GENETIC ASSESSMENT OF SEA TURTLES FORAGING AGGREGATIONS OF BONAIRE, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES Final Report submitted to Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

As a result of dispersal and migratory behavior, sea turtles establish a complex interconnection between their original natal rookeries and their developmental and foraging grounds. Elucidating this interconnection is of vital importance as it provides a regional perspective of conservation priorities and initiatives to recover and maintain their populations. In addition it provides important clues to gain a better understanding of the migratory behavior of sea turtles and the factors influencing their spatial and temporal distribution. In this study, we assessed the genetic variation of a section of the mtDNA control region to investigate the genetic diversity and origin of the green sea turtle and hawksbill sea turtle foraging aggregations (FAs) of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Furthermore, we conducted a mixed stock analysis with a hierarchical Bayesian approach to estimate the most likely future contribution of the Bonaire FAs to adult recruitment of Caribbean and Atlantic nesting rookeries. After analyzing 169 individuals (hawksbills=75, greens=94) a relatively high genetic diversity characterizing both aggregations was observed, with the green aggregation exhibiting the highest genetic diversity so far observed for a foraging aggregation. Evidence was obtained that confirms the cosmopolite character of the FAs with individuals exclusively from Caribbean rookeries recruiting to the hawkbill foraging grounds. Interestingly, a contribution of rookeries from South Atlantic and probable from West Africa was suggested for the green turtle foraging ground. This confirms the migratory capabilities of the green sea turtles and provides the framework to further test hypotheses about the mechanism influencing such long-distance dispersal. Results from this study not only confirm the regional connectivity established between the Island of Bonaire and the rest of the Caribbean nesting rookeries but also reveals that recruitment from rookeries far as Africa exists and highlights the importance of a regional collaboration to conserve these areas as they represent the future of reproductive recruitment.