Post-nesting migratory movements of hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata in waters adjacent to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Abstract

The Yucatan Peninsula harbors the largest nesting population of hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata in the Atlantic Basin. In Mexico, one of the most significant conservation problems for this species is the lack of knowledge on migratory patterns and the location of feeding grounds for post-nesting hawksbill females. The main goal of this study was to gather information on the hawksbill's migratory patterns and the location of their feeding grounds by tracking 3 post-nest- ing females from Campeche state, Mexico. We attached satellite transmitters and tracked the 3 tur- tles for 166, 446 and 510 d, respectively. The turtles remained within Mexican territorial waters, reaching separate foraging grounds off the coast of Campeche and in the Mexican Caribbean. No significant relationships were observed between turtles' migrating behavior and sea-surface temper- ature or geostrophic currents. Spatial analysis of the data recorded in this study has generated novel information on hawksbill turtle migratory patterns and feeding grounds, which will aid in decision- making for hawksbill turtle conservation in the Yucatan Peninsula.