Survival and remigration probabilities for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting in the eastern Gulf of Mexico

    Authors

    K. F. Phillips; K. L. Mansfield; D. J. Die;D. S. Addison

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Mar. Biol.

    Keywords

    SEA-TURTLE; TEMPORARY EMIGRATION; NAVIGATIONAL ABILITY; SATELLITE; TRACKING; MARINE TURTLES; CHELONIA-MYDAS; POPULATION; CONSERVATION; FLORIDA; TRANSITION; Marine & Freshwater Biology

    Abstract

    Few long-term mark-recapture tagging datasets exist to estimate population parameters for loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) recovery units. Using a two-state open robust design model, we analyzed a 20-year (1990-2009) mark-recapture dataset from the Keewaydin Island loggerhead nesting assemblage off the southwest coast of Florida (USA) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. For this analysis, 2,292 turtle encounters were evaluated, representing 841 individual nesting turtles. Survival was estimated at 0.73 (95 % CI 0.69-0.76). This estimate is comparable with survival estimates elsewhere in the Peninsular Florida subpopulation and is among the lowest estimates for the Northwest Atlantic loggerhead population. We documented no changes in remigration rates or clutch frequency over time. These are the first survival and remigration probabilities estimated for a loggerhead nesting assemblage in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

    Journal Title

    Marine Biology

    Volume

    161

    Issue/Number

    4

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    863

    Last Page

    870

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000333899500011

    ISSN

    0025-3162

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