Origins of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Bahamas: A comparison of recent and historical rookery contributions
Abstract Conservation of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) benefits from knowledge of population connectivity across life stages. Green turtles are managed at the level of genetically discrete rookeries, yet individuals from different rookeries mix at foraging grounds; therefore, rookeries may be i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9548 |
| _version_ | 1811211863844716544 |
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| author | Camille Kynoch Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes Peter H. Dutton Erin L. LaCasella Ian Silver‐Gorges |
| author_facet | Camille Kynoch Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes Peter H. Dutton Erin L. LaCasella Ian Silver‐Gorges |
| author_sort | Camille Kynoch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Conservation of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) benefits from knowledge of population connectivity across life stages. Green turtles are managed at the level of genetically discrete rookeries, yet individuals from different rookeries mix at foraging grounds; therefore, rookeries may be impacted by processes at foraging grounds. Bimini, Bahamas, hosts an important foraging assemblage, but rookery contributions to this assemblage have never been resolved. We generated mitochondrial DNA sequences for 96 foraging green turtles from Bimini and used Mixed Stock Analysis to determine rookery contributions to this population using 817 and 490 base pair (bp) rookery baseline data. The MSA conducted with 817 bp data indicated that Quintana Roo, Mexico, and Central Eastern Florida contributed most to the Bimini population. The MSA conducted with 490 bp data indicated that Southwest Cuba and Central Eastern Florida contributed the most to Bimini. The results of the second MSA differ from a previous study undertaken with 490 bp data, conducted in Great Inagua, Bahamas, which suggested that Tortuguero, Costa Rica, contributed the most to that foraging assemblage. Large credible intervals in our results do not permit explicit interpretation of individual rookery contributions, but our results do indicate substantial relative differences in rookery contributions to two Bahamian foraging assemblages which may be driven by oceanic currents, rookery sizes, and possibly juvenile natal homing. Our findings may implicate a shift in contributions to the Bahamas over two decades, highlighting the importance of regularly monitoring rookery contributions and resolving regional recruitment patterns to inform conservation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:20:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c792530730fd41bda39669db74dfc888 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:20:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-c792530730fd41bda39669db74dfc8882022-12-22T03:46:30ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582022-11-011211n/an/a10.1002/ece3.9548Origins of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Bahamas: A comparison of recent and historical rookery contributionsCamille Kynoch0Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes1Peter H. Dutton2Erin L. LaCasella3Ian Silver‐Gorges4Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science Florida State University Tallahassee Florida USADepartment of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science Florida State University Tallahassee Florida USAMarine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration La Jolla California USAMarine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration La Jolla California USADepartment of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science Florida State University Tallahassee Florida USAAbstract Conservation of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) benefits from knowledge of population connectivity across life stages. Green turtles are managed at the level of genetically discrete rookeries, yet individuals from different rookeries mix at foraging grounds; therefore, rookeries may be impacted by processes at foraging grounds. Bimini, Bahamas, hosts an important foraging assemblage, but rookery contributions to this assemblage have never been resolved. We generated mitochondrial DNA sequences for 96 foraging green turtles from Bimini and used Mixed Stock Analysis to determine rookery contributions to this population using 817 and 490 base pair (bp) rookery baseline data. The MSA conducted with 817 bp data indicated that Quintana Roo, Mexico, and Central Eastern Florida contributed most to the Bimini population. The MSA conducted with 490 bp data indicated that Southwest Cuba and Central Eastern Florida contributed the most to Bimini. The results of the second MSA differ from a previous study undertaken with 490 bp data, conducted in Great Inagua, Bahamas, which suggested that Tortuguero, Costa Rica, contributed the most to that foraging assemblage. Large credible intervals in our results do not permit explicit interpretation of individual rookery contributions, but our results do indicate substantial relative differences in rookery contributions to two Bahamian foraging assemblages which may be driven by oceanic currents, rookery sizes, and possibly juvenile natal homing. Our findings may implicate a shift in contributions to the Bahamas over two decades, highlighting the importance of regularly monitoring rookery contributions and resolving regional recruitment patterns to inform conservation.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9548marine turtlesmigratory connectivitymitochondrial DNAmixed stock analysispopulation structure |
| spellingShingle | Camille Kynoch Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes Peter H. Dutton Erin L. LaCasella Ian Silver‐Gorges Origins of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Bahamas: A comparison of recent and historical rookery contributions Ecology and Evolution marine turtles migratory connectivity mitochondrial DNA mixed stock analysis population structure |
| title | Origins of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Bahamas: A comparison of recent and historical rookery contributions |
| title_full | Origins of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Bahamas: A comparison of recent and historical rookery contributions |
| title_fullStr | Origins of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Bahamas: A comparison of recent and historical rookery contributions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Origins of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Bahamas: A comparison of recent and historical rookery contributions |
| title_short | Origins of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Bahamas: A comparison of recent and historical rookery contributions |
| title_sort | origins of juvenile green sea turtles chelonia mydas in the bahamas a comparison of recent and historical rookery contributions |
| topic | marine turtles migratory connectivity mitochondrial DNA mixed stock analysis population structure |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9548 |
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