Natal Origin and Spatiotemporal Distribution of Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Strandings at a Foraging Hotspot in Temperate Waters of the Southwest Atlantic Ocean.

ABSTRACT: Leatherback turtles migrate long distances between nesting beaches and distant foraging areas worldwide. This study analyzes the genetic diversity, life history stage, spatiotemporal distribution, and associated threats of a foraging aggregation in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. A total of 242 leatherbacks stranded or bycaught by artisanal fisheries were recorded from 1997 to 2021 in Uruguay, with sizes ranging from 110.0 to 170.0 cm carapace lengths, indicating that the aggregation is composed of large juveniles and adults. Results of Bayesian mixed-stock analysis show that leatherbacks come primarily from the West African rookeries, based on mitochondrial DNA sequences obtained from 59 of the turtles representing seven haplotypes, including a novel one (Dc1.7). The main threat identified

SUBMITTER: Velez-Rubio GM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10134985 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature