Predation of satellite-tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean
We present evidence of predator interactions with 8 juvenile loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta equipped with pop-up satellite archival transmitting tags (PSATs) following incidental capture in the Northwest Atlantic. Ingestion of PSATs occurred up to 5 mo after tagging and was identified by an...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Inter-Research
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Endangered Species Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v46/p279-291/ |
| _version_ | 1818332398524301312 |
|---|---|
| author | KE Hall MC James |
| author_facet | KE Hall MC James |
| author_sort | KE Hall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present evidence of predator interactions with 8 juvenile loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta equipped with pop-up satellite archival transmitting tags (PSATs) following incidental capture in the Northwest Atlantic. Ingestion of PSATs occurred up to 5 mo after tagging and was identified by an abrupt change in depth distribution, a stabilization and/or increase in ambient temperature and a marked drop in light levels to near zero, with cessation of diel light level cycling. In some cases, following expulsion from the digestive tract of predators, positively buoyant PSATs descended to the sea floor or beyond the programmed release depth threshold (1800 m), indicating that they remained tethered to the indigestible carapaces of turtles and that the entire turtle was originally consumed. PSAT data, combined with the sudden termination of satellite uplinks from 2 loggerheads also equipped with platform transmitting terminals, provided additional evidence of whole-turtle predation. PSAT data indicated that both endothermic and ectothermic sharks ingested tags. Based on PSAT-logged temperature data, dive patterns and geographic distribution, the following shark species were considered as candidate predators: white, porbeagle, shortfin mako, tiger and blue. This study represents the first analysis of data collected by loggerhead turtle PSATs inside predators. The results expand the list of shark species known to prey on large juvenile loggerheads and point to the importance of acknowledging predation as an important source of mortality for loggerhead turtles in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:35:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-670455e95c0044bcba0f651184f1b80c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1863-5407 1613-4796 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:35:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Inter-Research |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Endangered Species Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-670455e95c0044bcba0f651184f1b80c2022-12-21T23:43:54ZengInter-ResearchEndangered Species Research1863-54071613-47962021-12-014627929110.3354/esr01165Predation of satellite-tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the Northwest Atlantic OceanKE Hall0MC James1Population Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, CanadaPopulation Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, CanadaWe present evidence of predator interactions with 8 juvenile loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta equipped with pop-up satellite archival transmitting tags (PSATs) following incidental capture in the Northwest Atlantic. Ingestion of PSATs occurred up to 5 mo after tagging and was identified by an abrupt change in depth distribution, a stabilization and/or increase in ambient temperature and a marked drop in light levels to near zero, with cessation of diel light level cycling. In some cases, following expulsion from the digestive tract of predators, positively buoyant PSATs descended to the sea floor or beyond the programmed release depth threshold (1800 m), indicating that they remained tethered to the indigestible carapaces of turtles and that the entire turtle was originally consumed. PSAT data, combined with the sudden termination of satellite uplinks from 2 loggerheads also equipped with platform transmitting terminals, provided additional evidence of whole-turtle predation. PSAT data indicated that both endothermic and ectothermic sharks ingested tags. Based on PSAT-logged temperature data, dive patterns and geographic distribution, the following shark species were considered as candidate predators: white, porbeagle, shortfin mako, tiger and blue. This study represents the first analysis of data collected by loggerhead turtle PSATs inside predators. The results expand the list of shark species known to prey on large juvenile loggerheads and point to the importance of acknowledging predation as an important source of mortality for loggerhead turtles in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v46/p279-291/ |
| spellingShingle | KE Hall MC James Predation of satellite-tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean Endangered Species Research |
| title | Predation of satellite-tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean |
| title_full | Predation of satellite-tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean |
| title_fullStr | Predation of satellite-tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predation of satellite-tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean |
| title_short | Predation of satellite-tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean |
| title_sort | predation of satellite tagged juvenile loggerhead turtles caretta caretta in the northwest atlantic ocean |
| url | https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v46/p279-291/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kehall predationofsatellitetaggedjuvenileloggerheadturtlescarettacarettainthenorthwestatlanticocean AT mcjames predationofsatellitetaggedjuvenileloggerheadturtlescarettacarettainthenorthwestatlanticocean |