Atlantic Ocean

Growth Rates of Adult Sea Turtles

Indeterminate growth, i.e. growth that persists throughout life, is common in long-lived reptiles. Because fecundity and body size tend to be correlated in such species, individuals face a life-history trade-off at sexual maturity. Saturation tagging and intensive monitoring at nesting grounds can potentially provide opportunities to accumulate data on individual measurements and reproductive output.

17 September 2018

A 20-year Investigation of Declining Leatherback Hatching Success: Implications of Climate Variation

Unprecedented increases in air temperature and erratic precipitation patterns are predicted throughout the twenty-first century as a result of climate change. A recent global analysis of leatherback turtle hatchling output predicts that the nesting site at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge (SPNWR) will experience the most significant regional climate alterations. We aimed to identify how local air temperatures and precipitation patterns influenced within-nest mortality and overall hatchling output at this site between 1990 and 2010.

13 September 2018

Marine Turtle Interaction with Purse-seine Fishery in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans: Lessons for Management

Bycatch of endangered marine turtles is a growing issue for the management of all fisheries, including the oceanic purse-seine fishery. The aim of this study was to assess the spatial and temporal variation in bycatch rates of these species in the entire European purse-seine fishery operating in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The study was based on data collected through observer programs from 1995 to 2011.

22 November 2019

Effects of Rising Temperature on the Viability of an Important Sea Turtle Rookery

A warming world poses challenges for species with temperature-dependent sex determination, including sea turtles, for which warmer incubation temperatures produce female hatchlings. We combined in situ sand temperature measurements with air temperature records since 1850 and predicted warming scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to derive 250-year time series of incubation temperatures, hatchling sex ratios, and operational sex ratios for one of the largest sea turtles rookeries globally (Cape Verde Islands, Atlantic).

17 September 2018

Water Mass Characteristics and Solar Illumination Influence Leatherback Turtle Dive Patterns at High Latitudes

Eastern Canada hosts one of the largest seasonal aggregations of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Atlantic Ocean, and is considered critical foraging habitat. Explaining distributional variation of leatherbacks in this three‐dimensional habitat is relevant to the recovery strategy for this endangered species as human activities are a leading cause of mortality.

13 September 2018

Global Distribution of Two Fungal Pathogens Threatening Endangered Sea Turtles

Nascent fungal infections are currently considered as one of the main threats for biodiversity and ecosystem health, and have driven several animal species into critical risk of extinction. Sea turtles are one of the most endangered groups of animals and only seven species have survived to date. Here, we described two pathogenic species, i.e., Fusarium falciforme and Fusarium keratoplasticum, that are globally distributed in major turtle nesting areas for six sea turtle species and that are implicated in low hatch success.

13 September 2018

Study: Conservation Priorities for Shark and Ray Species included and proposed for inclusion in Annex 1 to the CMS Sharks MOU

The Sharks MOU has defined general objectives for the conservation and management of species and populations listed in Annex 1 of the MOU, which are further detailed in a global Conservation Plan for migratory Sharks (Annex 3 to the MOU).
18 Octubre 2015