Spatial Ecology of Sub-Adult Green Turtles in Coastal Waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands: Implications for Conservation Management
Spatial Ecology of Sub-Adult Green Turtles in Coastal Waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands: Implications for Conservation Management
复制标题
DOI：
10.3389/fmars.2020.00690
复制
发表时间：
2020-08-25
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Richardson, Peter Bradley
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Doherty, Philip D.;Broderick, Annette Cameron;Richardson, Peter Bradley
海龟在其分布范围内都受到保护，过去的数量下降主要是由于通过法律的和非法的捕捞以及渔业中的偶然捕获。虽然许多研究工作都集中在筑巢的海滩和详细的迁徙走廊，这些物种花了绝大多数的生命周期在觅食地，这是，在一些物种，相当离散。为了了解和管理这些种群，需要关于分布、空间利用和栖息地的经验数据，以便为保护措施的设计提供最佳信息。在这里，我们描述了空间使用，占用，和广泛的运动来自传统的鳍状肢标记和卫星跟踪的亚成年绿色海龟（Chelonia mydas）内的特克斯和凯科斯群岛（TCI; 2011 - 2017）沿海沃茨。623只海龟被贴上鳍状标签，其中69只随后被重新捕获，其中5只是在国际沃茨。16个个体之间的63和81厘米的弯曲甲壳长度的海龟卫星跟踪平均226天（范围：38 - 496）。数据显示，在拉姆萨尔保护区内的沿海浅沃茨中，有长时间的占用。卫星跟踪和鳍状肢标记显示了大范围的运动，鳍状肢标记重新捕获发生在尼加拉瓜（n = 4）和委内瑞拉（n = 1）的沃茨。此外，16颗卫星中有4颗追踪到海龟，它们在加勒比-大西洋盆地内的9个地理政治区域以及公海上，有方向地远离TCI沃茨（位移450公里）。一只海龟曾前往中美洲海岸，在哥伦比亚沃茨的近岸栖息地定居162天后才停止传播，这表明个体发育扩散到了遥远的觅食栖息地。这些数据突出了整个区域的连通性，显示了以前仅通过遗传证据联系起来的国家之间的关键联系。这项研究还提供了证据，证明特克斯和凯科斯群岛海洋保护区网络的重要性以及有效管理海龟渔业对区域绿色海龟种群的重要性。
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 life-cycle 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.