Defining olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea management units in Australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost nets
In Australia, the olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea has received little research attention and monitoring. The Australian populations are relatively small and their distribution is limited to remote areas in the northern part of the country. Previous global genetic studies of olive ridle...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Inter-Research
2013-10-01
|
| Series: | Endangered Species Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v21/n3/p241-253/ |
| _version_ | 1819259173847695360 |
|---|---|
| author | MP Jensen CJ Limpus SD Whiting M Guinea RIT Prince KEM Dethmers IBW Adnyana R Kennett NN FitzSimmons |
| author_facet | MP Jensen CJ Limpus SD Whiting M Guinea RIT Prince KEM Dethmers IBW Adnyana R Kennett NN FitzSimmons |
| author_sort | MP Jensen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Australia, the olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea has received little research attention and monitoring. The Australian populations are relatively small and their distribution is limited to remote areas in the northern part of the country. Previous global genetic studies of olive ridley populations showed that the Australian breeding population at the McCluer Group of islands, Northern Territory, is genetically distinct from other olive ridley populations breeding in the Indo-Pacific. However, nothing is known about the genetic stock structure among Australian olive ridley rookeries found across northern Australia. High predation of eggs by feral pigs, dogs and monitor lizards Varanus spp. is believed to have severely impacted the number of nesting females at some rookeries. Of particular concern is the small nesting population on the western Cape York Peninsula, and without immediate conservation action this population could face extinction. The results presented here establish that there are at least 2 independent management units (stocks) of olive ridley turtles nesting in Australia and emphasise the importance of conserving the genetically distinct small breeding population nesting along the western Cape York Peninsula. In addition, results from 44 turtles caught in ghost nets across the Gulf of Carpentaria revealed that 45% of the haplotypes (32% of all ghost net samples) had not been observed at any rookery in Australia or SE Asia. This research highlights the need for better information on olive ridley population structure in the region and for urgent conservation action for the western Cape York population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T19:05:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7916350450944c6cbb0914919b717705 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1863-5407 1613-4796 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T19:05:48Z |
| publishDate | 2013-10-01 |
| publisher | Inter-Research |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Endangered Species Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-7916350450944c6cbb0914919b7177052022-12-21T17:34:36ZengInter-ResearchEndangered Species Research1863-54071613-47962013-10-0121324125310.3354/esr00521Defining olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea management units in Australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost netsMP Jensen0CJ Limpus1SD Whiting2M Guinea3RIT Prince4KEM Dethmers5IBW Adnyana6R Kennett7NN FitzSimmons8Marine Mammal & Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037, USAQueensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP), Threatened Species Unit, PO Box 2454 City, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, AustraliaDepartment of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport, PO Box 496, Palmerston, Northern Territory 0832, AustraliaSchool of Environmental and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Health, Science and the Environment, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0909, AustraliaMarine Science Program, Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia 6983, AustraliaNorth Australia Marine Research Alliance, Arafura Timor Research Facility, Brinkin, Northern Territory 0810, AustraliaUdayana University, FKH - UNUD, Kampus Bukit Jimbaran 8000, Bali, IndonesiaNorth Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory 0815, AustraliaEnvironmental Futures Centre, Griffith University, Queensland 4222, AustraliaIn Australia, the olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea has received little research attention and monitoring. The Australian populations are relatively small and their distribution is limited to remote areas in the northern part of the country. Previous global genetic studies of olive ridley populations showed that the Australian breeding population at the McCluer Group of islands, Northern Territory, is genetically distinct from other olive ridley populations breeding in the Indo-Pacific. However, nothing is known about the genetic stock structure among Australian olive ridley rookeries found across northern Australia. High predation of eggs by feral pigs, dogs and monitor lizards Varanus spp. is believed to have severely impacted the number of nesting females at some rookeries. Of particular concern is the small nesting population on the western Cape York Peninsula, and without immediate conservation action this population could face extinction. The results presented here establish that there are at least 2 independent management units (stocks) of olive ridley turtles nesting in Australia and emphasise the importance of conserving the genetically distinct small breeding population nesting along the western Cape York Peninsula. In addition, results from 44 turtles caught in ghost nets across the Gulf of Carpentaria revealed that 45% of the haplotypes (32% of all ghost net samples) had not been observed at any rookery in Australia or SE Asia. This research highlights the need for better information on olive ridley population structure in the region and for urgent conservation action for the western Cape York population.https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v21/n3/p241-253/ |
| spellingShingle | MP Jensen CJ Limpus SD Whiting M Guinea RIT Prince KEM Dethmers IBW Adnyana R Kennett NN FitzSimmons Defining olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea management units in Australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost nets Endangered Species Research |
| title | Defining olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea management units in Australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost nets |
| title_full | Defining olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea management units in Australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost nets |
| title_fullStr | Defining olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea management units in Australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost nets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Defining olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea management units in Australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost nets |
| title_short | Defining olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea management units in Australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost nets |
| title_sort | defining olive ridley turtle lepidochelys olivacea management units in australia and assessing the potential impact of mortality in ghost nets |
| url | https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v21/n3/p241-253/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mpjensen definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets AT cjlimpus definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets AT sdwhiting definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets AT mguinea definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets AT ritprince definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets AT kemdethmers definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets AT ibwadnyana definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets AT rkennett definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets AT nnfitzsimmons definingoliveridleyturtlelepidochelysolivaceamanagementunitsinaustraliaandassessingthepotentialimpactofmortalityinghostnets |