| Summary: | Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea, Vandelli, 1761)) is a large migratory species reproducing in Atlantic areas and abundant in the Mediterranean Sea, where nesting beaches do not exist. Leatherback stranding occasionally occurs in the Andalusia coasts (183 turtles during 1990- 2011 period). This communication study a possible inter and intra annual temporal patterns in leatherback strandings in the area and analyze the effects of atmospheric oscillations on their arrivals in the Mediterranean. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) plays an essential role in climate fluctuations affecting the North Atlantic and associated biological components. Recent studies showed that the Arctic Oscillation (AO) is highly correlated with NAO, explaining more accurately variations found in ecological time series. The summer months concentrate significatively a higher number of leatherback turtle strandings. Moreover, the results show a significant negative correlation between the stranding frequency and the average rate of the AO. Postprint
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