Leatherback Turtles in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico: Foraging and Migration Behavior During the Autumn and Winter

Scott R Benson,Paul M Richards,Nathan F Putman,Brian A Stacy,Michael Judge,Derke Snodgrass,Christopher R Sasso

doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.660798

Abstract

We deployed 19 satellite tags on foraging adult leatherback turtles, including 17 females and 2 males, captured in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico in 2015, 2018, and 2019 in order to study regional distribution and movements. Prior to our study, limited data were available from leatherbacks foraging in the Gulf of Mexico. Tag deployment durations ranged from 63 to 247 days and turtles exhibited three distinct behavior types: foraging, transiting, or rapidly switching between foraging and transiting. Some females were tracked to nesting beaches in the Caribbean. Most of the leatherbacks remained on and foraged along the west Florida continental shelf whereas a few individuals foraged in waters of the central Gulf of Mexico during the autumn and winter. In addition, migration of adult females through the Yucatan Channel indicate that this is a seasonally important area for Caribbean nesting assemblages.

Highlights

Movement characterizes the life cycles of marine animals (Putman, 2018) and understanding the role of individual movements on species distributions and habitat use is an important component of scientifically sound management efforts (Blumenthal et al, 2006; Oppel et al, 2018)
Our results build upon previous studies and fisheries bycatch records to demonstrate consistent use of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico as a foraging area for leatherback turtles (Garrison and Stokes, 2017; Aleksa et al, 2018b)
Capture of turtles previously tagged on nesting beaches, as well as tracking turtles returning to nesting beaches, demonstrate the importance of the region for leatherbacks from numerous nesting areas

Summary

Introduction

Movement characterizes the life cycles of marine animals (Putman, 2018) and understanding the role of individual movements on species distributions and habitat use is an important component of scientifically sound management efforts (Blumenthal et al, 2006; Oppel et al, 2018). Satellitetelemetry methods have been widely used in large-bodied marine animals to determine their movements and habitat associations, and have yielded considerable insights into sea turtle biology and behavior (Hays et al, 2019). The majority of satellite tags are deployed on nesting female sea turtles because of easy access by researchers (James et al, 2005). While this approach provides useful information, the data are biased toward females and inter-nesting and post-nesting periods.

Methods

Results

Conclusion