Abstract
Identifying migratory pathways and linking nesting sites to foraging areas is essential for effective conservation management of migratory species, such as marine turtles. Post-nesting marine turtles disperse from their nesting sites to multiple foraging areas located from a few to hundreds of kilometers away. Over a six-year period 16 female green turtles (Chelonia mydas) were equipped with satellite transmitters between October and December of five nesting seasons to determine their migratory routes from their nesting area at five contiguous beaches at Ras Baridi, Saudi Arabia, to their foraging areas. All foraging areas for these turtles were located in shallow coastal areas or in shallow areas around offshore islands within the Red Sea basin. The majority (n = 12) migrated through the shallow (<200 m) water along the coastal margin to reach foraging areas located to the North (n = 4) and South (n = 12) of the nesting site. Four turtles crossed the deep trough of the Red Sea during their journeys. Ten of the 16 turtles migrated to foraging areas within the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia. The other six turtles migrated to foraging areas in Egypt (n = 4) and Eritrea (n = 2). These 16 turtles traveled between 130 and 1749 km from their nesting site to foraging areas located in the northern, middle and southern parts of the Red Sea. Because these turtles utilized foraging areas in at least three countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Eritrea) and one passed through the territorial waters of Sudan, conservation and management of green turtles in the Red Sea requires multinational cooperation to address anthropogenic threats in the region.
Highlights
The success of conservation efforts for animals that migrate between habitats when they reproduce depends on understanding their population biology as well as the distribution of important habitats and the connections among these habitats in the context of threatening processes that may be encountered (Martin et al, 2007; Lascelles et al, 2014; Gajdzik et al, 2021)
Specific details concerning the distribution and use of important habitats and the connecting migratory routes are needed on an appropriate scale so that regional ecosystem management options can be coordinated and tailored to reduce threatening processes (Rees et al, 2016; Lagabrielle et al, 2018; Hernandez-Avila et al, 2020; Gajdzik et al, 2021). This is important in a marginal sea such as the Red Sea, wherein the majority of the coastal margin is managed by six countries (PERSGA, 2006)
Their destinations indicate that turtles nesting at Ras Baridi originated from at least 11 foraging areas located in three countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Eritrea), with most foraging in neritic habitat in Saudi Arabia (Figure 1 and Supplementary Table 2)
Summary
The success of conservation efforts for animals that migrate between habitats when they reproduce (e.g., birds: Egevang et al, 2010; fish: Tamario et al, 2019; sea turtles: Russell et al, 2005) depends on understanding their population biology as well as the distribution of important habitats and the connections among these habitats in the context of threatening processes that may be encountered (Martin et al, 2007; Lascelles et al, 2014; Gajdzik et al, 2021). Specific details concerning the distribution and use of important habitats and the connecting migratory routes are needed on an appropriate scale so that regional ecosystem management options can be coordinated and tailored to reduce threatening processes (Rees et al, 2016; Lagabrielle et al, 2018; Hernandez-Avila et al, 2020; Gajdzik et al, 2021) This is important in a marginal sea such as the Red Sea, wherein the majority of the coastal margin is managed by six countries (two other countries border the Gulf of Aqaba) (PERSGA, 2006). Understanding the connectivity among important habitats (i.e., foraging areas, nesting sites) and the routes used to connect them is essential to development of effective conservation practices (Bolker et al, 2007; Dunn et al, 2019)
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