Title

Movement Patterns Of Loggerhead Turtles Caretta Caretta In Cuban Waters Inferred From Flipper Tag Recaptures

Keywords

Caretta caretta; Caribbean; Cuba; Flipper tags; Loggerhead turtle; Movement patterns; Tag-recapture

Abstract

Understanding the spatial movements of threatened marine species, such as sea turtles, is essential as a means of informing appropriate conservation management. Although novel techniques for tracking spatial movements are becoming more widely available (such as satellite tracking), simple techniques such as mark-release-recapture remain effective. A flipper tagging and recovery program in Cuba tagged 210 loggerhead turtles over 14 yr and recovered 7% of the tags between 2 d and 3 yr later (mean = 296 d). All but one turtle was recaptured in Cuban waters, and data showed limited movement of turtles between northern and southern coasts. A further 50 turtles were recovered that had been tagged in foreign projects, the majority of which were from the USA (but also Mexico, The Bahamas, Canary Islands and Spain). A range of life stages of loggerhead turtles are found in Cuban waters year-round, and given that Cuba has the second largest reef in the Caribbean, it likely provides foraging habitat for significant numbers of loggerhead turtles from at least 6 different countries. © Inter-Research 2010.

Publication Date

5-20-2010

Publication Title

Endangered Species Research

Volume

11

Issue

1

Number of Pages

61-68

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00248

Socpus ID

77952312308 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/77952312308

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