Spatial Ecology of Sub-Adult Green Turtles in Coastal Waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands: Implications for Conservation Management
dc.contributor.author | Doherty, PD | |
dc.contributor.author | Broderick, AC | |
dc.contributor.author | Godley, BJ | |
dc.contributor.author | Hart, KA | |
dc.contributor.author | Phillips, Q | |
dc.contributor.author | Sanghera, A | |
dc.contributor.author | Stringell, TB | |
dc.contributor.author | Walker, JT | |
dc.contributor.author | Richardson, PB | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2020-08-25T12:34:52Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2020-08-25 | |
dc.description.abstract | Marine turtles are of conservation concern throughout their range, with past population declines largely due to exploitation through both legal and illegal take, and incidental capture in fisheries. Whilst much research effort has been focused on nesting beaches and elaborating migratory corridors, these species spend the vast majority of their lifecycle in foraging grounds, which are, in some species, quite discrete. To understand and manage these populations, empirical data are needed on distribution, space-use, and habitats to best inform design of protective measures. Here we describe space-use, occupancy, and wide-ranging movements derived from conventional flipper tagging and satellite tracking of sub-adult green turtles (Chelonia mydas) within the coastal waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI; 2011–2017). 623 turtles were fitted with flipper tags, with 69 subsequently recaptured, five of which in international waters. Sixteen individual turtles of between 63 and 81 cm curved carapace length were satellite tracked for a mean 226 days (range: 38–496). Data revealed extended periods of occupancy in the shallow coastal waters within a RAMSAR protected area. Satellite tracking and flipper tagging showed wide-ranging movements, with flipper tag recaptures occurring in waters off Nicaragua (n = 4), and Venezuela (n = 1). Also, four of 16 satellite tracked turtles exhibiting directed movements away (displaced >450 km) from TCI waters traveling through nine geo-political zones within the Caribbean-Atlantic basin, as well as on the High Seas. One turtle traveled to the Central American coast before settling on inshore habitat in Colombia’s waters for 162 days before transmission ceased, indicating ontogenetic dispersal to a distant foraging habitat. These data highlight connectivity throughout the region, displaying key linkages between countries that have previously only been linked by genetic evidence. This study also provides evidence of the importance of the Turks and Caicos Islands marine protected area network and importance of effective management of the sea turtle fishery for regional green turtle populations. | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Anne and Simon Notley | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Blavatnik Family | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Wiese Family | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Gerrity Family | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Keith Anderson | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Kenneth De Regt and Alison Overseth | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Patrick and Linda Flockhart | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Stephen Meringoff and Kim Charlton | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Big Blue Unlimited | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Amanyara Resort | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | People’s Trust for Endangered Species | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Princess Yachts | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) | en_GB |
dc.identifier.citation | Vol. 7, article 690 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.3389/fmars.2020.00690 | |
dc.identifier.grantnumber | NE/R007039/1 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10871/122633 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_GB |
dc.publisher | Frontiers Media | en_GB |
dc.rights | © 2020 Doherty, Broderick, Godley, Hart, Phillips, Sanghera, Stringell, Walker and Richardson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. | en_GB |
dc.subject | Chelonia mydas | en_GB |
dc.subject | connectivity | en_GB |
dc.subject | marine protected area (MPA) | en_GB |
dc.subject | migration | en_GB |
dc.subject | satellite tracking | en_GB |
dc.title | Spatial Ecology of Sub-Adult Green Turtles in Coastal Waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands: Implications for Conservation Management | en_GB |
dc.type | Article | en_GB |
dc.date.available | 2020-08-25T12:34:52Z | |
dc.description | This is the final version. Available on open access from frontiers Media via the DOI in this record | en_GB |
dc.description | Data Availability Statement: Raw data will not be made available due to the sensitivity of endangered species location information. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to the corresponding author. All other data used for analyses are presented in the manuscript. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to peter.richardson@mcsuk.org. | en_GB |
dc.identifier.eissn | 2296-7745 | |
dc.identifier.journal | Frontiers in Marine Science | en_GB |
dc.rights.uri | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | en_GB |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2020-07-29 | |
rioxxterms.version | VoR | en_GB |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2020-07-29 | |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review | en_GB |
refterms.dateFCD | 2020-08-25T12:30:12Z | |
refterms.versionFCD | VoR | |
refterms.dateFOA | 2020-08-25T12:35:00Z | |
refterms.panel | A | en_GB |
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's licence is described as © 2020 Doherty, Broderick, Godley, Hart, Phillips, Sanghera, Stringell, Walker and Richardson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.