One shell of a problem: Cumulative threat analysis of male sea turtles indicates high anthropogenic threat for migratory individuals and Gulf of Mexico residents
August 11, 2022
Human use of oceans has dramatically increased in the 21st century. Sea turtles are vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors in the marine environment because of lengthy migrations between foraging and breeding sites, often along coastal migration corridors. Little is known about how movement and threat interact specifically for male sea turtles. To better understand male sea turtle movement and the threats they encounter, we satellite-tagged 40 adult male sea turtles of four different species. We calculated movement patterns using state-space modeling (SSM), and quantified threats in seven unique categories; shipping, fishing, light pollution, oil rigs, proximity to coast, marine protected area (MPA) status, and location within or outside of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). We found significantly higher threat severity in northern and southern latitudes for green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and Kemp’s ridleys (Lepidochelys kempii) in our study area. Those threats were pervasive, with only 35.9% of SSM points encountering no high threat exposure, of which 47% belong to just two individuals. Kemp’s ridleys were most exposed to high threats among tested species. Lastly, turtles within MPA boundaries face significantly lower threat exposure, indicating MPAs could be a useful conservation tool.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Title | One shell of a problem: Cumulative threat analysis of male sea turtles indicates high anthropogenic threat for migratory individuals and Gulf of Mexico residents |
| DOI | 10.3390/rs14163887 |
| Authors | Micah Ashford, James I. Watling, Kristen Hart |
| Publication Type | Article |
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Series Title | Remote Sensing |
| Index ID | 70236791 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Wetland and Aquatic Research Center |
Related Content
Male sea turtle telemetry (2009-2020) reveals high overlap with anthropogenic threats in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean
This dataset contains cumulative threat data for several species of male sea turtles tagged with satellite tags between 2009 and 2020. It contains information on species, capture date, days during tracking spent in marine protected areas, shipping lanes, near the coast, near oil rigs, and within known fishing operations. This dataset thus allows estimation of threat levels from these anthropogenic
Related Content
- Data
Male sea turtle telemetry (2009-2020) reveals high overlap with anthropogenic threats in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean
This dataset contains cumulative threat data for several species of male sea turtles tagged with satellite tags between 2009 and 2020. It contains information on species, capture date, days during tracking spent in marine protected areas, shipping lanes, near the coast, near oil rigs, and within known fishing operations. This dataset thus allows estimation of threat levels from these anthropogenic - Connect