Ecological Trap or Favorable Habitat? First Evidence That Immature Sea Turtles May Survive at Their Range-Limits in the North-East Atlantic
Unusual environmental events can push marine animals outside their physiological tolerances through changes in trophic and/or thermal conditions. Such events typically increase the risk of stranding. Rescue Centers offer a unique opportunity to report animals in distress and satellite track rehabili...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.736604 https://doaj.org/article/c32b6213936741558c0cf96edae79e5d |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:c32b6213936741558c0cf96edae79e5d 2023-05-15T17:38:21+02:00 Ecological Trap or Favorable Habitat? First Evidence That Immature Sea Turtles May Survive at Their Range-Limits in the North-East Atlantic Philippine Chambault Philippe Gaspar Florence Dell’Amico 2021-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.736604 https://doaj.org/article/c32b6213936741558c0cf96edae79e5d EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.736604/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.736604 https://doaj.org/article/c32b6213936741558c0cf96edae79e5d Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 8 (2021) Bay of Biscay loggerhead turtle green turtle micronekton sea surface temperature Kemp’s ridley turtle Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.736604 2022-12-31T10:21:45Z Unusual environmental events can push marine animals outside their physiological tolerances through changes in trophic and/or thermal conditions. Such events typically increase the risk of stranding. Rescue Centers offer a unique opportunity to report animals in distress and satellite track rehabilitated individuals to identify potential new habitats and support an effective conservation of these endangered species. By combining sightings (1988–2020) and tracking data (2008–2020) collected along the French Atlantic and English Channel coasts, our study assessed if the Bay of Biscay is an ecological trap or a favorable habitat for immature sea turtles. The largest tracked individuals migrated westward to pelagic waters, likely toward their natal beaches, while smaller individuals remained within the Bay of Biscay (BoB) and crossed colder (mean: 17.8 ± 3.0°C) but more productive waters. The turtles’ directions differed from the ones of ocean currents, excluding a passive advection to these unexpected habitats. Although the BoB might be thermally unsuitable in winter, the higher micronekton biomass predicted in this region could offer a productive foraging habitat for immature turtles. However, the majority of the sightings referred to individuals stranded alive (75%), suggesting this area could also act as an ecological trap for the smallest individuals that are mostly reported in winter suffering cold-stunning. Assumed to be outside the species range, our results reveal a potential foraging ground in the North-East Atlantic for these young turtles, confirming the crucial role of the rehabilitation centers and the need to continue prioritizing conservation of these endangered species, particularly vulnerable at this stage and at such temperate latitudes. Article in Journal/Newspaper North East Atlantic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Frontiers in Marine Science 8 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Bay of Biscay loggerhead turtle green turtle micronekton sea surface temperature Kemp’s ridley turtle Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
spellingShingle |
Bay of Biscay loggerhead turtle green turtle micronekton sea surface temperature Kemp’s ridley turtle Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 Philippine Chambault Philippe Gaspar Florence Dell’Amico Ecological Trap or Favorable Habitat? First Evidence That Immature Sea Turtles May Survive at Their Range-Limits in the North-East Atlantic |
topic_facet |
Bay of Biscay loggerhead turtle green turtle micronekton sea surface temperature Kemp’s ridley turtle Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
description |
Unusual environmental events can push marine animals outside their physiological tolerances through changes in trophic and/or thermal conditions. Such events typically increase the risk of stranding. Rescue Centers offer a unique opportunity to report animals in distress and satellite track rehabilitated individuals to identify potential new habitats and support an effective conservation of these endangered species. By combining sightings (1988–2020) and tracking data (2008–2020) collected along the French Atlantic and English Channel coasts, our study assessed if the Bay of Biscay is an ecological trap or a favorable habitat for immature sea turtles. The largest tracked individuals migrated westward to pelagic waters, likely toward their natal beaches, while smaller individuals remained within the Bay of Biscay (BoB) and crossed colder (mean: 17.8 ± 3.0°C) but more productive waters. The turtles’ directions differed from the ones of ocean currents, excluding a passive advection to these unexpected habitats. Although the BoB might be thermally unsuitable in winter, the higher micronekton biomass predicted in this region could offer a productive foraging habitat for immature turtles. However, the majority of the sightings referred to individuals stranded alive (75%), suggesting this area could also act as an ecological trap for the smallest individuals that are mostly reported in winter suffering cold-stunning. Assumed to be outside the species range, our results reveal a potential foraging ground in the North-East Atlantic for these young turtles, confirming the crucial role of the rehabilitation centers and the need to continue prioritizing conservation of these endangered species, particularly vulnerable at this stage and at such temperate latitudes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Philippine Chambault Philippe Gaspar Florence Dell’Amico |
author_facet |
Philippine Chambault Philippe Gaspar Florence Dell’Amico |
author_sort |
Philippine Chambault |
title |
Ecological Trap or Favorable Habitat? First Evidence That Immature Sea Turtles May Survive at Their Range-Limits in the North-East Atlantic |
title_short |
Ecological Trap or Favorable Habitat? First Evidence That Immature Sea Turtles May Survive at Their Range-Limits in the North-East Atlantic |
title_full |
Ecological Trap or Favorable Habitat? First Evidence That Immature Sea Turtles May Survive at Their Range-Limits in the North-East Atlantic |
title_fullStr |
Ecological Trap or Favorable Habitat? First Evidence That Immature Sea Turtles May Survive at Their Range-Limits in the North-East Atlantic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ecological Trap or Favorable Habitat? First Evidence That Immature Sea Turtles May Survive at Their Range-Limits in the North-East Atlantic |
title_sort |
ecological trap or favorable habitat? first evidence that immature sea turtles may survive at their range-limits in the north-east atlantic |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.736604 https://doaj.org/article/c32b6213936741558c0cf96edae79e5d |
genre |
North East Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North East Atlantic |
op_source |
Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 8 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.736604/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.736604 https://doaj.org/article/c32b6213936741558c0cf96edae79e5d |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.736604 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
8 |
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1766138765416333312 |