Abstract
The dive behavior of gravid leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) was studied during the internesting interval in two western Pacific nesting regions: Papua Barat, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands in 2006, 2007 and 2010. We used three types of dive data: time-at-depth data (Papua Barat: N = 4; Solomon Islands: N = 6), intermittent dive data (Papua Barat: N = 6) obtained from ARGOS satellite transmitters, and continuous dive data obtained from recovered semi-archival tags (Papua Barat: N = 1, Solomon Islands: N = 1). All dive data demonstrated that the leatherback turtles routinely dove to deep waters (around 150 m) throughout the internesting interval. The continuous dive data showed that turtles spent 37.3% of their time in routine deep dives and that they stayed in cold waters below the thermocline. Fine-scale monitoring (1-s interval, 0.5 m of resolution) suggested that these routine deep dives were not accompanied with any wiggles (up-and-down undulations in the depth profile) or flat-bottom phases, and they reached deep waters by gliding, which suggests that these dives may have served to conserve energy and/or to thermoregulate. Comparison with the dive behavior in other regions (Costa Rica, French Guiana, Grenada, Malaysia, and St. Croix) suggests that gravid leatherback turtles in all regions except French Guiana assume an energy-saving strategy during the internesting interval that involves gliding to or resting on the sea floor in colder water. The behavioral tactics (dive patterns) they use, however, differ because of bathymetric constraints.
Highlights
Reproductive performance is affected ecologically and physiologically by physical environmental factors
Telemetry deployments were conducted at two major nesting beaches located on the northern Bird’s Head coast in Papua Barat Indonesia (Jamursba-Medi and Wermon; Hitipeuw et al, 2007), and three beaches in the Solomon Islands (Litoghahira and Sasakolo, Santa Isabel Island) in 2006, 2007, and 2010 (See Benson et al, 2011)
We present the dive performance of gravid leatherback turtles during the internesting interval in Papua Barat and Solomon Islands using three types of dive data: archival, TAD, and SRDL data
Summary
Reproductive performance is affected ecologically and physiologically by physical environmental factors. Across a variety of taxa, variation in environmental characteristics such as food availability or climate conditions can have dramatic repercussions on reproductive traits such as clutch size or reproductive frequency (e.g., Seigel and Fitch, 1985; Lourdais et al, 2002; Wallace et al, 2007). To cope with limiting and/or fluctuating food resources, for example, organisms have evolved a wide range of behavioral strategies to acquire energy and allocate this to reproduction. One fundamental dichotomy in reproductive behavior is between species that fuel reproduction with recently acquired energy (“income breeders”) and those that rely on stored energy reserves (“capital breeders,” Drent and Daan, 1980). Ectotherms typify capital breeders because the energetic costs associated with storage, maintenance, and use of body reserves prior to reproduction are lower (Bonnet et al, 1998)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
