtles detect and respond to a major hurricane in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Extreme weather events, including hurricanes, have considerable biological, ecological, and anthropogenic impacts. Hurricane Irene caused substantial economic damage when it hit the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) off of the eastern United States in August of 2011. The MAB is highly stratified during the summer when a strong thermocline separates warm, surface water from deep, cold water, and this oceanographic phenomenon makes modeling hurricane strength difficult. Loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta ) forage in the MAB primarily during the stratified season and their dive behavior to the bottom allows them to experience the oceanographic conditions of the entire water column. Methods In this study, we analyzed the movements and dive behavior of juvenile and adult-sized loggerhead sea turtles ( n = 18) that were foraging in the MAB as Hurricane Irene moved through the region. The satellite tags deployed on these turtles transmitted location data and dive behavior as well as sea surface temperature (SST) and temperature-depth profiles during this time. Results Behavioral and environmental shifts were observed during and after the hurricane compared to conditions before the storm. During the hurricane, most of the turtles ( n = 15) moved north of their pre-storm foraging grounds. Following the storm, some turtles left their established foraging sites ( n = 8) moving south by 7.3–135.0 km, and for the others that remained ( n = 10), 12% of the observed dives were longer (0.54–1.11 h) than dives observed before the storm. The in situ data collected by the turtle-borne tags captured the cooling of the SST (Mean difference = 4.47°C) and the deepening of the thermocline relative to the pre-storm conditions. Conclusions Some of the loggerhead behavior observed relative to a passing hurricane differed from the regular pattern of seasonal movement expected for turtles that forage in the MAB. These data documented the shifts in sea turtle behavior and distribution during an ecosystem-level perturbation and the recorded in situ data demonstrated that loggerheads observe environmental changes to the entire water column, including during extreme weather events.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riders on the storm: loggerhead sea turtles detect and respond to a major hurricane in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Interestingly, the tagged turtle did not appear to show an overt behavioral response to the presence (visual or acoustic) of the tracking boat or other vessels in the area, though this assessment was subjective. To quantify behavioral response to sound, future deployments should include an acoustic tag (e.g., Tyson et al, 2017) and incorporate behavioral response studies. More research is needed on the behavioral response of sea turtles to anthropogenic underwater sounds, especially field studies that measure behavioral response experimentally as has been done for marine mammals (Southall et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

TurtleCam: A “Smart” Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Investigating Behaviors and Habitats of Sea Turtles

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sea turtles inhabiting coastal environments routinely encounter anthropogenic hazards, including fisheries, vessel traffic, pollution, dredging, and drilling. To support mitigation of potential threats, it is important to understand fine-scale sea turtle behaviors in a variety of habitats. Recent advancements in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) now make it possible to directly observe and study the subsurface behaviors and habitats of marine megafauna, including sea turtles. Here, we describe a "smart" AUV capability developed to study free-swimming marine animals, and demonstrate the utility of this technology in a pilot study investigating the behaviors and habitat of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea). We used a Remote Environmental Monitoring UnitS (REMUS-100) AUV, designated "TurtleCam," that was modified to locate, follow and film tagged turtles for up to 8 h while simultaneously collecting environmental data. The TurtleCam system consists of a 100-m depth rated vehicle outfitted with a circular Ultra-Short BaseLine receiver array for omni-directional tracking of a tagged animal via a custom transponder tag that we attached to the turtle with two suction cups. The AUV collects video with six high-definition cameras (five mounted in the vehicle nose and one mounted aft) and we added a camera to the animal-borne transponder tag to record behavior from the turtle's perspective. Since behavior is likely a response to habitat factors, we collected concurrent in situ oceanographic data (bathymetry, temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, currents) along the turtle's track. We tested the TurtleCam system during 2016 and 2017 in a densely populated coastal region off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, where foraging leatherbacks overlap with fixed fishing gear and concentrated commercial and recreational vessel traffic. Here we present example data from one leatherback turtle to demonstrate the utility of TurtleCam. The concurrent video, localization, depth and environmental data allowed us to characterize leatherback diving behavior, foraging ecology, and habitat use, and to assess how turtle behavior mediates risk to impacts from anthropogenic activities. Our study demonstrates that an AUV can successfully track and image leatherback turtles feeding in a coastal environment, resulting in novel observations of three-dimensional subsurface behaviors and habitat use, with implications for sea turtle management and conservation.

show abstract

“…erratic behavior and agitated state). Tyson et al (2017) deployed a multi-sensor tag (ROTAG) on 1 juvenile green sea turtle to identify activities in relation to noise sources and showed that the animal responded to noise by remaining still near the seafloor during passings of the vessel. Noise can also impact turtles physiologically, from permanent or temporary hearing loss to death (Viada et al 2008).…”

Section: Human-made Noise Impacts On Marine Turtlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

First evidence of underwater vocalizations in green sea turtles Chelonia mydas

Charrier

Jeantet

Maucourt

et al. 2022

Endang. Species. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Marine turtles have long been considered to be silent, but few investigations have been performed to confirm such muteness. However, recent studies on the aerial and underwater hearing abilities of marine turtles have shown they have an ability to perceive sounds, suggesting the potential existence of acoustic communication among them. In the present study, audio-video recorders were deployed on 11 free-ranging juvenile green sea turtles Chelonia mydas at Grande Anse d’Arlet in Martinique. The recordings revealed that the turtles produced 10 different sound types that were classified into 4 main categories: pulses, low-amplitude calls (LAC), frequency-modulated sounds, and squeaks. Although other turtles were not observed in close proximity to tagged turtles during the recordings, some of the described sounds were found in most recorded individuals and their frequency characteristics ranged within the underwater hearing range of green sea turtles, suggesting that the sounds could be used for intra-specific communication. While control recordings in the study area without the presence of green sea turtles contained sounds with similar general structure (pulses, LAC), the acoustic characteristics were significantly different to those recorded for green sea turtles. The 2 types of squeaks identified for the turtles were found to be individual-specific, also suggesting they could be used for intra-species communication. Further research on sea turtles is needed to better understand the behavioral and social context of these acoustic productions, especially during the developmental period and breeding season. Thus, the vocal repertoire of green sea turtles is likely to be more diverse than that currently described.

show abstract

Novel Bio-Logging Tool for Studying Fine-Scale Behaviors of Marine Turtles in Response to Sound

Cited by 21 publications

References 66 publications

Riders on the storm: loggerhead sea turtles detect and respond to a major hurricane in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Riders on the storm: loggerhead sea turtles detect and respond to a major hurricane in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

TurtleCam: A “Smart” Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Investigating Behaviors and Habitats of Sea Turtles

First evidence of underwater vocalizations in green sea turtles Chelonia mydas

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About