Behaviour of leatherback sea turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, during the migratory cycle.

ABSTRACT: Leatherback sea turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, undertake broad oceanic movements. While satellite telemetry has been used to investigate the post-nesting behaviour of female turtles tagged on tropical nesting beaches, long-term behavioural patterns of turtles of different sexes and sizes have not been described. Here we investigate behaviour for 25 subadult and adult male and female turtles satellite-tagged in temperate waters off Nova Scotia, Canada. Although sex and reproductive condition contributed to variation in migratory patterns, the migratory cycle of all turtles included movement between temperate and tropical waters. Marked changes in rates of travel, and diving and surfacing behaviour, accompanied southward movement away from northern foraging areas. As turtles approached highe

SUBMITTER: James MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1559844 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature