Home range and habitat use of juvenile Atlantic green turtles (Chelonia mydas L.) on shallow reef habitats in Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Home range and habitat use of juvenile Atlantic green turtles (Chelonia mydas L.) on shallow reef habitats in Palm Beach, Florida, USA
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美国佛罗里达州棕榈滩浅礁栖息地幼年大西洋绿海龟 (Chelonia mydas L.) 的活动范围和栖息地利用
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发表时间：
2006
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通讯作者：
M. Salmon
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作者：
C. Makowski;J. Seminoff;M. Salmon
许多动物，包括海龟，会根据栖息地的特定类型和质量来改变它们的运动和活动范围。当有足够的资源可用时，个体可能会对特定区域的活动产生兴趣，例如觅食和（或）休息。就绿海龟 (Chelonia mydas L.) 而言，在公海生活多年后，幼龟会招募到浅水发育栖息地，在那里它们在进食和成长到成熟时占据不同的活动范围。 我们的目标是研究幼年绿海龟沿着佛罗里达州棕榈滩浅水虫岩礁区的栖息地利用和活动范围。 2003 年 8 月至 11 月期间，通过超声波遥测技术对六只海龟进行了跟踪，它们的直背甲长度为 27.9 至 48.1 厘米，质量为 7.2 至 12.6 公斤。捕获后，通过灌洗对每只海龟的食道进行冲洗，以确定最近摄入的食物。此外，四只海龟被重新捕获，并安装了时间深度记录仪来研究潜水模式。使用 100% 最小凸多边形和 95% 固定核估计器测量的家庭范围面积分别为 0.69 至 5.05 km2（平均值 = 2.38±1.78 km2）和 0.73 至 4.89 km2（平均值 = 2.09±1.80 km2）。海龟的活动范围和核心区域主要局限于珊瑚礁本身，并且食物和庇护所之间存在相当大的重叠。白天（0600–1800 小时）的平均潜水次数为 84±5.0 次潜水，而夜间（1800–0600 小时）的平均潜水次数为 39±3.0 次潜水。白天的潜水深度（平均值 = 3.20±1.26 m）比夜间潜水浅（平均值 = 5.59±0.09 m）。所有六只海龟都以类似的大型藻类和海绵碎片的混合饮食为食。我们的研究结果表明，在夏季和秋季，幼年绿海龟在佛罗里达州东南部的近岸蠕虫岩礁沿岸占据稳定的栖息地。确定绿海龟使用哪些栖息地将有助于保护管理者在全球范围内努力保护这种濒临灭绝的物种。
Many animals, including sea turtles, alter their movements and home range in relation to the particular type and quality of the habitat occupied. When sufficient resources are available, individuals may develop affinities to specific areas for activities, such as foraging and (or) resting. In the case of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas L.), after a number of years in the open ocean, juveniles recruit to shallow-water developmental habitats where they occupy distinct home ranges as they feed and grow to maturity. Our goal was to study the habitat use and home range movements of juvenile green turtles along a shallow, worm-rock reef tract in Palm Beach, Florida. Six turtles, measuring from 27.9 to 48.1 cm in straight carapace length and from 7.2 to 12.6 kg in mass, were tracked via ultrasonic telemetry from August to November 2003. Upon capture, each turtle’s esophagus was flushed via lavage to determine recently ingested foods. In addition, four turtles were recaptured and fitted with a time-depth recorder to study dive patterns. Home range areas measured with 100% minimum convex polygon and 95% fixed kernel estimators varied from 0.69 to 5.05 km2 (mean=2.38±1.78 km2) and 0.73 to 4.89 km2 (mean=2.09±1.80 km2), respectively. Home ranges and core areas of turtles were largely restricted to the reef tract itself, and showed considerable overlap between food and shelter sites. The mean number of dives during daylight hours (0600–1800 hours) was 84±5.0 dives, while the mean during night hours (1800–0600 hours) was 39±3.0 dives. Dives during the day were shallower (mean=3.20±1.26 m) than dives at night (mean=5.59±0.09 m). All six turtles were found to have a mixed diet of similar macroalgae and sponge fragments. Our results reveal that juvenile green turtles occupy stable home ranges along the nearshore worm-rock reefs of Southeast Florida, during the summer and fall. Determining which habitats are used by green turtles will assist conservation managers in their global effort to protect this endangered species.