EVALUATING MULTIPLE STRESSORS IN LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES: DEVELOPING A TWO-SEX SPATIALLY EXPLICIT MODEL (R829094)

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://oaspub.epa.gov/eims/eimsapi.dispdetail?deid=57252

North Atlantic loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta L.) populations respond to the integrated effects of multiple environmental stressors. Environmental stressors often occur in spatially distinct frameworks and affect distinct age classes, sexes, and subpopulations differentially because of differences in habitats utilization. Also, the effects of stressors may not be manifest for years. Loggerheads are long-lived species with spatially and genetically structured as subpopulations, hence threats may be experienced differentially. Maintenance of subpopulation structure may be critical to the survival of the population as a whole. The study aims to restructure wildlife risk assessment models for sea turtles. New information on (i) the spatially distinct subpopulation structure, (ii) anthropogenic stressors that impact turtles at different life stages in different habitats, and (iii) space-based conservation and management options, all call for spatially explicit approaches to loggerhead population dynamics.