Inter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red Sea
Abstract Sea turtles are migratory with nesting and foraging areas in distinct and often widely separated habitats. Telemetry has been a vital tool for tracking sea turtle migrations between these areas, but tagging efforts are often focused on only a few large rookeries in a given region. For insta...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-07-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-37942-z |
| _version_ | 1797778903315513344 |
|---|---|
| author | Lyndsey K. Tanabe Jesse E. M. Cochran Michael L. Berumen |
| author_facet | Lyndsey K. Tanabe Jesse E. M. Cochran Michael L. Berumen |
| author_sort | Lyndsey K. Tanabe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sea turtles are migratory with nesting and foraging areas in distinct and often widely separated habitats. Telemetry has been a vital tool for tracking sea turtle migrations between these areas, but tagging efforts are often focused on only a few large rookeries in a given region. For instance, turtle tagging in the Red Sea has been focused in the north of the basin. We tagged five green turtles (Chelonia mydas) at a nesting site in the central-southern Red Sea and tracked them for 72–243 days. During the inter-nesting period, the turtles showed high site-fidelity, with a maximum home range of 161 km2. After the nesting season, the turtles migrated up to 1100 km to five distinct foraging locations in three countries (Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Eritrea). Movements within foraging habitats were more wide-ranging compared to inter-nesting movements, with home ranges varying between 1.19 and 931 km2. The tracking data revealed that the creation of a relatively small marine reserve could protect the critical inter-nesting habitat in the Farasan Banks. The results also highlight the need for multinational collaboration to protect migratory corridors and foraging sites of this endangered species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:24:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6197c62115694821a2e227aacf9b16bc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:24:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-6197c62115694821a2e227aacf9b16bc2023-07-16T11:14:49ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-07-011311810.1038/s41598-023-37942-zInter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red SeaLyndsey K. Tanabe0Jesse E. M. Cochran1Michael L. Berumen2Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyDivision of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyDivision of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyAbstract Sea turtles are migratory with nesting and foraging areas in distinct and often widely separated habitats. Telemetry has been a vital tool for tracking sea turtle migrations between these areas, but tagging efforts are often focused on only a few large rookeries in a given region. For instance, turtle tagging in the Red Sea has been focused in the north of the basin. We tagged five green turtles (Chelonia mydas) at a nesting site in the central-southern Red Sea and tracked them for 72–243 days. During the inter-nesting period, the turtles showed high site-fidelity, with a maximum home range of 161 km2. After the nesting season, the turtles migrated up to 1100 km to five distinct foraging locations in three countries (Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Eritrea). Movements within foraging habitats were more wide-ranging compared to inter-nesting movements, with home ranges varying between 1.19 and 931 km2. The tracking data revealed that the creation of a relatively small marine reserve could protect the critical inter-nesting habitat in the Farasan Banks. The results also highlight the need for multinational collaboration to protect migratory corridors and foraging sites of this endangered species.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-37942-z |
| spellingShingle | Lyndsey K. Tanabe Jesse E. M. Cochran Michael L. Berumen Inter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red Sea Scientific Reports |
| title | Inter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red Sea |
| title_full | Inter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red Sea |
| title_fullStr | Inter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red Sea |
| title_short | Inter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red Sea |
| title_sort | inter nesting migration and foraging behaviors of green turtles chelonia mydas in the central southern red sea |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-37942-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lyndseyktanabe internestingmigrationandforagingbehaviorsofgreenturtlescheloniamydasinthecentralsouthernredsea AT jesseemcochran internestingmigrationandforagingbehaviorsofgreenturtlescheloniamydasinthecentralsouthernredsea AT michaellberumen internestingmigrationandforagingbehaviorsofgreenturtlescheloniamydasinthecentralsouthernredsea |