Satellite tracking reveals sex-specific migration distance in green turtles (
            <i>Chelonia mydas</i>
            )

Beal, Martin; Catry, Paulo; Regalla, Aissa; Barbosa, Castro; Pires, António J.; Mestre, Julie; Senhoury, Cheibani; Sidina, Ebaye; Patrício, Ana R.

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2022.0325

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 31 publications

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“…This is due to relative ease of access—an adult female sampled on a nesting beach can be fitted with a transmitter and remotely tracked to its foraging range. Importantly, data describing adult female foraging patterns are made more useful by the fact that they may reflect space use by other demographic segments such as males and juveniles (Beal et al, 2022; Limpus et al, 1992; Musick & Limpus, 1997; Schofield et al, 2010; Varo‐Cruz et al, 2013). Thus, satellite tracking post‐nesting migrations is a powerful starting point for understanding overall foraging distributions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse migratory strategies for a hawksbill sea turtle population

Maurer,

Seminoff,

Burford Reiskind

et al. 2024

Aquatic Conservation

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Outside of short, infrequent visits to reproductive habitats, sea turtle lifespans are largely spent in foraging areas. Supporting imperilled populations in an era of biodiversity declines and environmental change requires improvements in the understanding of foraging distributions, plus the migratory corridors that connect foraging and reproductive habitats. This study evaluates the migratory strategies and foraging geography of hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Western Atlantic. The post‐nesting migrations of 22 females were tracked via satellite telemetry from Long Island, Antigua, during 2016–2019, and a state‐space model was utilized to estimate true turtle locations from Argos satellite fixes. Model output was used to characterize migratory routes and home ranges occupied during non‐migratory inter‐nesting and foraging periods. Hawksbill migrations (N = 19) resulted in displacements to foraging areas ranging 7–2300 km. Foraging geography varied considerably—whereas eight turtles remained in the immediate vicinity of Antigua and Barbuda (<30 km), there were also longer‐distance migrations (>470 km) to locations such as The Bahamas and Nicaragua. Inter‐nesting core home ranges (50% utilization distributions) ranged from 7 to 72 km2, while foraging core areas ranged from 7 to 46 km2. These results add to evidence suggesting that, broadly, post‐nesting hawksbills forage in neritic habitats throughout the Wider Caribbean, including several high‐use areas. Short displacements to foraging habitats relatively nearby to nesting beaches appear to be the most common migratory behaviour, but individuals in a single population may exhibit various migratory strategies, resulting in basin‐wide connectivity between nesting and foraging sites. Given that a single individual or nesting population may inhabit several management jurisdictions, an idealized scenario for regional hawksbill conservation would entail data sharing between managers at linked nesting areas, foraging habitats and migratory corridors such that policies to protect key habitats and mitigate human impacts are designed and evaluated based on best‐available science.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse migratory strategies for a hawksbill sea turtle population

Maurer,

Seminoff,

Burford Reiskind

et al. 2024

Aquatic Conservation

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Movement patterns of green turtles at a key foraging site: the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania

Mestre,

Patrício,

Sidina

et al. 2024

Mar Biol

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Interactions with fisheries is a major threat to sea turtles. However, space-use at foraging locations remains overlooked in many populations, preventing effective protection. We assess the space-use of 14 juvenile and 24 adult green turtles (Chelonia mydas) satellite-tracked in 2018–2022 within a foraging site of global importance for this species, the Banc d’Arguin in Mauritania, West Africa. Turtles exhibited a patchy distribution and used overlapping habitats irrespective of sexes and life stages. Mean individual home range was larger (151.5 ± 160.5 km²) than values reported in most green turtle populations. Individuals concentrated in two main areas used year-round. Inshore/offshore movements seem to occur within the central part of the Banc d’Arguin, with turtles moving to deeper areas during colder months. More than half of the turtles performed within-season range shifts and switched between up to four distinct areas, with some individuals returning to previously visited sites. Turtles mostly exploited shallow areas (4.30 ± 3.42 m) and seemed to use disproportionally more of the areas inside the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin, than areas of similar bathymetry outside this marine protected area. This suggests that foraging green turtles have been benefiting from the management of the Park since it was established in 1976. However, turtles’ home range overlapped greatly with artisanal fisheries, which operate in the central shallow waters of the Park. The present study provides valuable ecological information that can be used to inform the planning of fisheries management zones, aiming to reduce the interactions between turtles and artisanal fisheries.

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