Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the possible link between variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and sea surface temperature (SST) and the abundance of loggerhead turtles around the Strait of Gibraltar, using stranding data for the Andalusian coastal area as a proxy for abundance. The annual average SST (from November to October) in the Gulf of Cadiz was negatively associated with the total number of loggerhead strandings each year from November 1997 to October 2006 in the Gulf of Cadiz and the Alboran Sea. The average NAO index was positively associated with the number of strandings in the Gulf of Cadiz in the following year. Prevailing westerly winds during positive NAO phases and the subsequent delayed decrease in SST may lead to turtles from the west Atlantic accumulating in the Gulf of Cadiz and unsuccessfully attempting to return. Secondary causes, such as buoyancy, cold stunning, longline fisheries, net fisheries, debilitated turtle syndrome, and trauma may also increase the number of turtle strandings.
Highlights
The loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta is an important migratory species included in the IUCN red list of threatened species
SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to explore the possible link between variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and sea surface temperature (SST) and the abundance of loggerhead turtles around the Strait of Gibraltar, using stranding data for the Andalusian coastal area as a proxy for abundance
The annual average SST in the Gulf of Cadiz was negatively associated with the total number of loggerhead strandings each year from November 1997 to October 2006 in the Gulf of Cadiz and the Alboran Sea
Summary
The loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta is an important migratory species included in the IUCN red list of threatened species (http://www.redlist.org/). Its physiology and behaviour is affected by variations in sea surface temperature (SST) and wind patterns (Bellido et al, 2008; Schofield et al, 2009). Several authors have raised the issue of whether climate change may affect turtle populations by reducing the number of. Hatchlings, altering the normal sex ratio (Hawkes et al, 2007b; Witt et al, 2010) and decreasing neonatal survival (McCallum et al, 2009). Recent evidence suggests that changes in climatic conditions are responsible for a documented shift in the reproductive season of western North Atlantic loggerheads because oviposition occurs earlier (Weishampel et al, 2004). Climate change may cause profound alterations in migratory routes and resource availability (Robinson et al, 2008)
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