Migration of Sea Turtles from Caribbean Costa Rica: Implications for Management

Sebastian Troëng

Migration of Sea Turtles from Caribbean Costa Rica: Implications for Management

Sebastian Troëng

Biologiska institutionen

Forskningsoutput: Avhandling › Doktorsavhandling (sammanläggning)

Sammanfattning

Popular Abstract in Swedish
Fyra högst migratoriska och utrotningshotade havssköldpaddsarter (soppsköldpadda, karettsköldpadda, havslädersköldpadda och oäkta karettsköldpadda) lägger ägg i Tortuguero nationalparken i Costa Rica. Havssköldpaddsforskning har pågått fortlöpande i Tortuguero sedan Dr. Archie Carr påbörjade studier under 1950-talet.

Denna avhandling avser att klargöra Tortugueros havssköldpaddors migrationer efter äggläggningen, deras äggläggningstrender och överlevnadshot.

Soppsköldpaddsäggläggning har i Tortuguero ökat med uppskattningsvis 417% mellan 1971 och 2003, delvis som resultat av naturvårdsansträngningar. Märkningar och satellitsändare visar att soppsköldpaddor, efter äggläggningen, migrerar till bentiska födoområden, förmodligen sköldpaddsgräsängar, över hela Karibien, men en del honor kan opportunistiskt utnyttja föda i oceaniska vatten innan de påbörjar sin migration. Under migrationerna och i födoområdena i Nicaragua så fångas sköldpaddorna av fiskare. Den årliga överlevnadssannolikheten för vuxna honsoppsköldpaddor, uppskattad från märkningar och fångst, är lägre än för andra populationer. Soppsköldpaddspopulationens reproduktiva kapacitet kan uppehållas genom kortare interval mellan äggläggningssäsongerna. De kortare remigrationsintervalen kan vara en konsekvens av riklig tillgång på föda, frigjord pga historiska populationsminskningar.

Karettsköldpaddspopulationens äggläggning har minskat med uppskattningsvis 77% sedan 1956. Märkningar och satellitsändare visar att karettsköldpaddorna migrerar till korallrev i Nicaragua och Honduras efter äggläggningen. Genetisk analys antyder att karettsköldpaddorna också migrerar till Kuba, Puerto Rico och möjligtvis till mexikanska vatten.

Tortugueros havslädersköldpaddor är del av en stabil eller möjligvis svagt minskande regional population vars utsträckning är åtminstone från Honduras till Colombia. Efter äggläggningen migrerar havslädersköldpaddorna till den mexikanska gulfen och nordatlanten.

Tortugueros havssköldpaddors migrationer har långtgående konsekvenser för prioritetssättning vad gäller naturvård och för ekonomisk utveckling i de centralamerikanska kustbyarna. Konsekvenser för återhämtningsmål, fiske, turism och oljeletande, samte användandet av skyddsområden och internationella konventioner som mekanismer för att åstadkomma ett framgångsrikt omhändertagande beskrivs.

Originalspråk	engelska
Kvalifikation	Doktor
Tilldelande institution	Biologiska institutionen
Handledare	Alerstam, Thomas, handledare
Tilldelningsdatum	2005 dec. 14
Förlag	Ekologiska institutionen, Lunds universitet
ISBN (tryckt)	91-7105-229-1
Status	Published - 2005

Bibliografisk information

Defence details

Date: 2005-12-14
Time: 10:00
Place: Blå Hallen Ekologihuset Sölvegatan 37 223 62 Lund Sverige

External reviewer(s)

Name: Hays, Graeme
Title: Professor
Affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea

---

The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015.
The record was previously connected to the following departments: Animal Ecology (Closed 2011) (011012001)

Ämnesklassifikation (UKÄ)

