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Natal site and offshore swimming influence fitness and long-distance ocean transport in young sea turtles
journal contribution
posted on 2012-10-01, 00:00 authored by N Putman, R Scott, P Verley, R Marsh, Graeme HaysGraeme HaysAlthough long-distance transport of marine organisms is constrained by numerous oceanic and biological factors, some species have evolved life-histories reliant on such movements. We examine the factors that promote long-distance transport in a transoceanic migrant, young loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), from the southeastern U.S. Empirical data from near-surface buoys and simulations in two ocean circulation models indicated that passive drifters are often retained for long periods shoreward of oceanic fronts that delineate coastal and offshore waters. Further simulations revealed that offshore swimming aided newly hatched turtles in moving past fronts and increased turtles’ probability of survival, reaching distant foraging grounds, and encountering favorable temperatures. Swimming was most beneficial in regions that were more favorable under scenarios assuming passive drift. These results have broad implications for understanding the movement processes of many marine species, highlighting likely retention of more planktonic species and potential for dispersal in more nektonic species.
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Journal
Marine biologyVolume
159Issue
10Pagination
2117 - 2126Publisher
SpringerLocation
Berlin, GermanyPublisher DOI
ISSN
0025-3162eISSN
1432-1793Language
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2012, SpringerUsage metrics
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