Hawksbill sea turtles in seagrass pastures: success in a peripheral habitat
نویسندگان
چکیده
Hawksbill sea turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, are closely associated with coral reef and other hard-bottom habitats. Seagrass pastures are peripheral habitats for Caribbean hawksbills. With the decline in quality and quantity of coral reefs, seagrass habitats may become more important for hawksbills. We use data from a 30-year mark-recapture study of hawksbills and green turtles, Chelonia mydas, in the southern Bahamas to assess the quality of a seagrass habitat for hawksbills. Size distribution, residence times, and body condition index for the seagrass hawksbill aggregation are similar to those of hawksbill aggregations over Caribbean reefs. Somatic growth rates of seagrass hawksbills are in the upper range of those reported for reef hawksbills. Based on these parameters, peripheral seagrass habitats can support healthy, productive hawksbill aggregations. During the 30-year study, a sixfold variation in green turtle density in the study area did not affect the productivity or body condition of hawksbills.
منابع مشابه
In-water assessments of sea turtles at Glover’s Reef Atoll, Belize
The decline of sea turtle populations in the Caribbean has led to intensive recovery efforts. In Belizean waters, hawksbill turtles are seemingly making a comeback. At Glover’s Reef Atoll particularly, juvenile hawksbill turtles are found in the fore-reef habitat. The population status and dynamics of this foraging aggregation were assessed to inform conservation management and to ascertain the...
متن کاملHigh rates of growth recorded for hawksbill sea turtles in Anegada, British Virgin Islands
Management of species of conservation concern requires knowledge of demographic parameters, such as rates of recruitment, survival, and growth. In the Caribbean, hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) have been historically exploited in huge numbers to satisfy trade in their shells and meat. In the present study, we estimated growth rate of juvenile hawksbill turtles around Anegada, British...
متن کاملFactors Affecting Hatch Success of Hawksbill Sea Turtles on Long Island, Antigua, West Indies
Current understanding of the factors influencing hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) hatch success is disparate and based on relatively short-term studies or limited sample sizes. Because global populations of hawksbills are heavily depleted, evaluating the parameters that impact hatch success is important to their conservation and recovery. Here, we use data collected by the Jumby Ba...
متن کاملCancer in sea turtles.
Sea Turtles Sea turtles are one of the oldest extant groups of animals, and they have changed little in basic anatomy for millions of years. Sea turtles are found throughout the world, and depending on the species, range from warm tropical water to frigid oceans near the arctic. They can be herbivores, omnivores, or carnivores and can be quite large. For example, the largest species of sea turt...
متن کاملHawksbill nest site selection affects hatchling survival at a rookery in Antigua, West Indies
Nesting populations of Critically Endangered hawksbill sea turtles remain depleted across much of their range in the Caribbean. Some islands, however, including Jumby Bay (Pasture Bay) in Antigua, have shown a steady increase in the number of nesting females. Furthermore, in recent years nesting has occurred in particularly high densities within the remnant maritime forest on the northwestern s...
متن کامل