Ekologi

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title = "Migration of Sea Turtles from Caribbean Costa Rica: Implications for Management",

abstract = "Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica hosts nesting by four species of highly migratory and endangered sea turtles (green, hawksbill, leatherback and loggerhead turtles). Sea turtle research at Tortuguero has been continuous since Dr. Archie Carr began studies in the 1950?s. This dissertation aims to clarify the Tortuguero sea turtles? post-nesting migrations, nesting trends and survival threats. Green turtle nesting at Tortuguero increased with an estimated 417% between 1971 and 2003, partly as a result of conservation efforts. Tag recoveries and satellite telemetry show that post-nesting green turtles migrate to benthic foraging grounds, presumably turtle grass pastures throughout the Caribbean, but some females may feed opportunistically in oceanic waters before initiating migration. During migrations and at the main foraging grounds in Nicaragua, the turtles are caught by fishermen. Annual survival probability estimates for the adult female green turtles, derived from analysis of tag recoveries and recaptures, are lower than for other populations. The reproductive output of the green turtle population may be maintained through shorter intervals between active breeding seasons. The short remigration intervals could be a consequence of abundant food resources, freed up through historical population decline. The hawksbill nesting population has declined with an estimated 77% since 1956. Tag recoveries and satellite telemetry show that post-nesting hawksbill turtles migrate to coral reefs in Nicaragua and Honduras. Genetic analysis indicates the hawksbill turtles also migrate to Cuba, Puerto Rico and possibly Mexico waters. Tortuguero leatherback turtles form part of a stable or possibly slightly declining regional rookery extending at least from Honduras to Colombia. After nesting, the leatherback turtles migrate throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic. The migrations of Tortuguero sea turtles have profound consequences for the setting of conservation priorities and for economic development of coastal communities in Central America. Implications for recovery goals, fisheries, tourism and oil exploration, and the use of protected areas and international conventions as mechanisms to achieve successful management are described.",

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N2 - Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica hosts nesting by four species of highly migratory and endangered sea turtles (green, hawksbill, leatherback and loggerhead turtles). Sea turtle research at Tortuguero has been continuous since Dr. Archie Carr began studies in the 1950?s. This dissertation aims to clarify the Tortuguero sea turtles? post-nesting migrations, nesting trends and survival threats. Green turtle nesting at Tortuguero increased with an estimated 417% between 1971 and 2003, partly as a result of conservation efforts. Tag recoveries and satellite telemetry show that post-nesting green turtles migrate to benthic foraging grounds, presumably turtle grass pastures throughout the Caribbean, but some females may feed opportunistically in oceanic waters before initiating migration. During migrations and at the main foraging grounds in Nicaragua, the turtles are caught by fishermen. Annual survival probability estimates for the adult female green turtles, derived from analysis of tag recoveries and recaptures, are lower than for other populations. The reproductive output of the green turtle population may be maintained through shorter intervals between active breeding seasons. The short remigration intervals could be a consequence of abundant food resources, freed up through historical population decline. The hawksbill nesting population has declined with an estimated 77% since 1956. Tag recoveries and satellite telemetry show that post-nesting hawksbill turtles migrate to coral reefs in Nicaragua and Honduras. Genetic analysis indicates the hawksbill turtles also migrate to Cuba, Puerto Rico and possibly Mexico waters. Tortuguero leatherback turtles form part of a stable or possibly slightly declining regional rookery extending at least from Honduras to Colombia. After nesting, the leatherback turtles migrate throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic. The migrations of Tortuguero sea turtles have profound consequences for the setting of conservation priorities and for economic development of coastal communities in Central America. Implications for recovery goals, fisheries, tourism and oil exploration, and the use of protected areas and international conventions as mechanisms to achieve successful management are described.

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KW - Animal ecology

KW - conservation

KW - predation

KW - remigration

KW - annual survival probability

KW - mtDNA

KW - satellite telemetry

KW - tagging

KW - Costa Rica

KW - Tortuguero

KW - endangered

KW - migration

KW - Djurekologi

KW - sea turtles

M3 - Doctoral Thesis (compilation)

SN - 91-7105-229-1

PB - Ekologiska institutionen, Lunds universitet

ER -

Migration of Sea Turtles from Caribbean Costa Rica: Implications for Management

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