Three decades of stranding data reveal insights into endangered hawksbill sea turtles in Hawai‘i

Hawksbill sea turtles: can phylogenetics inform harvesting?

In their recent articles, Mortimer et al. (2007) and Bowen et al. (2007) imply that historical declines in hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) populations in the Caribbean together with new phylogenetic data provide solid evidence that hawksbills cannot be harvested on a sustainable level. We suggest that broad inferences on the impacts of harvesting based on phylogenetic data alone a...

Deforestation: risk of sex ratio distortion in hawksbill sea turtles.

Phenotypic sex in sea turtles is determined by nest incubation temperatures, with warmer temperatures producing females and cooler temperatures producing males. The common finding of highly skewed female-biased hatchling sex ratios in sea turtle populations could have serious repercussions for the long-term survival of these species and prompted us to examine the thermal profile of a relatively...

Conservation of Hawksbill Sea Turtles: Perceptions and Realities

sea turtle species survive in only a limited area of its natural range. Sea turtles must occur throughout their natural ranges to ensure that they fulfill their ecological roles. For example, hawksbills are primary predators in coral reef ecosystems and thus assist in maintaining the biodiversity and ecological processes of these complex ecosystems. Unfortunately, as is made all too clear in th...

“endangered Sea Turtles of the Caribbean”

Spatial ecology of critically endangered hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata: implications for management and conservation

Elucidating spatio-temporal movements of animals is an integral component of wildlife conservation and protected species management. Between 2008 and 2010 we satellite tracked 15 adult female hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata in the eastern Pacific Ocean to evaluate their movement behavior and to guide management and conservation efforts of this highly endangered population. Movements an...