Pre-Reproductive Movements of Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) Nesting in the Caribbean

Abstract

The temporal pattern of colonization by epibionts on leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting at Sandy Point, St. Croix, provides unique insight into the pre-reproductive movements of the turtles. Recruitment of the pantropical pelagic cirriped, Conchoderma virgatum, was rapid and continuous once the turtles arrived at the nesting grounds. The date at which individual turtles arrived at the nesting grounds was extrapolated from a von Bertalanffy growth model estimating the age of barnacles present during a turtle's first nesting. The data suggest that gravid turtles do not arrive from temperate latitudes until just prior to nesting, and that they go directly to a preferred nesting beach rather than nesting opportunistically en route. The Sandy Point nesters apparently arrive at the nesting beach asynchronously over a period of 4 mo and, irrespective of date, individuals commence nesting within relatively few days of arrival. Mating presumably occurs prior to or during the migration and not in tropical waters. The occurrence of five additional species of epibiotic cirripeds and the presence of a parasitic isopod, Excorallana antillensis, are documented.