Movement patterns for a critically endangered species, the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), linked to foraging success and population status

Foraging success for pelagic vertebrates may be revealed by horizontal and vertical movement patterns. We show markedly different patterns for leatherback turtles in the North Atlantic versus Eastern Pacific, which feed on gelatinous zooplankton that are only occasionally found in high densities. In...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: H Bailey, S Fossette, S Bograd, G Shillinger, A Swithenbank, J Y Georges, P Gaspar, S Patrik, F Paladino, J Spotila, B Block, Graeme Hays
Format: Other Non-Article Part of Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Uncategorized
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
SEA-TURTLES
MARINE PREDATOR
PACIFIC
ZOOPLANKTON
BEHAVIOR
HABITATS
LOGGERHEAD
DICHOTOMY
CONTEXT
Pacific
North Atlantic
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30058211
https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Movement_patterns_for_a_critically_endangered_species_the_Leatherback_Turtle_Dermochelys_coriacea_linked_to_foraging_success_and_population_status/20953906
Description
Summary:Foraging success for pelagic vertebrates may be revealed by horizontal and vertical movement patterns. We show markedly different patterns for leatherback turtles in the North Atlantic versus Eastern Pacific, which feed on gelatinous zooplankton that are only occasionally found in high densities. In the Atlantic, travel speed was characterized by two modes, indicative of high foraging success at low speeds (<15 km dāˆ’1) and transit at high speeds (20ā€“45 km dāˆ’1). Only a single mode was evident in the Pacific, which occurred at speeds of 21 km dāˆ’1 indicative of transit. The mean dive depth was more variable in relation to latitude but closer to the mean annual depth of the thermocline and nutricline for North Atlantic than Eastern Pacific turtles. The most parsimonious explanation for these findings is that Eastern Pacific turtles rarely achieve high foraging success. This is the first support for foraging behaviour differences between populations of this critically endangered species and suggests that longer periods searching for prey may be hindering population recovery in the Pacific while aiding population maintenance in the Atlantic.

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